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The pilum (plural pila) was a heavy javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It...

The pilum (plural pila) was a heavy javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It was generally about two meters long overall, consisting of an iron shank about 7 mm in diameter and 60 cm long with pyramidal head. The iron shank may be socketed, but more usually widens to a flat tang; this was secured to a wooden shaft. A pilum usually weighed between two and five kilograms, with the versions produced during the Empire being a bit lighter. Pictorial evidence suggests that some versions of the weapon were weighted by a lead ball to increase penetrative power, but no archeological specimens have been found. Recent experiments have shown pila to have a range of approximately 30 metres (98 ft), although effective range is up to 15–20 m (49–66 ft). Legionaries of the Late Republic and Early Empire often carried two pila, with one sometimes being lighter than the other. Standard tactics called for a Roman soldier to throw his pilum (both if there was time) at the enemy just before charging to engage with his gladius. They could also be used in hand to hand combat, or as a barrier against mounted charges. Some pila had small hand-guards, to protect the wielder if he