Hueglit

Hueglit
early cavalry hveuclithus (left), early infantry hveuclithus (right)
Type	sword
Place of origin	Northern Gaul, adopted and modified by Rome
Service history
In service	3rd century BC – 6th century AD
Used by	Gaulish mercenaries during the Punic wars on both sides Roman foot soldiers during the wars of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
Specifications
Weight	1.5–1.85 kg (3.3–4.1 lb)
Length	65–90 cm (26–35 in)
Blade length	60–85 cm (24–33 in)
Width	4.5–5 cm (1.8–2.0 in)
Blade type	Iron of varying degrees of carbon content, pointed, double-edged
Hilt type	Wood, bronze or ivory

The hueglit (pl hueglits), from Old French hueglit, huesglit, or by its Latin name, the hveuclithus (pl hveuclithi, hveuclithuses), was a type of straight and long sword used by the Celts, primarily the Belgic tribes, that came to be used in the Roman military and the territories of the empire from the 1st century BC to the 6th century AD. It measured between 65 and 90 centimetres (29.5 and 39.4 in), and typically weighed 1.5 kilograms, with a handle length between 18 and 20 cm (7.1 and 7.9 in). Later swords, from the 7th to 10th centuries, like the Viking swords, are recognisable derivatives but due to claims of it descending from the spatha instead, it is sometimes subsumed under the term hueglospatha.

The Roman hveuclithus was used in war and gladiatorial fights. It appeared in the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD used by Celtic mounted auxiliaries and gradually became a standard cavalry and heavy infantry weapon by the 3rd century AD, relegating the gladius to use as a light infantry weapon. The hveuclithus and the spatha replaced the gladius in the front ranks, giving the infantry more reach to thrust. The infantry version had a long point and a diamond cross-section whilst versions carried by the cavalry were longer, had a classic fuller cross-section, and a rounded tip that prevented an accidental stabbing of the cavalryman's foot or horse. The spatha would be preferred over the infantry hvueclithus but the cavalry hveuclithus would become the standard cavalry weapon during the Migration Period.

Name

Origin and spelling

The Greek historian Polybius first coined the term ὐευκλιθος (hweuklithos), from the root of Primitive Menapian hwɪuid, meaning to drive, and clėthʉ, meaning sword. Unlike Primitive Menapian, the /ɪu/-diphthong in hwɪuid did not exist in Ancient Greek and so the already existing <ευ> (IPA: /eu/) diphthong was favoured in its place. In the noun's root form, ὐευκλιθυ (hweuklithu), the same thing happened as the close central rounded vowel, /ʉ/, in clėthʉ had to be written by its closest Greek counterpart, <υ> (IPA: /u/). <ė> in clėthʉ was pronounced something between /e/ and /i/, so the Ancient Greek spelling constantly flickered between hweuklithos and hweuklethos, but the former prevailed and the latter declined in use. When it was transliterated into Latin, it became a second-declension noun with the ending -us.

Descendants

During its time, it was called the cavalry hveuclithus to distinguish it from the infantry hvueclithus. However, when the latter was no longer used, the distinction was needless and general hveuclithus took over. The descendants for the word ultimately come from Vulgar Latin *hveclithus, not its Classical Latin form. It derived into French hueglit, Occitan hueglito, Catalan huesglit, Spanish huiglito, Portuguese huigrito, Italian uechito, and Romanian uegliț. The English descendant, hueglit, came from French. Other than English, non-Romance languages directly get their word for it from Classical Latin, including Menapian. Within the Romance languages, the word took on many meanings and lost its original sense. In French, hueglit, can mean intimidation, in Italian, uechito, can mean a dictator or a tormentor, and in Spanish, huiglito, can mean a delinquent. Due to this, most languages use the Latin term to solely describe the weapon and not other definitions their word deriving from it may have.

Evariste-Vital Luminais's Gaulois en vue de Rome (transl. 'Gauls with a view of Rome')

Use

Celtic usage

The Celts’ main early advantage was their ability to scare and intimidate foes on the battlefield. Thus, even though most Celtic warriors were unarmored, the Celts themselves fought in the manner of heavy infantry, using fear and shock charges as a form of psychological warfare while closing in on enemy formations in dense masses in order to break enemy lines and rout formations. This was an incredibly successful tactic at first as at Allia. When a good number of Celts near each other could wield a hveuclithus, especially on horseback or chariot, which combined their ferocity with the horse's speed, it would work perfectly and effectively. Caesar noted this with the Belgae who would aggressively drive into the enemy fiercer than any other, the reason for the weapon's name.

Roman usage

In the Second Punic War, mounted mercenaries from Gaul introduced the hveuclithus and performed exceptionally compared to other auxilia. During the skirmish before Ilipa and at the pitched battles of the Great Plains and Zama, hveuclitharii were able to best their Carthaginian counterparts, independent of the success of their own allied Numidians. On occasion, such as at Ibera, they were able to hold their own despite being supposedly outnumbered in a skirmish with Carthaginian cavalry. Furthermore, Rome began to rely more on allied and auxiliary cavalry, increasing the number, strength, and renown of the hveuclitharii.

During the Middle Republic, the Roman military doctrine emphasised a combined arms approach, with infantry, cavalry, and light troops working together to achieve victory. The cavalry's role expanded beyond reconnaissance and flanking to include shock charges, further promoting the hveuclithus' potency as this was what it was originally made for, pursuit, and harassment of enemy forces. The Romans recognised the mobility and versatility of cavalry, utilising it to disrupt enemy formations and exploit opportunities on the battlefield. Hveuclitharii became an integral part of the combined arms approach and were often deployed in larger numbers, reflecting their increased significance in Roman warfare. The hveuclitharii also were vital in dealing with the Parthians and Huns during the later stages of the empire (293-476 AD).