1
Roman Weapons
Gladius is a Latin term meaning "sword" (in general). In English it refers specifically to the short sword, 60cm (24inches) long, used by Roman legionaries from the 3rd century BC (based on the swords of the Celtiberians) and designed especially for making short, powerful thrusts. Several different designs were used; among collectors and historical reconstructionists, the three primary kinds are known as the Mainz gladius, the Fulham gladius, and the Pompeii gladius (these names refer to where or how the canonical example was found). More recent archeological finds have uncovered an earlier version, the gladius hispaniensis ("Spanish sword"). Contrary to common belief, the gladius was not used by gladiators, who used a version with a shorter blade (300mm–350mm/12in.–14in. long).
The gladius was crafted from soft iron and the exterior was carburized using coal dust on the face of the anvil. This was necessary because the soft iron was not hard enough to have taken an edge before the carbon of the coal powder was added to the exterior of the blade.
It is straight and double-edged, with a V-shaped tip, and primarily constructed for thrusting action and use together with a large rectangular shield, the scutum. The cross-section of the gladius is typically rhomboid, providing the blade with good stability for stabbing. Stabbing was a very efficient technique as fighting goes, as stabbing wounds, especially in the abdominal area were almost always deadly. A Roman legionary would mount the scabbard holding the gladius on the right side, same as his sword hand, allowing a formation of soldiers to easily draw their swords without accidentally injuring soldiers to either side.
A formation would usually try to force the enemy back one step by forcing their scuta forward, then stabbing a half-dozen times in quick succession. The blade was held flat, relative to the ground, so as to slip through ribs or ribbed armor. These disciplined techniques made the Roman army the envy of the civilized world. (Wikipedia).
A set of Roman gladii (reproductions). Their styles, from left to right, are Mainz, Fulham, Pompeii, and Pompeii.
Scutum is the Latin word for any type of shield, although it has in modern times come to be associated with the standard semi-cylindrical type carried by Roman legionaries. The Republican curved body shield was oval -- as is shown by the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus in Rome, the Aemilius Paullus monument at Delphi, or an actual example found at Kasr el-Harit in Egypt -- but gradually evolved into a rectangular (or sub-rectangular) shape during the early imperial period.
Curved scuta (pl.) were constructed largely of strips of overlapping bentwood, possibly set in place by steaming over a curved form (in much the same way as a modern plywood chair is made) although no direct evidence survives to prove this. This meant the shield was strong and yet light enough to be carried over long distances. The best surviving example, from Dura-Europos in Syria, was 1.06m (48in) in height, a chord of 0.66m (26in), with a distance around the curve of 0.86m (34in), and a thicknes of 5mm to 6mm. The curved shape of the shield allowed it to absorb (and deal) heavy blows, while the sides sloped away from the attacker, allowing arrows and enemy blows to glance off without transmitting the full force of the impact to the legionary sheltering behind it. The boss in the centre of the shield (the umbo), constructed either from copper alloy (brass or bronze) or iron, was itself used offensively, being heavy and dense enough to stun or wind an opponent (easing the legionary's subsequent strike with his gladius). Legionaries would typically advance alternately with the scutum and then (with the scutum partially raised, crowding and blocking the opponent) with the gladius. The edges of the shield were also bound in brass or rawhide, to reinforce and protect them, and may also have been used offensively.
The shape of the scutum allowed packed formations of legionaries to overlap their shields to provide an effective barrier against missiles. The most novel (and specialised, for it afforded negligible protection against other attacks) use was the testudo (Latin for "tortoise"), which added legionaries holding shields from above to protect against descending missiles (such as arrows or objects thrown by defenders on walls). (Wikipedia).
The pilum (plural pila) was a throwing spear commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It was generally about two meters long overall, consisting of a iron shank about about 7mm in diameter and 60cm long with pyramidal head. The iron shank may be socketed or more usually widens to a flat tang, this was secured to a wooden shaft. A pilum usually weighed between two and four kilograms, with the versions produced during the Empire being a bit lighter. It had a diameter of about 7.5mm. Some versions of the weapon were weighted by a lead ball to increase penetrative power. Recent experiments have shown pila to have a range of 98 feet (approximately 30m), although effective range of about half.
Legionaries of the Late Republic and Early Empire often carried two pila, with one sometimes being lighter than the other. Standard tactics called for a Roman soldier to throw his pilum (both if there was time) at the enemy just before charging to engage with his gladius. Some pila had small hand-guards, to protect the wielder if he intended to use it as a melee weapon, but it does not appear that this was a common tactic.
Most pila were constructed such that the iron shank would bend after it had penetrated a shield. In this way, it could not be easily removed and the enemy, if not killed by the pilum, would have to discard his now-unwieldy shield before going into combat. Early pila do not seem to have had this characteristic, and Gaius Marius is sometimes given credit for this modification.
Opinion among archaeologists used to be that the main function of the pilum shank was to disable the pilum (by bending) once the pilum had hit an enemy shield, making both shield and pilum useless to the enemy. Thanks in part to experimental archaeology (making modern reproductions and testing them out), it is now widely believed that the pilum's design evolved to be armour-piercing: the head would punch through an enemy shield, and the thinner shank would allow it to keep going until it penetrated the enemy as well. The pilum was a weapon designed primarily to kill, the 'non-return' aspect being an added bonus. (Wikipedia).
Three styles of pila.
Roman Weapon Questions
1. Gladius means what?
2. What are the dimensions of the Gladius?
3. How was the Gladius used?
4. What is the shape of the blade?
5. What is the shape of the Scutum?
6. How were the Scutum built?
7. What are the dimensions of the Scutum?
8. How could the boss be used?
9. What is the Testudo?
10. What is the Pila?
11. What are the dimentions of the Pila?
12. How was the Pila used?
13. Why would the Pila bend?
14. How many Pila did a soldier carry?
15. What is the modern belief about the use of the Pila?