Falcata

The falcata was used to great effect by the armies of Carthage in their wars against Rome. The falcata is a type of sword typical of the pre-Roman Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal).

Name

The term falcata is not ancient. It seems to have been coined by Fernando Fulgosio in 1872, on the model of the Latin expression ensis falcatus "sickle-shaped sword" (which, however, refers to the Harpe). He presumably went with falcata rather than falcatus because both the Portuguese and Spanish word for sword, espada, is feminine, although there are other presumable theories. The name caught on very quickly and is now firmly entrenched in the scholarly literature.

Shape

The falcata has a single-edged blade that pitches forward towards the point, the edge being concave near the hilt, but convex near the point. This shape distributes the weight in such a way that the falcata is capable of delivering a blow with the momentum of an axe, while maintaining the longer cutting edge of a sword. The grip is typically hook-shaped, the end often stylized in the shape of a horse or a bird. There is often a thin chain connecting the hooked butt of the Iberian with the hilt. Although usually a single-edged weapon, double-edged falcatas have been found.