ARMS, ARMA, in a general sense, includes all kinds of weapons, whether for defence or offence. Nicod derives the word from the Latin phrase quod operiantur armis, because they cover the shoulders or sides; but Varro derives arma, ab arcendo, eo quod arceant hostes. It is supposed that the first artificial arms were of wood, and were only employed against beasts; and that Belus, the son of Nimrod, was the first that waged war: whence, according to some, came the appellation bellum. Diodorus Siculus takes Belus to be the same with Mars, who first trained soldiers up to battle.—Arms of stone, and even of brass, appear to have been used before they came to iron and steel. Josephus assures us, that the patriarch Joseph first taught the use of iron arms in Egypt, arming the troops of Pharaoh with a casque and buckler.
What contributed most to render the Romans masters of the world, was, that having successively warred against all nations, they constantly renounced their own methods, arms, &c. wherever they met with better. Thus Romulus during his war with the Sabines, a bold and warlike nation, adopted their broad buckler, in lieu of the small Argian buckler, which he had used till that time.
The principal arms of the ancient Britons were hatchets, scythes, lances, swords, and bucklers: the Saxons, &c. brought in the halbert, bow, arrows, arbalists, &c. By the ancient laws of England, every man was obliged to bear arms, except the judges and clergy. Under Henry VIII. it was expressly enjoined on all persons to be regularly instructed, even from their tender years, in the exercise of the arms then in use; viz. the long bow and arrows: and to be provided with a certain number of them. 33 Hen. VIII.