The Sword of Mars, also known as the Sword of Attila, was a legendary weapon carried by Attila the Hun, which served as his close-range weapon.
Legend[]
The Roman historian Jordanes, quoting the work of historian Priscus, gave the story of its origin:
"When a certain shepherd beheld one heifer of his flock limping and could find no cause for this wound, he anxiously followed the trail of blood and at length came to a sword it had unwittingly trampled while nibbling the grass. He dug it up and took it straight to Attila. He rejoiced at this gift and, being ambitious, thought he had been appointed ruler of the whole world, and that through the sword of Mars supremacy in all wars was assured to him."
The Sword of Mars came to be somewhat of a scepter, symbolizing Attila's right to leadership.
It is rumored that the sword was struck by lightning or made of meteorite metal.
It should be noted however that Attila created several stories like this to create psychological terror against the Romans.
Description[]
In the show, the Sword of Mars was shown to have a short, straight, double-edged blade, making it effective for both slashing and thrusting. Attila likely would have used the sword both on foot and from horseback.
Statistics[]
- 31 inches
- 3 lbs
- Meteorite iron