Thracian Short Sica

This Thracian Short Sica is crafted with a blunt blade of high carbon steel with a finished, tempered hardness of 50-52 HRC. The thick-edged blade is specifically crafted for stage and sport combat and has edges that are at least 2 mm thick. The bolster is brass and the grip and pommel are carved wood.

This short-bladed Thracian Sica is ideal for the Thraex Gladiator or as a sidearm for a Thracian peltast. The hooked blade delivers great force on the strike, as it simulates a pick by bring the full force of the strike onto a small, single point. This recreation has a point of balance very close to the grip, which makes it easy to wield and swing even for substantial periods of time.

The Thracians were famous for their javelin-wielding infantry who fought in loose, often ambushing or harassing formations. These peltasts were a bane to hoplite in the tight phalanx formation, who were an easy target who could not catch the swift peltasts. Though early Greek conflicts with other Greeks and neighboring cultures were focused on close formation of spearmen, it was the appearance and success of Peltasts which forced a diversification of Greek martial forces. Later armies would include their own peltasts to counter the skirmishers of their enemy, as well as cavalry and lightly-equipped Hoplite charged with catching these light infantry and preventing their deadly javelins from raining into the phalanx.

In the case of the Thracian Peltast, when he was forced to draw his sidearm, likely a Sica sword, he had a weapon in hand with a striking power that should give pause to any wise opponent.