Kopis

The kopis is a single-edged, forward-curving sword of ancient Greece, its name derived from the Greek verb kopto, meaning to cut or strike, though some scholars trace its origin instead to the Egyptian khopesh or to Etruscan influence, with examples attested as early as the seventh century BC and most surviving pieces dated to the fifth and fourth centuries BC. Early kopis blades reached up to 65 centimeters, while shorter Macedonian examples measured around 48 centimeters, and the blade's forward curve, concave near the hilt and swelling to convex toward the tip, let a wielder strike with the momentum of an axe while keeping the long cutting edge of a sword. While Greek hoplites generally preferred straight swords, the historian Xenophon recommended the kopis for cavalry because its curve gave a mounted rider a sharper cutting advantage, and Greek art depicts Persian soldiers wielding the weapon as well; the later Ottoman yatagan may descend from it.