Trope-a-Day: Choice of Two Weapons

Choice of Two Weapons: Historically, more like choice of three.  The traditional weapons of the Old Empires were the Two Swords, one long with a gentle recurve that could be wielded either one- or two-handed; the other short and stabby on the pattern of the Roman gladius, which doubled as a long dagger and a utility knife.  In the most common fighting styles, the two were used together.  To this, someone who expected fighting might add a bow for ranged situations, the choice of long- or clock- being determined by the degree of their professionalism (longbows taking much more serious training) and the space they expected to have available.

Later in history, the bow would be traded in for a rifle; handguns, on the other hand, tended to go on the hip with the shorter sword, not replace it.  Eventually, for military purposes, the longarm ended up replacing one of the swords, as well; which varied by unit type for a while, but today’s standard gear includes carbine, pistol, and the shorter sword in its fighting/utility-knife role.  (See also: Sword and Gun.)

The classical two swords, often with added handgun, of course, remain in use for formal civil occasions.