Why The Roman Army Used The Pilum Spear

Great video. The Pilum spear is a great weapon🇬🇧

The length of the pile is offset by the length of the javelin to maintain balance.

I would suggest that the reason pilums werent tempered in the shaft was to allow them to bend RATHER THAN BREAK. A pilum buried in your shield essentially disables the shield. If it breaks off, then you can still use the shield. So I suggest that pilums (plural?) werent designed specifically to bend, just not to break.

Ave! 🙂

You're lucky that spear didn't fall and lop your ear off.

Can we talk about the peasant’s revolt?

Always remember, jumping to conclusions is not a good exercise.

But! all that would needed to defeat the pilem would be smaller shields with steel skins. It would have bounced off.
I have a everlasting dislike for the Roman's and their minions.

Someone with good reflex could also move the shield in a side motion as the pilum made contact, the perpendicular motion increases armor effectiveness as well as being able to "swat" away the pilum, but that wouldnt be that effective against a pilum volley(left you exposed to the other ones!)

or how many times can a man constantly repeat himself in 12 minutes?...and we just found out...

i do not think you wrong at all - facinating

Thanks for the info! Love ancient history!!

"I hope you will enjoy sticking with me."

The bending IS a part of the weapon.

It's a benefit that they were absolutely aware of. The rate of which it didn't work is compeltely and utterly irrelevant.

It is obviously for penetration as well. There's no friction once the tip goes in because irs smaller than the tip. Simple as that.

But yeah, not sure why you're ignoring the numerous historical mentions and what numerous historians have said of bending being a significant benefit as though it wasn't something considered. It clearly was.

It's a dedicated anti infantry weapon. It's also so big and heavy that a thrusting spear can no longer be carried as a main arm, exposing the shock troops using it to cavalry.

Because guns were not invented yet then.duh.

The romans and all the others are often wearing Lorica hamata or chain mail... Could it be that the 4 sided head and the long shaft is perfectly designed for cracking the rings on chain mail armor?

Did Roman soldiers carry two pilum? Were the pilum also called darts?

Consider the robustness of the connecting point between the metal and wood sections of the weapon....a huge chunk of wood and metal. It is in a much more balanced (further back) position on the shaft, allowing it to consist of more mass, while not making the point heavy. Skinny piece of metal with a hardened point penetrates better than a thick stick of spear shaft, and is sturdier, lighter, and better balanced. With a thrusting weapon (such as a boar hunting knife) it helps to have a stopper built in so your hand doesn't ride up, Pilum has that. You also don't want it to get stuck in a body. While this seems to get stuck in shields quite well, you could probably tear it right back out of a torso.