Pilum
A heavy throwing javelin of Roman legionaries with a long, thin iron shank, whose pyramidal point lodged in a struck shield and ruined it.
Quick Facts
About the weapon
The pilum was a heavy throwing javelin of Roman legionaries. Its origin is disputed, with the Samnites, Celtiberians and Etruscans cited as possible influences. The oldest finds come from the Etruscan settlements of Vulci and Talamone, and the first written mention comes from Polybius, who credits the pilum with an important role at Telamon in 225 BCE. The whole javelin measured about 2 m. It consisted of an iron shank about 7 mm in diameter and about 600 mm long with a pyramidal point, attached to a wooden shaft by a socket or a flat tang. The pilum weighed 1 to 2.5 kg; Republican-era pieces tended to be somewhat heavier than Imperial ones. A legionary usually carried two pila. Experiments show a range of roughly 33 m, but an effective range of only 15 to 20 m. The pyramidal point pierced a shield and left a hole wider than the shank, so the javelin could not easily be pulled out and the opponent often had to throw the shield away. A pilum head 295 mm long, found in the Cave of the Swords in the Judean Desert near Ein Gedi, likely dates to the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-136 CE).
Related weapons
- Used together with: Gladius