Roman Pilum | Disarming the Enemy From Afar

Roman Pilum - Disarming The Enemy From Afar A HORDE OF BARBARIANS IS PREPARING TO CHARGE, BUT FEAR NOT! HERE’S A WEAPON THAT WILL BREAK THEIR CONFIDENCE FOREVER, THE ROMAN PILUM! The Roman Pilum is a formidable 1.5 to 2 meters long javelin characterized by a very thin iron shank with a pyramidal-shaped tip attached to a wooden shaft. The pilum, plural (pila), was one of the most terrifying weapons that an enemy of Rome could see thrown at himself in the last moment of his life. This deadly weapon was mass-produced by the Roman Republic at the rate of 30,000 to 50,000 per year, and every Roman soldier was equipped with either one or two pila - one lighter and one heavier. Once the enemy was within the range of 10 to 25 meters (30 to 80 ft), the Roman commander would order the soldiers to throw their pila at the enemy. The enemy, afraid, would lift his shield to intercept the incoming javelin. However, the pilum, product of Roman military genius, was designed to puncture through shields with ease, and due to its long iron shank, after piercing the shield, it would continue straight into the armor of the victim. Upon seeing the incoming volley of pila, the enemies would inevitably break their military formations out of fear for their lives and attempt to dodge them. Those who were mortally impaled by the pilum would fall down, making it difficult for the soldiers in the back to advance. Even the pila that missed their target could pose a problem, as they were designed to stick into the ground at an angle, making it difficult for the enemy to traverse the terrain without tripping over them. Furthermore, the iron shank of the pilum could be bent upon impact, rendering it unusable. If an enemy soldier managed to pick up a discarded pilum, they would have little time to make use of it before the Roman soldiers closed in with their gladii. The sudden chaos within the enemy lines and the immediate impact of the pila would traumatize the enemy, causing a considerable drop in morale. The Roman pilum was used by different units of the Roman army at various stages of the battle to damage the enemy’s military formation and morale. The following were equipped with pilum: The Velites, who ran in front of the Roman formation, often served as skirmishers. They were equipped with five to seven shorter versions of the pilum and their mission was to ambush, thin out, and damage the enemy formation, then retreat back behind the Roman formation. The Hastati , the first row of lesser-experienced, younger Roman soldiers, were equipped with one or two pila. After initially throwing the pilum at the enemy, they would engage with their gladii. If the Hastati failed to break the enemy’s formation, they would fall back and let the Principes take over. The Principes , the second row of soldiers were equipped similarly to the Hastati but were older and more experienced. They would throw another volley of pila at the enemy before engaging with their gladii. If the Principes failed to break the enemy’s formation, they would fall back and let the Triarii take over. The Triarii were the third row of soldiers, the most experienced, oldest and their engagement would be considered as the last hope to resort to. They were equipped with a spear (hasta) but no pilum to throw. The Roman pilum was a weapon that accompanied Roman soldiers throughout most of Rome’s existence, from the early Republic to the late Empire: In the Punic Wars, the pilum was essential in breaking the heavily armored Carthaginian phalanx and disrupting its charge. It was also effective in taking down Carthaginian elephants by striking them in the head or trunk. Similarly effective was against the Macedonian phalanx in the Battle of Cynoscephalae. During the Gallic Wars, the pilum played a crucial role in neutralizing the Gallic cavalry and their formidable chariots, which posed a significant threat to Roman formations. The pilum proved to be effective in the Dacian wars as well. The Romans utilized it to penetrate the wooden fortifications and palisades that the Dacians relied on for protection and to keep the Dacian warriors at bay. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) continued to use the pilum, but it evolved over time to become shorter and lighter. In the West, the pilum likely went out of use in the 5th century as the Roman legions disbanded and the availability of high-quality iron declined, which increased manufacturing costs. The use of the pilum declined as armor became thicker and began covering more of the body in the following centuries into the Medieval Era. The pilum was eventually replaced by new weapons and tactics such as the crossbow and stronger bows, with the last recorded use in the Byzantine Empire in the 10th century. Writer: Vlad Racovita Editor: Mashudi Voiceover: Colin Ghannam Instagram @vlad_racovit #romanhistory #ancientrome #romans Credits To: - Rome Total War Series