Submitted by Horror_in_Vacuum t3_zsqlpc in history
ThoDanII t1_j1bftoj wrote
Reply to comment by Trevor_Culley in How did the Romans manage to arm most of their soldiers with swords? by Horror_in_Vacuum
one pilum
Javelins were used by the velites the skirnishers
show me please the roman unit which used pikes
Welshhoppo t1_j1cefbc wrote
No it was two Pila, one was lighter and the other was heavier. So they threw the lighter one first, then followed up with the heavier one at close range.
As for the pike question. Well maybe. There are references to Roman Army units called Phalangarii and Lanciarii, which may have used longer spears. But the evidence for them is sketchy at best. Cassius Dio flat out says that the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antonius (Caracalla) had a 15,000 man Macedonian Phalanx in imitation of Alexander the Great. But take it with a pitch of salt. Although there is the possibility it was true, considering how useful a long spear would be against Persian horsemen.
ThoDanII t1_j1clk9q wrote
>No it was two Pila, one was lighter and the other was heavier.
But AFAIK history marched on and discarded that the legionary used 2 Pila in battle
Welshhoppo t1_j1cmar6 wrote
The Romans always used some form of missile weapons in the legions. Pila were used until at least the 3rd century as we see them on graves and other pieces of art work. Then in the late empire they seem to have used javelins similar to the German Angron or small weapons like the plumbata which was like a very large dart of which the legionnaires carried 5 of strapped to their shields.
Intranetusa t1_j1kaqlu wrote
I've read it was both. Some sources say they often carried two pila, but in some contexts and some time periods, they carried only 1 pila.
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