I own a sword for home defense, since that's what the Conscript Fathers intended. Four latrones break into my house. "MEHERCVLE!" as I grab my oil lamp and gladius. Hack the arm off of the first man, he's dead on the spot. Throw my pilum at the second man, miss him entirely because it's dark and nails the neighbor's dog. I have to resort to the scorpio mounted at the top of the stairs loaded with incendiary shot, "VBI MEL, IBI APES"; the pitch-filled clay vessel shatters and burns two men alive, the sound and spreading flames causing the vigiles to demolish the neighboring apartment building with a catapult to stop the fire from spreading. Draw pugio and charge the last terrified brigand. He bleeds out waiting on the vigiles to arrive since leaf-bladed daggers only need two inches of penetration to be lethal.
Just as the Conscript Fathers intended.