ĂCĪNĂCĒS (ἀκινάκης), a Persian sword, whence Horace speaks of the
_Medus acinaces_. The acinaces was a short and straight weapon, and
thus differed from the Roman _sica_, which was curved. It was worn on
the right side of the body, whereas the Greeks and Romans usually had
their swords suspended on the left side. The form of the acinaces,
with the mode of wearing it, is illustrated by the following
Persepolitan figures.
[Illustration: Acinaces, Persian Sword. (From bas-reliefs at
Persepolis.)]