Horatius was a legendary heroic officer of the Roman forces against the Etruscans. He deliberately stood alone with his mighty gladius against the Etruscans on a bridge while the Romans were destroying the bridge from their side to keep the Etruscans from using it to get across the Tiber. In the end, when the bridge was destroyed, Horatius jumped into the river and swam fully armed to safety. With the solid wooden handle, much of the weight was taken off of the sword for easy wielding. The handle also comes leather wrapped with finger grooves for comfort during long periods of use. The rounded pommel helps give the sword a sense of solidity without cracking the blade in intense battles. The blade is constructed of carbon steel with a factory edge. Included is a sheath that has been hand stitched with leather covering a wooden scabbard. The chape at the end of the scabbard also comes in brass with unique brass designs fitting of an officer of the Roman Army.