Rhomphaia The Rhomphaia was a close combat bladed weapon used by the Thracians as early as 400 BC . Most rhomphaias were polearm s , featuring a straight or slightly curved single - edged blade attached to a pole that was considerably shorter than the blade . Some rhomphaias had short handles that extended to only the length of the blade . Although the rhomphaia was similar to the Falx , most archaeological evidence suggests that rhomphaias were forged with straight or slightly curved blades , presumably to enable their use as both a thrusting and slashing weapon . The blade itself was constructed of iron and used a triangular cross section to accommodate the single cutting edge with a tang of rectangular cross section . Length varied , but a typical rhomphaia would have a blade of approximately 60 – 80 cm and a tang of approximately 50 cm . From the length of the tang , it can be presumed that when attached to the hilt , this portion of the weapon would be of similar length to the blade . Usage . Used almost exclusively by the Thracians , examples have been found dating from 300 - 400 BC . As a weapon , the rhomphaia was feared ( like the Falx ) because of the cutting power afforded to it by the polearm like design . The Falcata forced the only documented change in Roman armour brought about by an encounter with a new weapon . After encountering the Falcata in the Iberian peninsula , the Romans added extra reinforcing bars to their helmets to protect against the powerful blows of this weapon . The Byzantines used the Rhomphaia , an exclusive Thracian weapon , although it most likely was used by a few units of foot soldiers dating somewhere between Byzantium ' s golden age of 900 - 1071 and maybe even earlier . It was not mentioned as a weapon like the falx however . It was indeed a falx - like weapon . Michael Psellus writes that all Varangians without exception used what he refers to as a " rhomphaia " . Differences from the falx . The rhomphaia ' s blade was straight or only slightly curved , while the falx ' s blade was significantly curved . Because its straighter blade facilitated a thrusting motion and an overhead or sidewards hacking motion , the rhomphaia could be used by tightly packed troop s as a defensive weapon . However , the straighter blade limited the use of the cutting edge . Rhomphaia in historical texts . Rhomphaia was first ‘ a spear ’ , later ‘ a sword ’ ( Plutarch : " Life of Aemilius Paulus " 18 ; Eustathius , on Iliad verse VI 166 ; Hesychius ; also Luke 2 ; 35 and the Revelation of John of Patmos , several times . ) . In Latin , it has the forms : W . Tomaschek listed the Bulgarian . roféja , rufja ‘ a thunderbolt ’ and the Albanian rrufë as derivatives of that word . Rhomphaia was also preserved in modern Greek as rhomphaia ‘ a big broad sword ’ . The Thracian rhomphaia contains the IE stem * rump - in the Latin rumpo , - ere ‘ to break , to tear ’ . Rhomphaia was also mentioned in Michael Psellos ' " Chronographia " where he describes it as a " one - edged sword of heavy iron which they [ the palace guards at Constantinople ] carry suspended from the right shoulder . " It is also mentioned in Anna Komnene ' s " The Alexiad " . She explains that during the battle her father , Alexios I Komnenos , fought against the rebel Nicephorus Bryennius . Alexius happened upon a horse saddled for an emperor which also had a number of grooms , some of whom " had in their hands the great iron swords which normally accompany the emperors " . Anna does not however name these as rhomphaia , but her editor and translator E . R . A . Sewter does , and they seem to have been very distinctive for the Byzantines who , after an initial rout , saw " the general display of the royal horse with its insignia and the sight of the great swords ( which all but spoke for themselves ) convinced them that the news was true : Bryennius , who was guarded by these swords , had fallen into the hands of his enemies " .