A later-period pugio, the legionary’s iconic backup dagger, carrying the broad, waisted blade profile that remained recognisable across the type’s long service life from the late Republic into Late Antiquity.
The pugio developed from the daggers carried by Cantabrian and Celtiberian warriors of the Iberian peninsula, adopted into Roman military equipment by the 1st century BC and standard issue across the legions by the Augustan era. Carried on the left side of the waist belt (cingulum) as a backup to the gladius, its broad, waisted, double-edged blade was equally suited to a stabbing thrust or a slashing cut in the tight confines of close-quarters action where there was no room to swing a full-length sword.
Deepeeka’s reproduction recreates the classic broad, waisted, ridged and fullered blade for stiffness and lightness, part of our Roman heritage range.
Use for:
- Roman legionary living history
- Museum-style display on a wall mount or stand
- Roman-themed home decor and collections
- Historical events and Roman markets
- Film and theatre productions set in the Roman Empire
- Collectors of Roman military equipment
