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Xiphos
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<p>The <i>xiphos</i> is a double-edged, one-handed <a href="/facts/Iron_Age_sword/zduGgfKv">Iron Age straight shortsword</a> used by the <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greeks/PTVBrWXq">ancient Greeks</a>. It was a secondary battlefield weapon for the Greek armies after the <a href="/facts/Dory_(spear)/S8EbDafB">dory</a> or <a href="/facts/Javelin/156m3rh9">javelin</a>. The classic <a href="/facts/Blade/yxqtx5hq">blade</a> was generally about 45–60 cm (18–24 in) long, although the <a href="/facts/Spartans/6V9o1DSz">Spartans</a> supposedly preferred to use blades as short as 30 cm (12 in) around the era of the <a href="/facts/Greco-Persian_Wars/avlfmxyh">Greco-Persian Wars</a>. </p>