A heavy javelin, normally used as a shock weapon immediately before contact, the pilum was designed with a particular specialty: it could penetrate a shield and carry on into the individual behind it. Relying on mass rather than velocity, at short range a volley of pila had much the same effect on a charging enemy as musketry would in later periods. The design was not uniform, with a wide diversity of types throughout the developmental history of the weapon, but for more than four centuries it remained a vital part of the arsenal of weapons at the disposal of the Roman...
A heavy javelin, normally used as a shock weapon immediately before contact, the pilum was designed with a particular specialty: it could pe...
This expert introduction explores the world of the gladiator in Ancient Rome: their weapons, fighting techniques and armour. The cult of the gladiator is explored, alongside their less glamorous fates which more often than not ended in violent death.
This expert introduction explores the world of the gladiator in Ancient Rome: their weapons, fighting techniques and armour. The cult of the gladiator...