Makhaira

Antique swords, fig. 1-3: Xiphos, fig. 4: Makhaira.

Makhaira sword

Makhaira (from Greek μάχαιρα (mákhaira), also transliterated machaira or machaera; an Ancient Greek word, related to μάχη (mákhē) "a battle", μάχεσθαι (mákhesthai) "to fight", from PIE *magh-) is a term used by modern scholars to describe a type of ancient bladed weapon, generally a large knife with a slight backwards curve. In period texts, μάχαιρα has a variety of meanings, and can refer to virtually any knife or sword (taking the meaning of today's Greek μαχαίρι), even a surgeon's scalpel, but in a martial context it frequently does seem to refer to a type of one-edged, curved sword.^[1] Modern scholars distinguish the makhaira from the kopis (an ancient term of similar meaning) based on the direction of the blade curvature.^[2]

These weapons were of various sizes and shapes, being regional, and not exclusively Greek. Greek art shows the Lacedaemonian and Persian armies employing curved weapons, but Persian records show that their primary infantry sword was straight, similar to the Greek xiphos (cf. acinaces).

While Xenophon states that xiphos was more conventional among Greek armies of his time, he recommended the makhaira for cavalry, "μάχαιράν μεν μάλλον ἡ ξίφος ἐπαίνουμεν" (Xenophon, 12:11). His reasoning concurs with the general practice of arming cavalry with curved swords through the ages. Greek art along with Xenophon's further commentary suggests that the sword he intended for the cavalry was wider than the more modern sabre; more akin to the falchion.

The Koine of the New Testament uses the word makhaira to refer to a sword generically, not making any particular distinction between native blades and the gladius of the Roman soldier. This ambiguity appears to have contributed to the apocryphal malchus, a supposedly short curved sword used by Peter to cut off the ear of a slave named Malchus during the arrest of Jesus. While such a weapon clearly is a makhaira by ancient definition, the imprecise nature of the word as used in the New Testament cannot provide any conclusive answer.

Makhaira entered classical Latin as machaera, "a sword". In modern Greek, μαχαίρι means "knife."

See also

• Kopis
• Falcata
• Sword
• Backsword
• Xiphos

References

1. ^ For a good summary of the evidence, see F. Quesada Sanz: "Máchaira, kopís, falcata" in Homenaje a Francisco Torrent, Madrid, 1994, pp. 75-94.
2. ^ Tarassuk & Blair, s.v. "kopis," The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms and Weapons, 1979.

Further reading

• Liddel & Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th edition, 1996.
• Xenophon, On Horsemanship.
• F. Quesada, Machaira, kopis, falcata= http://www.ffil.uam.es/equus/warmas/online/machairakopisfalcata.pdf