One of the Logie Collection’s smallest artefacts is this miniature votive in the form of a Roman gladius. A gladius was a stout-bladed sword used for close-quarter fighting, and usually measured about 70 centimetres in length. It was ideal for thrusting and stabbing upwards beneath the opponent’s shield into the belly or groin. This miniature version is an example of the kind of offering that was left at shrines and temples and dedicated to heroes and gods.
It is likely that the votive was left as an offering for some act involving the real large-scale gladius, perhaps in thanks for a deed of valour using the weapon or for a safe return from war.
Objects such as this miniature gladius may have been produced in large numbers, much as votive candles are today (there is uncertainty because very few votives made from bronze have survived). Other miniature votive offerings resemble day-to-day objects such as wheels, coins, tools, arms and armour.
