A pugio referencing a find from Leeuwen in the Netherlands, one of several named archaeological findspots — alongside Vindonissa, Mainz, and Titelberg — that together reveal clear regional differences in how Roman pugiones were decorated and constructed across the Empire.

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. Archaeological finds from sites including Vindonissa (Switzerland), Mainz and Haltern (Germany), Titelberg (Luxembourg), and Leeuwen (Netherlands) reveal clear regional variation in pugio decoration and construction, giving historians a detailed picture of how the type evolved and was personalised across the Roman frontier provinces.

Deepeeka’s reproduction recreates the classic broad, waisted, ridged and fullered blade referencing the Leeuwen find, 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