Reconstruction of a Roman pugio. The pugio was the dagger used by the soldiers of the legions of the Roman Republic from around the year 100 a. C. to 100 d. C .. The Romans adopted it of the Hispanic towns, in the same way as the gladius hispaniensis. The leaf was about 24 cm long by 6 wide. It was an ideal weapon for stabbing, and could, with a good attack, pierce a chain mail. This was because it had a central nerve that endowed the blade with strength and firmness.
The pugio was an auxiliary weapon or of last resort, and was specifically made to nail.
Regarding the etymology of the word, probably "pugio" comes from the proto-indoeuropea root * peug-, which means "to stab, to punch" or "to give a punch"; is the same root that is found in other Latin words like "pugil" ("boxer"), "pugnus" (fist) or "pugna" ("fight with thrusts" or "fight with punches"), and in the Greek term "pygmé" (fist). There are linguists who propose the etymology of "pugio" as "a weapon that grabs with the fist."
It was used by other contemporary warriors, such as the Iberian warrior. Bibliography
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