The word pūgiō derives from the word pungo. The root of the word is pug. The word derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *peuĝ. It is still possible to use punch and stab synonymously in many Indo-European l… See more

Like the gladius, the pugio was probably an advanced stabbing weapon, the type of weapon said to have been preferred by the Romans. Of them, late Roman writer Vegetius said it "was the method of fighting principally … See more

By the early 1st century, the pugio typically had a large blade. There were different kinds of blades. One type was "leaf-shaped." Another type had narrow parts near the shoulders, which ran parallel to about half t… See more

• PUGIO , article in Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, online at ancientlibrary.com.
• MC Bishop and JCN Coulston - 'Roman Military Equipment (2nd Edition)', Armatura Press, 2006… See more