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    Pilum - Wikipedia

    The pilum was a javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It was generally about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long overall, consisting of an iron shank about 7 mm (0.28 in) in diameter and 600 mm (24 in) long with a pyramidal head, attached to a wooden shaft by either a socket or a flat tang. See more

    The pilum may have originated from an Italic tribe known as the Samnites. It also may have been influenced by Celtiberian and Etruscan weapons. The pilum may have derived from a … See more

    A pilum had a total weight between 1 and 2.5 kg (2 and 5 lb), with the versions produced during the earlier Republic being slightly heavier than … See more

    The Roman writer Vegetius, in his work De re militari, wrote:
    As to the missile weapons of the infantry, they were javelins headed with a triangular sharp iron, eleven inches [279 mm] or a foot long, and were called piles. When once fixed in the … See more

    Reconstruction of a post-Marian pilum
    • A Roman coin showing an antoninianus of Carinus holding pilum and globe
    • Close-up of re-enactment pila See more

    Design image
    Vegetius' commentary image

    Legionaries of the late Republic and early Empire often carried two pila, with one sometimes being lighter than the other. Standard tactics called for Roman soldiers to throw one of them … See more

    Due in part to experimental archaeology, the design of the pilum is believed to have evolved to be armour-piercing; the pyramidal head would punch a small hole through an enemy shield, allowing the thin shank to pass through and penetrate far enough to wound … See more

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  3. The Pilum (Spear) | Tools of War - Roman Military

  4. Pilum – Roman Spear | Roman Military Weapons - UNRV

    The pilum (plural: pila) was a heavy Roman spear used by the Roman army from the 3rd century BC until the 3rd century AD. It was approximately seven feet in length, with a wooden shaft and an iron tip that had a sharp, hardened point at …

  5. The Roman Pilum Was Unmatched as a Ranged Weapon - YouTube

  6. The Roman Pilum Was Unmatched as a Ranged Weapon

  7. Pilum | spear | Britannica

    Roman legionaries used the pilum, a heavy seven-foot-long javelin. Foot soldiers were not the only ones to use spearlike weapons. Greek, Macedonian, and Roman cavalry and the mounted knights of the European Middle Ages all …

  8. pilum - British Museum

    Two iron pilum heads Roman Britain, 1st century AD From the Roman fort site at Hod Hill, Dorset The pilum, or javelin was carried by legionary soldiers. It had a wooden shaft and an iron head giving a total length of about two metres.

  9. Collections: Roman Infantry Tactics: Why the Pilum and not a Spear?

  10. The Weapons of the Roman Legionary: An In-Depth …

    Aug 17, 2023 · The final crucial weapon of the Roman legionary was the pilum; a Roman javelin type that made a huge impact on the battlefield. The pilum was a piece of war technology perfected over centuries. The pilum was a distinct …

  11. Including results for Roman Pilum.
    Do you want results only for Roman Pium?