glădĭus, ĭi, m. (also archaic glă-dĭum, ii, n., Lucil. ap. Non. 208, 13; cf. Varr. L. L. 9, § 81 Müll.; Quint. 1, 5, 16; v. gladiola under gladiolus, I.) [perh. akin to clades, cardo; cf. κλαδάσαι, to brandish], a sword (syn. the poet. ensis, acc. to Quint. 10, 1, 11; cf. also: spatha, acinaces, sica, pugio).
I Lit.: arripuit gladium, Plaut. Capt. 4, 4, 7; id. Cas. 2, 4, 28: eripite isti gladium, quae sui est impos animi, id. Cas. 3, 5, 9: succincti gladiis media regione cracentes, Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 53 Müll. (Ann. v. 497 Vahl.): contecti gladiis, id. ap. Philarg. ad Verg. G. 4, 230 (Ann. v. 415 ib.): occursat ocius gladio comminusque rem gerit Varenus, Caes. B. G. 5, 44, 11: pila miserunt, celeriterque gladios strinxerunt, drew , id. B. C. 3, 93, 1: gladium stringere, Cic. Phil. 2, 9, 21; Verg. A. 12, 278: destringere, Caes. B. G. 1, 25, 2; 7, 12 fin. ; id. B. C. 1, 46, 1; 1, 47, 3; Cic. Off. 3, 31, 112; id. Cat. 3, 1, 2; Liv. 27, 13, 9 et saep.: educere, Caes. B. G. 5, 44, 8; Cic. Att. 4, 3, 3; Sall. C. 51, 36; cf.: educere e vagina, Cic. Inv. 2, 4, 14: nudare, Ov. F. 2, 693: recondere in vaginam, Cic. Inv. 2, 4, 14; cf. condere, Quint. 8 praef. § 15: xiphion gladi praebet speciem, Plin. 25, 11, 89, § 138.—
b Prov.
α Suo sibi hunc gladio jugulo, fight him with his own weapons , Ter. Ad. 958; cf. the same, Cic. Caecin. 29, 82.—
β Cum illum (Clodium) plumbeo gladio jugulatum iri tamen diceret (Hortensius), i. e. with very little trouble , Cic. Att. 1, 16, 2. —
γ Ignem gladio scrutare, stir the fire with a sword (= πῦρ μαχαίρᾳ σκαλεύειν, Pythag. ap. Diog. Laert. 8, 17), Hor. S. 2, 3, 276.—
δ Gladium alicui dare qui se occidat, to give one the means of ruining himself , Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 92.—
II Transf.
A Murder , death : cum tanta praesertim gladiorum sit impunitas, Cic. Phil. 1, 11, 27; cf. id. Fam. 10, 2, 1; Vell. 2, 3, 3; 2, 125, 2; gladiorum licentia, Cic. Fam. 4, 9 fin. ; id. 2, 22, 2: qui universas provincias regunt, jus gladii habent, i. e. the power of life and death , Dig. 1, 18, 6, § 8: potestas gladii, ib. 2, 1, 3; Capitol. Gord. 9.—
B A gladiatorial combat : qui cum maxime dubitat, utrum se ad gladium locet an ad cultrum, Sen. Ep. 87 med. : comparare homines ad gladium, Lact. 6, 12 fin. : servus ad gladium vel ad bestias vel in metallum damnatus, Dig. 29, 2, 25.—
C Gladius vomeris, a ploughshare , Plin. 18, 18, 48, § 172.—
D The sword-fish , also called xiphias (ξιφίας), Plin. 9, 2, 1, § 3; 9, 15, 21, § 54; 32, 11, 53, § 145.