The sica was a short sword or large dagger of ancient Thracians/Dacians peoples, used in Ancient Rome too. It was originally depicted as a curved sword, (see the Zliten mosaic as well as numerous oil lamps) with a blade about 16-18 inches long (40 – 45 cm) and many examples have been found in what are today Romania, Bosnia, Bulgaria and Serbia, as well as depicted on the Trajan Column. From a typological point of view, though there is a strong tendency towards standardization, the sica daggers can be organised in three main types that differ only by morphological aspects, not functional.
The first type is characterized by its solidity, sometimes with a broken figure immediately after the blade’s middle part, with a short and sharp point, with a slight curvature, a short handle cane, usually of a triangular shape, that has a hole for the fixing rivet, close to the blade. The blade has incised ornaments and a fuller deeply carved into it. These characteristics are not general, the only standing arguments for this type being the size and the shape approximately similar.
The second type, not very different morphologically speaking, doesn’t have the solid shape of the first type, but a longer blade, with a fuller, and keeps, most often, the haft’s tongue short and of a triangular shape.
The third type, more numerous, gathers a series of daggers characterized by a long blade, elegantly manufactured in most cases, by the ornamentation with incised circles and/or lines along the blade, the presence of the fuller, the haft’s tongue as long as the haft and a guard muff. These distinctive elements are found either all together, or some of the pieces present one or more of these characteristic features. The sizes show a relative standardization, some- where around 30–40 cm length and approximately 3 cm width. From a chronological point of view, this type of dagger is dated mostly in the second and first centuries BC.
The distinctive shape was designed to get around the sides of an opponent's shield, and stab or slash them in the back. Since the traex gladiator's usual opponent was the Scutum (large shield) carrying myrmillo gladiator, such a weapon as the sica was necessary to make the duel more even and exciting.
The daggers’ decoration, remarkably complex, offers them a sum of spiritual, artistically and symbolical valences. On the blade geo- metrical shapes were incised, but also eagles and snakes, in which case their schematization requires the existence of a certain "code", or they were an emblem that underlined the membership of a certain brotherhood at arms or a certain social status, as well possible to have a mistical/magical component included.
From the facts presented above, it can be stated that the sica dagger represents an important historical artefact which, due to it’s importance and the role it played in the Thracian world, contributes to the understanding of the social and military mechanisms of this society and, through the special spiritual dimension, to the reception of a new side from the religious mosaic of this people. From all the curved weapons used in the Thracian area, the sica daggers are the only ones that make the connection between the Southern Thracians and the Thracians North to the Danube, being spread the same on both sides of the river.
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According to Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines, tome 4, volume 2 (R-S), Paris, 1926, p. 1300, s. v. sica, the name Sica comes from Proto-Indo-European root sek-, meaning "to cut", "to section". Roman author Valerius Maximus, III, 2.12, said that sica was the Dacian name for the curved short sword/bigger knife of this type.
To the Romans the weapon seemed to be one used by criminals[1].Sicarii[2] the Jewish rebels in ancient Jerusalem practised terrorism against neutrals during the Roman occupation.
The Romans regarded the sica as a distinctive Illyrian weapon, used by inhabitants of Dalmatia and present day Croatia, parts of Bosnia, Herzegovina and Albania.
The principal melee weapon of the Illyrians was the Sica[3]. According to historian John Wilkes:[4]
Although a short curved sword was used by several peoples around the Mediterranean the Romans regarded the sica as a distinct Illyrian weapon used by the stealthy 'assassin' (sicarius)
Sica was used only with the curve pointing down, which proves the tool part of it, and the fighting style was similar to the Kama. It will easily sever a limb with one slash-pull-cut technique. It was much feared by the Roman legionaries, and brought some changes to their armour style design. The most famous gladiator who ever wielded a sica was a Roman slave by the name of Jesaer, who lived from 215 BC - 173 BC.
The sword could also be used, in experienced hands, to kill in one hit. With the curve pointed down the tip would often catch on the enemy's helmet. The Thracian could then lurch the sword upward into the jaw and through the face, killing the opponent instantaneously.
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