Pilum

• The Pilum was the name for the Roman Javelin.
• It was one of many Roman Weapons used by the Roman Army.

Description

• It was used as a missile to break the enemy shield wall.
• The pyramidal tip would embed itself in the enemy’s shield and weigh it down, forcing the soldier to discard his shield, or stumble if he was moving forwards. This made him vulnerable to a second volley of Javelins.
• The Legionary often carried two types of Pilum, one heavy and one light.
  • The light Pilum was designed to bend on impact so as not to be reusable by the enemy.
  • The heavy pilum was designed to penetrate.
• The Pilum’s effective range was 108 ft (33m).