As Mike Tyson once put it, with charÂacÂterÂisÂtic straightÂforÂwardÂness, “EveryÂbody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Back in the time of the Roman RepubÂlic and the earÂly Roman Empire, all of Rome’s eneÂmies must have had a plan until pila punched through their shields. A kind of javelin with a woodÂen shaft and a sharp iron shank, the pilum came in both long and short lengths. Short pila had the advanÂtage of disÂtance, but long pila had the advanÂtage of powÂer, as well as the conÂveÂnient feaÂture — whether delibÂerÂateÂly or acciÂdenÂtalÂly impleÂmentÂed at first — that their shanks would more readÂiÂly bend after impact, makÂing them impracÂtiÂcal to remove from the shields they’d penÂeÂtratÂed.
With his shield thus made unwieldy by one or more pila, an advancÂing comÂbatÂant would thus be forced to disÂcard it entireÂly — assumÂing he was still in the conÂdiÂtion to do so. As you can see vividÂly demonÂstratÂed in the SmithÂsonÂian ChanÂnel video above, a pilum landÂing in the cenÂter of a shield could easÂiÂly skewÂer anyÂone standÂing behind it.
HisÂtoÂry has it that Roman solÂdiers were also trained to throw their pila where eneÂmy shields overÂlapped, pinÂning them togethÂer and thus renÂderÂing twice as much of their defense useÂless. After a vicÂtoÂry, pila could be gathÂered from the batÂtleÂfield for refurÂbishÂment, an examÂple of quaÂsi-indusÂtriÂal proÂducÂtion underÂgirdÂed by Roman milÂiÂtary might.
Like all weaponÂry — indeed, like all techÂnolÂoÂgy — the pilum had its heyÂday. PolyÂbius’ HisÂtoÂries credÂits it as an imporÂtant facÂtor in the Roman vicÂtoÂry at the BatÂtle of TelaÂmÂon in 225 BC. But by the third cenÂtuÂry AD, it was phased out, havÂing become an obsoÂlete anti-infantry weapon in the face of the evolvÂing equipÂment and tacÂtics of GerÂmanÂic tribes and PerÂsian cavÂalÂry. NevÂerÂtheÂless, simÂiÂlar javelin-like tools of war evolved into othÂer forms, outÂlastÂing the Roman Empire itself and even perÂsistÂing into the earÂly age of gunÂpowÂder. Now, when very few of us face the threat of impaleÂment by pila or their sucÂcesÂsors, we can appreÂciÂate the skill it takes to throw them — as Philip Roth described, in his final novÂel, with an eloÂquence very difÂferÂent from Tyson’s — in the realm of sport.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
ArchaeÂolÂoÂgists DisÂcovÂer an Ancient Roman SanÂdal with Nails Used for Tread
Ancient Greek Armor Gets TestÂed in an 11-Hour BatÂtle SimÂuÂlaÂtion Inspired by the IliÂad
A Close Look at Beowulf-Era HelÂmets & Swords, CourÂtesy of the British MuseÂum
How Many U.S. Marines Could Bring Down the Roman Empire?
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on the social netÂwork forÂmerÂly known as TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
To bad the illusÂtraÂtion is not of a Pila
The whole thing about the shanks bendÂing was a side effect of the plumbÂing being designed to penÂeÂtrate a shield and the head still being able to strike the solÂdier behind the shield. PeoÂple make a far too big deal about them bendÂing, because it often didÂn’t hapÂpen enough to make any real difÂferÂence. It was just a feaÂture to bypass shields.
*shank…no idea why it autoÂcorÂrectÂed to “plumbÂing”.
Wow ! The great Roman’s were thinkers of the first magÂniÂtude. It is no wonÂder they conÂquered so much but more imporÂtantÂly, spread their proÂfound knowlÂedge of culÂture, govÂernÂment, sciÂence, and peoÂple (sociÂety). How would the world look if they had conÂquered GerÂmany to the Elbe ? Or the Oder ?
Alan Cooke
Hot & cold runÂning Pilum ?!
There weren’t long and short pila. They were heavy or light. They weren’t designed to bend either and rarely did.
The metÂal and woodÂen parts were held togethÂer by a woodÂen pin that would break upon impact so the weapon couldÂn’t be thrown back at them. And those that missed their mark still creÂatÂed tripÂping hazÂards for chargÂing barÂbarÂians.
This artiÂcle is poorÂly researched and pointÂless…