Xiphos

The Xiphos (Greek: (To) ξιΦος) is a double-edged, single-hand sword with blade of around 50-60 cm long, widest at about two-thirds of its length, although the Spartans supposedly started to use blades as short as 30 cm around the era of the Greco-Persian Wars. The Xiphos sometimes has a midrib, or is diamond or lenticular in cross-section. It was generally hung from a baldric under the left arm. Relatively few Xiphoi seem to have survived.

The primary weapon of ancient Greeks was the spear. If it broke they used a short single hand sword known as Xiphos. The Xiphos had a double-edged blade that rarely measured longer than 20 inches which made it useful in close range combat. It was more martially versatile than the other prominent sword, the single edged Kopis.