Themakhaira is a type ofAncient Greek bladed weapon and tool, generally a largeknife orsword, similar in appearance to the modern daymachete, with a single cutting edge.
The Greek word μάχαιρα (mákhaira, pluralmákhairai), also transliteratedmachaira ormachaera, is related toμάχη (mákhē) "a battle",μάχεσθαι (mákhesthai) "to fight". It derives from theProto-Indo-European *magh-.
Homer mentions the makhaira, but as a domestic knife of no great size.[1] In period texts, μάχαιρα has a variety of meanings, and can refer to virtually any knife orsword, even a surgeon'sscalpel, but in a martial context it frequently refers to a type of one-edged sword; a sword designed primarily to cut rather than thrust.[2]
TheKoine of theNew Testament uses the wordmakhaira to refer to a sword generically, not making any particular distinction between native blades and thegladius of theRomansoldier. This ambiguity appears to have contributed to the apocryphalmalchus, a supposedly short curved sword used byPeter to cut off the ear of a slave namedMalchus during the arrest ofJesus. While such a weapon clearly is amakhaira by ancient definition, the imprecise nature of the word as used in the New Testament cannot provide any conclusive answer.
Makhaira enteredclassical Latin asmachaera, "a sword". Thedimachaerus was a type of Roman gladiator that fought with two swords. Inmodern Greek,μαχαίρι means "knife".
Modern scholars distinguish the makhaira from thekopis (an ancient term of similar meaning) based on whether the blade is forward curved (kopis), or not (makhaira).[3]
Makhaira were of various sizes and shapes, being regional, and not exclusively Greek.Greek art shows theLacedaemonian andPersian armies employing swords with a single cutting edge, but Persian records show that their primaryinfantrysword was two edged and straight, similar to the Greekxiphos (cf.acinaces). Greek vase painting begins to show makhairai very infrequently fromc. 530 BC, though their depiction is increasingly common on 'red figure' ceramics fromc. 510 BC onwards.
The makhaira depicted in artworks was single-edged, having an expanded convex portion to the cutting part of the blade towards its tip. This concentrated weight, therefore momentum, to this part of the blade; facilitating particularly forceful cuts. The shape of the blade allowed the makhaira the potential to cut through bone.[4]
Despite their relatively frequent depictions in art, archaeological remains of this type of sword are rare.[5]
WhileXenophon states that the xiphos was the conventional sword used by theGreek soldier of his time, he recommended the makhaira forcavalry. "I recommend akopis rather than axiphos, because from the height of a horse's back the cut of amachaira will serve you better than the thrust of axiphos." (Xenophon, 12:11).[6] Archeological evidence suggests that the makhaira was more predominant in areas that were not so focused on using thephalanx, and instead focused more on cavalry.[7]
His reasoning concurs with the general practice of arming cavalry with cutting 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 modernsabre; more akin to thefalchion or evenmachete.
There are examples of animals that havemakhaira ormachaira in their names.