Makhaira sword: an ancient Greek sword
Makhaira (μάχαιρα) comes from the Ancient Greek word machaira or machaera. It is a name given to a Greek sword that has meanings of “a battle” and “to fight“. Modern scholars often used “makhaira” to describe a type of ancient bladed weapon and large knife with a slight backwards curve.
The Greek name μάχαιρα or Makhaira has a variety of meanings, and can refer to virtually any sword including a surgeon’s scalpel. In martial context, however, it most often refers to a type of one-edged, curved sword. Modern scholars differentiate the makhaira from the kopis on the basis of the direction of the blade curvature.
These antique weapons come in diverse shapes and sizes. Greek art shows the Lacedaemonian and Persian armies used these curved weapons. Persian records, however, show that their main infantry sword was straight, similar to the Greek xiphos. Sword was straight like Xiphos was. Xenophon mentions that the Ancient Greek Xiphos Sword was more conventional among Ancient Greek armies. It was believed that the Makhaira was more effective for Cavalry attacks.
The New Testament mentioned that the Koine uses the word makhaira to refer to a sword generically. It did not point out any definite distinction between native blades and the gladius of the Roman Soldiers. The uncertainty looks like to be contributed to the apocryphal malchus or a short curved sword used by Peter to cut off the ear of Malchus, a slave, during the arrest of Jesus. The said sword fits the ancient definition of makhaira but the imprecise nature of the word found in the New Testament does not provide any conclusive answer.
March 02 2010 04:36 am | antique swords