Product Details
The pilum was thrown just as the Roman legionaries charged. The small bullet shaped metal point could penetrate shields and armour and cause serious injury to the enemy. In the event of it striking a shield but not causing injury, the shape of the tip made it very difficult to remove. The shield now became impossible to manoeuvre, due to the weight of the wooden shaft, and would very likely be discarded - leaving its owner vulnerable at a critical moment.
Finally, because of the narrowness of the soft iron shank and the weight of the wooden shaft, the shank bent on impact. This meant that the enemy was not able to throw it back at its owner. However, after the battle, the Romans could collect the 'used' pila for their blacksmiths to straighten.
This Pilum is based on an original one from the fortress at Caerleon in Wales. This was built as a permanent base for a Roman Legion. One of the Legions based there was the famous Second Legion Augusta.
Our pilum is made from carbon steel and can be fitted by the buyer. We do not provide a shaft.
Note - Socket diameter is 30 mm - not 3 mm as stated in the size chart.
Price includes tracked shipping within New Zealand.
