Hi folks, there are a few comments coming up repeatedly, so I'll address them quickly here: 1) "Aren't the shanks supposed to bend in the shield" - Yes that's the theory. However, original archaeologically found examples of pilum vary *a lot*. Some are thicker, some are thinner - they also vary in length a lot. This replica I am using probably does have a tougher and thicker shank than most original examples, if not all. However, I was surprised by how hard it was to get the shank to bend. I am NOT convinced that pilum shanks were primarily designed to bend - I think they were primarily designed that way for penetration through a shield and into the person behind. 2) "Shouldn't the shank be connected with wooden pegs?" - No, I believe not. I have looked up archaeological examples and they have iron rivets. In addition, many/most have an iron band around the junction, so these examples absolutely were NOT designed to break or bend at that junction. In fact the opposite - they are reinforced at that junction! 3) "Why is the target low down?" - It makes no difference. If I put the target at chest height I would still aim at the target. Wherever I put the target, I aim at the target. It makes no tangible difference to the results with this sort of missile at this range. I have the target low down for safety reasons when shooting arrows at it. I can put the target higher, but it will change nothing about the video :-) Cheers for watching!

@EmnelGaming

4 жыл бұрын

Ad. 1 - I get your reservations and it has been a good decade since I've read this "bend in shield" theory during my time at the uni, but I don't think that either the target you're using or the metal it is made from is proper for this kind of experimentation. Former likely being harder and more uneven / at different angle than the archery target and the latter being much more malleable than what you called "almost steel". I haven't researched the topic myself, but have you came upon any studies on the metallurgy of pilla?

@TheCaniblcat

4 жыл бұрын

I'm not remotely an historian of any kind, I wouldn't even call myself an enthusiast, but it was always my understanding that the pins holding the iron head to the shaft were designed to break on impact so that the pilum couldn't be thrown back at you in the heat of battle. After the battle, the pins could be replaced and the pilum would once again be usable with minimal time and expense. Was I wrong in this?

@anachronisticon

4 жыл бұрын

Certainly a standing throw is a good test but remember the opponent may be charging towards you in this case. The effective power of this weapon increases dramatically if the enemy is running towards it. E=mv^2, so the small increase in relative velocity from your opponent running towards you makes a huge difference. Anyone remember the Rome Total War videos with Brian blessed when they pulled a shield on wheels towards the thrower? The difference was amazing.

@APV878

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheCaniblcat & Emnel - That’s what we used to think in common knowledge. But last 10-15 years or so there’s been a re-examination of artifacts and as Matt mentions above, the artifacts found show the Romans seemed to put a lot of effort into preventing the shafts from bending/breaking. There has also been some questioning of the accepted common knowledge about the shafts bending in the first place - Some have been suggesting/theorizing that bent iron that’s been excavated are weapons that were purposely ‘broken’ in votive/sacrificial ways, in some ritual or means we may be overlooking or misunderstanding. There have also been questions about the ‘reconstructions’ and experiments done back 20+ someodd years where a [cheap] grade of iron was used or some other way the replica wasn’t as exact as it ought to have been, etc. So results vary unfortunately. Going back a step to how built-up the rivets and where the iron is attached to the wood, it’s also been argued that maybe the iron could bend, but the Romans were trying to prevent the tang/connection from breaking. It’s been suggested that bending/hammering back a bent iron near the point (as Matt encountered) is certainly much easier to repair, than to bother having to re-work a new tang, new rivets, collet, wood shaft, etc. Romans were certainly willing to take shortcuts when they could.

@APV878

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for mentioning the difficulties in trying to match the found artifacts compared to recent interpretations of what we (want) to believe the weapon was designed to do, etc. I agree the weapon was not designed to bend/break, but sometimes that did happen, and it could be somewhat easy to repair. I, and many Roman researchers and living historians agree that the weapon seems to really be designed to punch through shields and the people holding them. If things got bent, well, then that happened. Weird or extraordinary results tend to make the history books more than mundane. By the way, some of us are having a hard time trying to find the historical/period source mentioning wooden pegs...So some of us are suspicious of that factoid we all learned and accepted decades ago.

"Honey, what is that strange neighbor doing now?" "I think he's throwing spears." "Should we call someone?" "Naah, I think he'll tire himself out soon."

@christophe7723

4 жыл бұрын

"Come back home have a cup of tea before it rains again..."

@karlfoster9076

4 жыл бұрын

"Well, dear, he said something about deep penetration."

@Abaddon3x7

4 жыл бұрын

That's exactly what I thought. I can just imagine the conversation the neighbors had. That man who looks like an accountant from next door is playing dungeons and dragons again, hes throwing a spear. If that thing comes over the fence... Come inside dear, shall we call the police, no, he will tire himself out soon, or go back inside if it starts to rain.

@privatebaldric8767

4 жыл бұрын

Neighbor's gonna get his ass pilum-ed if he ever visits

@DzinkyDzink

4 жыл бұрын

I know a porn that starts like this.

16 mins of a grown man playing in his backyard Loved every second of it

@adamkilroe9840

4 жыл бұрын

Boys will be boys, as well middle-aged men given half a chance! 🤣

@Aalienik

4 жыл бұрын

I believe it's called "doing experimental archeology" in his backyard. ;)

@susanmaggiora4800

4 жыл бұрын

Aalienik Yes.....Yes😏

@skyfall9124

4 жыл бұрын

Plus it's an educational game. ;)

@ThibautVDP

4 жыл бұрын

admit it, we all wanna throw pilum at targets as well :p

"Honey, the neighbour is running around with his Roman shield again..." "Don't worry about it, darling." *not getting his eyes off the newspaper* "He's just practicing, the Celts could rise up at any moment now."

@manfredconnor3194

3 жыл бұрын

How true.

"Its stopped raining long enough to" _restart the empire_

@rollochairbreaker230

4 жыл бұрын

Deus vult!!!

@davidegaribaldi1503

4 жыл бұрын

It has been long enough

@bigredwolf6

4 жыл бұрын

Oh the rain stopped? Time to invade gual.

@rollochairbreaker230

4 жыл бұрын

@uncletigger personally I say English. Tea for everyone!!!

@bigredwolf6

4 жыл бұрын

uncletigger Why not start a new HEMA empire? HEMA practice for all! Open carry swords!

"I've got 2 of these" Matt Easton confirmed as member of Legio IX Hispana

@brothersofthetrident2647

3 жыл бұрын

Did legion IX Hispana get destroyed in the Boudicca rebellion

When he said "Could penetrate a shield", anyone else really hope he'd throw it at the scutum?

@josh10722

4 жыл бұрын

@john Mullholand not the same my friend, not as satisfying

@Gr3nadgr3gory

4 жыл бұрын

@john Mullholand good luck throwing it back! I threw a bendy one!

@user-oo8oj1hl8k

4 жыл бұрын

Joerg Sprave tested a historically accurate viking shield made by ThegnThrand. As it turns out shields were made very well to stop things like this from getting too deep. A layer of hide stretched over a wooden shield sort of squeezes on anything trying to go through

@victorvanvlaenderen8197

4 жыл бұрын

They are coming to take YOU away hahah

@2bingtim

4 жыл бұрын

It's an awful shame to spoil an expensive shield like that, but you could mock-up some plywood with linen facing, or some hardwood boards like many Gallic/British/Germanics would use.

As an archer who shoots on modern bosses, I can vouch for how much effort is needed to fully penetrate a new boss. These things are designed to stop modern high powered arrows that are needle thin. So getting 5 inches of penetration on your first day of trying, is a testament to the efficiency of the design. I think that a lead spinning whorl, that could be added when confronting more heavily armoured enemies, would make this the most devastating ranged weapon on the field.

@theinacircleoftheancientpu492

4 жыл бұрын

Archeree GMB Imagine if they put one of those on a scorpion and aimed one of those at you.

@archereegmb8032

4 жыл бұрын

@@theinacircleoftheancientpu492 ...and the three people behind me.

neighbor's wife: honey, he's throwing spears in the- why are you crying??" neighbor: ro... *smiles with his tears falling down* roma invicta...

Remember that the pilum was an equally effective weapon when used against troops who knew its capabilities. Roman soldiers fought each other all the time, especially during the various Civil Wars and probably used similar weapons and tactics. I should think a thrown pilum could make short work of a horse, thus giving cavalry a reason to shy away from direct charges. During the Battle of Pharsalus, where Julius Caesar broke Pompey’s legions, contingents of Caesar’s infantry were ordered keep their pila and weild them as pikes in the face of Pompey’s numerically superior cavalry. It wasn’t a wonder weapon, but a dangerous and versatile tool in the hands of soldiers trained in a number of different tactics.

@Legohaiden

4 жыл бұрын

Perhaps that would have been a use for it, but Calvary, especially HEAVY calvary would have barding on their horses, and this weapon while effective in some situations would without a doubt bounce off any kind of metal armor. A person can only throw so hard, and not hard enough to pierce armor, and the time it would take to aim at charging calvary would mean you are prime for being slaughtered by said calvary. 15 yards is awful close when dealing with charging horses. Unlike in movies the horses job would be to charge right THROUGH you while riders slash, stab, and horses trample.

@mr.stotruppen8724

4 жыл бұрын

​@@Legohaiden I remember an instance where a Roman general (can't remember his name) managed to break a charge of Parthian cataphracts using slingers. Heavy cavalry like that didn't catch on in the West until after 200AD though.

@jeffreyhenion4818

4 жыл бұрын

For much of her history, Roman cavalry was lightly armored. Horses used in the hippika gymnasia apparently wore some protective armor but there is little evidence this was used in combat. It wasn’t until contact with heavily armed and armored Parthian Cataphracts that Roman cavalry responded in kind. I’ve no idea how the pila faired against such cavalry but I can’t imagine it had the same effect as in former eras hence the increasing use of more conventional spears and lances.

@jrd33

4 жыл бұрын

"I should think a thrown pilum could make short work of a horse" -- Hmm, not so sure. I doubt it would crack a horse's skull or ribcage or leg bone, so you'd have to hit the neck if it was charging at you. Apart from the fact that if you throw it at a charging horse 10 yards away, even if you hit a vital spot the creature won't just drop dead on the spot and its momentum alone might carry it into you. I think I'd want to keep the pilum and use it as a spear for the extra reach against a horseman.

@dernwine

4 жыл бұрын

@@Legohaiden Remember though that if you don't throw your Pila at the charging horses the horses then are confronted with a dense wall of pointy things. Pointy things that can be anchored into the ground and braced against impacts, with very disciplined infantry holding them. Horses that are willing to charge into a thick block of men, let alone a thick block of spikey things are incredibly rare and require a lot of very specific breeding and training (even during the napoleonic wars cavalry that could actually charge into squares of men with fixed bayonets and the nerve not to run where incredibly unusual, and that's with the benefit of a couple extra milennia of learning how to breed and train horses). Cavalry seems only to really excell in the "charge through you" when a) the enemy is already disorganised by some prior action, be it archery or melee combat, b) is taken by surprise either by being attacked from an unexpected direction or by not being aware of the cavalry in the first place or c) the infantry are not very disciplined or well trained, thereby surrendering the advantage to the cavalry.

"So, those Eastons that have recentely moved next door seem very nice. He works for the government, I gather, proper job. They have two children, lovely family. Oh, he's in the garden, I wonder what he's O GOD!!!!".

@TemenosL

4 жыл бұрын

Do you think he has a Loicence to throw that iron?

@2008davidkang

4 жыл бұрын

@@TemenosL you spelt oiron wrong

@TemenosL

4 жыл бұрын

@@2008davidkang Thanks mate. Oiron. Oiron. Okay, I'll remember that.

@user-oo8oj1hl8k

4 жыл бұрын

@@TemenosL But now it sounds like an Australian accent though. For an English one you need to skip letters like "t" and sometimes drop articles.

@bigredwolf6

4 жыл бұрын

ᛞᛟᛟᛗᛁᚾ American: ahrn Canadian: eyeron

6:04 When you open an incognito tab in chrome.

@darkestdragon

4 жыл бұрын

Tore N. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@BellumCinematicsTotalWar

4 жыл бұрын

Actually accurate

@Kiido11

4 жыл бұрын

Ahahahahaha

@elmyrv

4 жыл бұрын

6:34 what you'll be looking for in incognito mode

@joroc

4 жыл бұрын

Of male anus 🌚

Nice throws, Looks like you were actually more accurate with the shield in hand, maybe it acts as a counter balance in some way. Science.

I forgot about the exact name of the source but there's a written account of the battle of Philippi describing the attack of a legionary formation as marching straight toward the enemy, then at closing distance adopt a running pace and launch the pila at very short range just before the melee impact. I don't know if the mentionning of this event is because this was a rare tactic, or if it was the common procedure during a roman attack in the late Republican era.

@howitzer551

4 жыл бұрын

The are other sources that basically point out what you did with the Pilum being thrown during the charge even right before impact of the two units, but to counter that you can look at Julius Caesar in one of his battles with Ariovistus. During this period we know that the main legionaries are armed either with 2 Pilum(1 light and 1 heavy) or half the unit has light and the other has heavy. The point being the throw the light at one range and the heavy at some shorter range. Now in the battle the Romans attack one of the flanks of the Germanic alliance, but the Germans counter charges so unexpectedly and quickly the Romans were unable to throw any Pilum. There are even some writers that imply they caught the Romans stationary. I guess my point would be the heavy Pilum was probably designed to be thrown only during a charge at basically but all the other would probably be design to be thrown basically standing still. This is so rear units could support the forward units. It would mess up your spacing if your reserves had to get a run up just to chuck Pilum into a enemy attacking your front line.

@toecutterjenkins

4 жыл бұрын

You would have to run out out a bit the back would hit someone behind you in formations

@duncanrobertson6472

4 жыл бұрын

Does anyone know how tight these formations tended to be? A small shuffle/hop should be enough to generate good power, but even that requires some amount of space. If everyone throws their Pilum at the same time, that effectively gets you more space, since the guy in front/behind you is going through the same motion at the same time.

@EnigmaticPeanut

4 жыл бұрын

it makes perfect sense to me. i think these weapons werent meant for range at all, only to be outside spear range, against spear formations.

@bobmilaplace3816

4 жыл бұрын

@@duncanrobertson6472 I think they used volley fire, three ranks loose.

5:50 "Can't miss the target if you're next to him." -Some Roman general.

@privatebaldric8767

4 жыл бұрын

Alternatively: ................ Haaaaaaaaaaaah pilum.

""it stopped raining..." Superdry is just a brand name, it's not an instruction.

It occurred to me watching you miss the target that the falling pilum could give someone in the second rank a really bad day if it hit the foot.

@Tsototar

4 жыл бұрын

good point - and in fact, if the enemy is in any sort of formation, even if it doesn't hit anybody anywhere, having something sticking up out of the ground at an angle impeding free movement is also useful

@thegingerkingshanks7587

4 жыл бұрын

@@Tsototar and to add to all of that the back end of the pilum looked sharpened

@Prometheus7272

4 жыл бұрын

@@thegingerkingshanks7587 I think that was for sticking it in the ground.

@thegingerkingshanks7587

4 жыл бұрын

@@Prometheus7272 could be, but we dont know

@mulattens

4 жыл бұрын

@@Tsototar because men in formations are brainless and wouldn't pick it up to throw it back

Is that rain historically accurate? We know that some weather patterns and even whole biomes have changed in the last 2000 years; what do historical Roman accounts say about the weather in the British Isles?

@mrslinkydragon9910

4 жыл бұрын

Cold and rainy.

@thexalon

4 жыл бұрын

By Roman accounts, they found Britain cold, grey, rainy, and misty. Romans for the most part didn't like being in Britain, and kind of considered it an unpleasant backwater with bad food and worse weather, and the main reason a Roman might go there was to try to get rich from the silver and other metal deposits. So yeah, not much has changed.

@jcorbett9620

4 жыл бұрын

@Badger0fDeath Sorry to be a pendant, but I strongly doubt the Romans were growing wine. They could however have been growing vines and grapes from which to make wine :-)

@gregorstamejcic2355

4 жыл бұрын

@@jcorbett9620 Sorrx about being a pedant, but a pendant swings a bit, and pedants are pedantic about stuff :)

@uganda8887

4 жыл бұрын

​@@gregorstamejcic2355 ​ Sorry for being a pedant, but Sorrx sounds like a username while sorry is the word for penitence :-)

“Optimised for penetration” is clearly on your tinder bio Matt 😂 Also I imagine skirmishers were throwing this weapon with a run up in order to get the maximum use of its range before they had to disperse?

@somerando1073

4 жыл бұрын

Romans had more normal style javelins too, which the skirmishers probably used. If I remember right, the Romans carried one heavy one like Matt has and one lighter one.

@evilwelshman

4 жыл бұрын

@@somerando1073 It would depend on the era. Post Marian reform, a standard legionary would carry a heavy javelin (pilum) and a light javelin (verutum) as part of their standard equipment. Prior to that, the equipment would differ depending on the infantry type; with the skirmishers (velites) being lightly armed solely with light javelins without armour or other secondary weapons.

@geotechms

4 жыл бұрын

Some Rando two javelins for double penetration. That’s smart

@dwightehowell8179

4 жыл бұрын

@@somerando1073 That is the lighter one. As Matt stated some of them had a hunk of lead in ball shape where the metal and wood join.

@somerando1073

4 жыл бұрын

@@dwightehowell8179 No, the lighter ones were more similar to normal style javelins. As said in the video, none have ever been found with actual lead weights, but if they did have them, it would have been attached to that type, not the lighter type. The lighter ones didn't have the blocky part where the metal attaches to the wood.

Of course my mom walks in my room when I am at 6:55

@ahoosifoou4211

3 жыл бұрын

that long shape

The detail about the wooden pegs that are made the break in order to bend the whole metal shaft was, like you mentioned, a type of Pilum used at certain times. There were different weighted pila and different features. So some Legions at some times might have had the breakable wooden peg, some might have the weighted lead ball, and some would have been more like the one shown.

@supernautacus

4 жыл бұрын

Very well put!

@calichekid8897

3 жыл бұрын

Maybe the wooden pegs were made to break after one use to prevent the pilium being thrown back. Then collected after the battle and restored with wooden pegs again. Regardless, I think the pilum was a relatively short range weapon.

@dennisleighton2812

Ай бұрын

@@calichekid8897 I saw an example of how it works. One peg is metal, the other wood. Upon impact the shaft breaks the wooden peg as it slides forward, and then pivots on the metal peg, flopping around. Now it is a serious nuisance!

@calichekid8897

Ай бұрын

@@dennisleighton2812 Especially if its sticking in someone's body!

@dennisleighton2812

Ай бұрын

@@calichekid8897 🤣

I imagine seeing a volley of these things coming your way would be rather disconcerting to say the least.

It stopped raining for 5 minutes...Welcome to the United Kingdom. Lol.

@scholagladiatoria

4 жыл бұрын

I think we managed 30 minutes here!

@thebossofbox

4 жыл бұрын

btw how many rainy days do you guys have each year. Bergen in Norway gets about 244 rainy days a year

@knutzzl

4 жыл бұрын

Welkom to Holland

@SonsOfLorgar

4 жыл бұрын

@@scholagladiatoria is that a national record? Also, a German friend of mine who lives in Scotland complained that it doesn't matter if the sun shines or if it's raining cats and dogs, she gets instantly soaked cold as soon as she leaves the house due to air moisture saturation XD

@scholagladiatoria

4 жыл бұрын

Actually London gets less annual rainfall than Paris in reality.

My understanding of the current theories is mostly that the use of the Pilum was to negate opposing force's shields. By sticking a long, fairly heavy spear into the shield of an opposing warrior the Romans gave themselves a huge advantage as the other soldier had to either stop to remove the pilum: allowing other Romans to throw theirs at them, drop the shield, or carry a shield with a large heavy spear sticking out of it. This would seem to support the direct throw and 3-8 meter range theory of use, rather than the sort of 'volley fire at 20-30 meters' idea that used to be more popular. I'm sure there were plenty of examples of a range of different uses - soldiers being soldiers - though.

@trevvonhiggle1980

4 жыл бұрын

I've seen this theory before and true or not, it's believable. The long, relatively narrow metal head looks suited to piercing and penetrating down to the joint, making it difficult to quickly remove.

@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz

4 жыл бұрын

Seems very probable. And the romans, being absolutely no stranger to the effective capabilities of shields, would obviously have a desire to disable the enemy shield wall (or just boring, lame, non-walled shields) so that only they have the wooden wonder at the ready.

@trevvonhiggle1980

4 жыл бұрын

@@SuperVistaprint I don't know specifically about the Romans, but in general shield wall tactics the rear rows would use their spears to stab through any gaps or over the tops of shields, while the front row would hold their shields and use short swords or long knives to stab anything they could.

@Riceball01

4 жыл бұрын

@@SuperVistaprint They might have rotated to the rear to allow the other ranks/lines to move forward and throw their pila and keep on doing that until the first rank is back up in front. It is known, or at least widely believed that the Romans would rotate ranks during melee combat in order to keep their troops as fresh as possible, so they might have done the same before engaging in melee in order to allow everybody to throw at least one pila before having to draw their gladius.

@trevvonhiggle1980

4 жыл бұрын

@@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz when fighting with shield walls, just about everyone came up with tricks to destroy opponent shields. Throwing weapons to stick in and weigh down shields was one way, using axes to hook the rims and pull them down was another.

The Fabrica Cacti pila are much thicker than historical examples because they were made to be reused in reenactment displays against targets. The originals have much thinner shafts because this allows them to go through the shield without the shaft making contact with the edges of the hole, penetrating completely through and impacting the body of the opponent behind the shield. This means the length of the Pilum shaft also gives us an upper maximum on how far away the shield was held from the body. The weights have never actually been found, unlike on the Plumbatae. We're not exactly sure whether or not it existed, it appeared in art but it we've never seen them. According to Vegetius the Pilum was actually used with a run-up and a jump (Milner Translation, p. 94).

@bobmilaplace3816

4 жыл бұрын

I thought the "weights" were balls of rags used to cover the head for transport.

@nuancedhistory

4 жыл бұрын

@@bobmilaplace3816 We have no idea, really. Nothing has ever been found to suggest what it is.

@Albukhshi

4 жыл бұрын

run up and jump? I get the running, but jumping?

@kennymonty8206

4 жыл бұрын

Up and over defenses, perhaps?

@kennymonty8206

4 жыл бұрын

Great post, BTW.

Gotta love watching Matt play with his Pilum.

Hey hey! Looks like I got a nice duel upload today, first Kings & Generals uploads a video on Spartacus and the 3rd servile war and now I get a video from Scholagladiatoria about throwing my favourite throwing spear, outstanding!

"You can see how hard it is to pull out."

Three things I enjoy in life... 3. Penetration 2. Context 1. Lindybeige and Scholagladiatoria videos I mean I also like some other things, but that weakens the statement.

@vladdrakul7851

4 жыл бұрын

Nah, Matt is the King of Context and Penetration. Lindybeige is just the jingoist Jester as 'Pretender'. Next why the Lee Enfield rifle had a much more effective rate of fire than the MG 42 'Schmeiser'.

@JGalt-em4xu

4 жыл бұрын

>Penetration not being number 1 Also, Lindybeige is highly overrated.

@m.s.79

4 жыл бұрын

Change Lindybeige to Knyght Errant and Tod's Workshop and i will agree with you.

@vladdrakul7851

4 жыл бұрын

@@m.s.79 exactly!

@BlandMarkComedy

4 жыл бұрын

@john Mullholand Aaawwwwow! That really hurt! (But yeah, Skall is a legend as well).

10 seconds in and I already see a huge mistake: You should go to the Adrian wall and throw it into the damn Picts. The king in the north!

@jonathantitterton9455

4 жыл бұрын

Falcatus Χριστιανός he has the choice of Hadrian’s wall or the slightly further north Antoine Wall.

@Qmeister044

4 жыл бұрын

@@jonathantitterton9455 Antonine*

Gotta say, that's a beautiful backyard. Seems like a fantasy/fairy setting especially with the birds chirping ☺️

I would like to see some experimentation with throwing the pilum and then transitioning to the gladius. Transitioning to a different weapon is something that seems self-explanatory, but in all forms of armed close quarters combat, there are some ways of transitioning that are more effective than others. As applies to the Roman combat system, if you throw your pilum from too far away, you lose accuracy and a little force at impact. The further away, the more pronounced the effect. If you throw your pilum from too close, you may not have time to draw your gladius effectively before the battle lines collide. There are probably some important little details on exactly when and how to do every movement in that transition sequence for maximum combat effectiveness.

@SuperOtter13

4 жыл бұрын

I have wondered about weapon transitions with historical battle kit. Would love to see some experimentation with shield spear sword or what have you.

@SonsOfLorgar

4 жыл бұрын

This is probably yet another reason to why the rank and file Legionaires carried their gladii on their right hips, because if they misjudged it, they could go in for a controlled shield slam to create space and time to a second attempt at drawing their sword without the risk of presenting a gap in their own lines.

@richard6133

4 жыл бұрын

@@SonsOfLorgar That, and reaching down to your left side requires your right arm to cross in front of your body. Conversely with what you were pointing out, this could result in the right arm becoming pinned between your shield and your body. Now, not only are you being pushed back, but you still don't have your gladius out, and your right arm is at least temporarily out of the fight. Also, if you are marching with your shield carried in your left hand, your gladius is not banging around on the inside of your shield if it carried on the right side. I'm sure there's some other really good reasons out there as well.

@ArmouredProductions

4 жыл бұрын

The channel "Legio V Macedonica" has videos on this. Throwing 2 pila then transitioning to gladius all whilst advancing forward.

@richard6133

4 жыл бұрын

@@ArmouredProductions Thanks - I'll go check that out! :)

“It’s realy hard to pull out of the butt because of the large head and small shaft” - 🤨 aha

@INTERNERT

4 жыл бұрын

BUTT

Mum never said not to run with a pilum.

Especially those beginning throws are so satisfying

Looks like a lot of fun and a great workout.

6:04 scholagladiatoria in a nutshell. With context of course.

@gavinclark6891

4 жыл бұрын

Oversama χαχα!

Just a note on singular versus plural: "pilum" is singular, "pila" is plural. "My pilum penetrated the Gaul's scutum." "I threw all three of my pila, and they all penetrated scuta."

@kennymonty8206

4 жыл бұрын

Wow, no funny replies? Amazing, truly!

@thiagotrentin7343

4 жыл бұрын

I read scrotum instead of scutum and it still was historicaly accurate.

@geotechms

4 жыл бұрын

But his pilum penetrated the archery butt.

@beardedbjorn5520

4 жыл бұрын

Thiago Trentin I did too, dyslexia has its upsides some times 😂

@spampants5155

4 жыл бұрын

@Badger0fDeath which is why I only informed/reminded :)

I love your interpretation of the usage of this weapon, it makes a lot of sense especially with the large metal shaft for deeper penetration, this gives me a much greater appreciation for this weapon, which I did not really see the value in as much before. I could definitely see them using it for a couple polearm jobs as well step back and throw and then re close the distance with a new weapon

I just realized how terrifying it would be to be on the receiving end of a massive javelin throw against your army.

having a little bend in the shaft has its merits. it provides more friction in the target area and its well appreciated ;)

I hear a "noice" at 4:30, did you let Lucy play with your toy, or was she just standing there admiring you?

@SonsOfLorgar

4 жыл бұрын

I think it was a wild Lucy admiring the view in anticipation of later recreation out of the Brittish definition of fine weather XD

@lkvideos7181

4 жыл бұрын

She was admiring his penetration skills with the pilum.

@EnigmaticPeanut

4 жыл бұрын

now i know why he completely ignored her.. he doesnt want to get her involved in the comment section. how many penetration jokes for a single word? imagine if he had responded..!

@2008davidkang

4 жыл бұрын

The crow liked it as well 4:55

@theinacircleoftheancientpu492

4 жыл бұрын

Rene Lariviere Yeah good point.

You throw pilum better than around 95% of the reenactors I've seen, Matt. Some of the throws were quite a beauty to watch.

@scholagladiatoria

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

this video + "penetrate" drinking game = quick dying LOL

Nasty weapon and they would have trained with these every day!

Just going out into the back garden to hurl some javelins!

I love your backyard, beatifull and the birds sounded great.

Nice demonstration. I can only imagine an entire wall of pila coming at you with added weight for momentum. Amazing what the Roman came up with over 2000 years ago.

Well, that's certainly one way to pass time during the covid lockdown

@privatebaldric8767

4 жыл бұрын

So few peasants to hunt😒

Hi Matt, awesome video. Looking forward on your opinion on the pilum's use in hand to hand combat. If I remember correctly Kelly DeVries and Robert Douglas Smith have something written about it in their book "Medieval Military Technology". I will look it up later :) Cheers and keep up the good work!

I received so much joy watching an adult have the time of his life doing what he loves.

Thank you, Matt, well done, sir.

5:50 Just another lovely day in the backyard somewhere in United Kingdom, then suddenly wild Matt Easton appears!

@privatebaldric8767

4 жыл бұрын

Undiscovered tribe of Matthews 😂

5:57 seems like something they could have done while charging into the enemy formation. Even if the missile didn't penetrate the shield, the enemy warrior would be distracted for a moment, raising his shield to intercept the pilum, while the legionary had already unsheathed his sword immediatly after the throw ( or alternatively bash into him with the scutum ), to exploit the brief window of opportunity.

You did the best with the shield! Great penetration!

Cool video man! I've been watching through a ton of your videos recently. You seemed the happiest in this one. I hope you continue having fun in your videos and doing what makes you happy. All your videos are interesting and likeable, but this one was particularly fun to watch. Nice throws man. Cheers! I want to try this kind of stuff one day!

OK... now try that wearing a full Legionnaire (EDIT Legionary) gear, with a lorica segmentata. Good luck! EDIT: Also... you should keep your scutum in front and vertical, to keep cover from barbarian sling shots and arrows, and stay in formation ;-)

@IanSumallo

4 жыл бұрын

Get the metatron over there!

@Chasmodius

4 жыл бұрын

Get somebody with a paintball gun to provide return fire! (from a safe location, of course)

@MacBorin

4 жыл бұрын

What is your point about doing this in gear? Do you think the Romans conquered their vast empire with weapons they couldn't use properly in the armour they were wearing? I have worn a lot of armour. Often even ill fitting and/or quite a lot heavier than a lorica. It doesn't make throwing like this difficult.

@KnightofGascogne

4 жыл бұрын

@@niemandkeiner8057 Roman Legionnaires threw the pilum in battle wearing their gear on + using their shield properly + keeping their cohort formation. If your goal is to accurately recreate how a weapon was used, maybe It's better to do it as It was REALLY done, right? Otherwise, It's just having fun at throwing a pointy stick. Get it... smartass? ;p PS I just thought It would be interesting to make a real simulation to test how real roman soldiers could fight. ofc I liked that video, don't be such uptight asses, guys.

@KnightofGascogne

4 жыл бұрын

@@MacBorin my "point" is 1- not a point, just a suggestion (so take it easy) 2- you have less extension and momentum for throwing the pilum if you wear armor and keep the scutum somehow vertical + keep the formation. Maybe you lose a bit of range, and maybe It requires more physical strenght, maybe soething else occurs, idk. I was just suggesting to push the simulation further, that's all.

6:04, please someone do a cutaway shot edit with this....you know what you need to add.

Love your garden. Thank you.

That looks so much fun.

It was my understanding that one of the reasons to use the pilum was to render the enemy's shield ineffective. Having a couple of pounds of spear levering out from your shield at right angles would make your shield very unwieldy. The long iron shaft prevented you from using your sword or axe to gut the spear You'd either have to discard the shield or lower it to get the pilum out of it, which you probably didn't have time to do, considering that the legionnaire was no more than 15-20 yards I'd be interested in your experimenting with this, maybe making a sacrificial plywood shield with appropriate handles, throw the pilum into it, then pick up the shield and see what effect is achieved. Is it totally unusable? Are you able to remove the pilum? What effect would a bunch of pilum do to a shield wall? Thanks for your continued work! _/\_

@philipbossy4834

4 жыл бұрын

I would also be curious to know the actual effect on the shield usage after impact since I was under the impression that a main purpose of the pilum was this 'anti-shield' effect. Also if you're going for that purpose then a very pliable head would probably be preferable so that the pilum curves on impact, making it even harder to pull out of the shield. If the head stays strait head after impact the guy next to you in the line could pull it out in one good yank. But if the head is curved then it becomes like removing a hook which is a more involved process. The first scenario might be doable while the Roman line is closing in on you, but not the second.

@Matthew_26

4 жыл бұрын

Caesar mentions this in The Gallic War: "The Gauls were severely hindered in the battle by the fact that many of their shields had been pierced and fastened together by the first javelin-cast: the iron became bent, and they could not pull it out - nor could they properly fight with the left hand restricted. So, after persistently shaking their left arm, many of them preferred to throw their shields away and fight unprotected." - Caesar 1.25

"Optimized for penetration, not for range." That's what I tell my girlfriend. Ok, she's my ex, but still.

The practical videos are nice!

Nice and very basic vid ! You are realy good in explaining the very real practical use of such "thingies"... *THANK YOU !*

nobody: scholagladiatoria: i threw pilum in a passed life, i got this!

@kevinsullivan3448

4 жыл бұрын

Modern reproductions are too expensive for those kinds of shenanigans.

I only read "throw a roman" in the hopes, that it is a colaboration with Metatron.

You became pretty good at that in a short amount of time. Crazy to think how good professional soldiers might have been with it.

That is a beautiful backyard.

Did velites (Roman skirmishers) use these or did they have different types of javelins?

@somerando1073

4 жыл бұрын

There were more than one type of javelin.

@apokos8871

4 жыл бұрын

probably something with more range. it would be pretty suicidal to throw these at 15 meters when you are armed as a velite

@SonsOfLorgar

4 жыл бұрын

The velites used a lighter javelin more suited to range and that they could carry many more of.

@LovingTinha

4 жыл бұрын

These were apparently used by the main fighting units rather than the dedicated missile units. However it would not surprise me if certain men within the unit that distinguished themselves as very good throwers in training, might have done most of the units pilum throwing responsibilities. For example, an entire line dedicated to this duty. Likely in the center of the unit and capable of focusing their fire on an area and range on command.

@2bingtim

4 жыл бұрын

They used a shorter, thinner lighter version with just a socketed shorter iron shank. Legionaries would sometimes change to lighter gear(usually no armour or just a subarmalis), lighter shields(Like the oval auxilliary shield) & ordinary spears or javelins when the need arose & could provide their own skirmishing javelinmen.

5:56 idk why i couldnt stop laughing

@sirwi11iam

4 жыл бұрын

grassy climer same here.

@privatebaldric8767

4 жыл бұрын

Surprise attack

Thanks, Matt! I've been a subscriber from years back but have some catching up to do with your videos.

That new garden of yours sure looks comfy.

Girl: he’s probably thinking about another woman Boy: how do I properly throw a pilum to kill the Gaul insurrection...?

This looks like almost 17 minutes of Matt Easton just being himself

@2bingtim

4 жыл бұрын

Or any of us aged 10.

Thank you!!!! I finally get to see this!!! Greetings from Korea. Thank you for quality videos!

And this, my friends, is what makes the UK so lovable! :)

New drinking game: Take a shot every time Matt says "shaft". 😛

I've always wondered about the person behind the pilum thrower. A hazardous place to be when the arm is drawn back to launch the pilum. Could get poked in the face.

@cyrneco

4 жыл бұрын

Right you are. Stuff like that is what drill and exercise are all about. I suppose it helped that legionaries in that period were basically heavy swordsmen so their lines were quite thin.

@SonsOfLorgar

4 жыл бұрын

@@cyrneco no thinner than eight ranks deep. However, the throwing technique with a high overhead starting stance almost eliminates that risk when combined with the unparalelled conformative drill of the Legions.

@cyrneco

4 жыл бұрын

@@SonsOfLorgar eight ranks? That's much more that I thought. It seems a great waste of manpower for a style of combat that doesn't involve push and shove as a rule. Where can I find this information about the number of ranks being more than three or even no less than eight?

@MacBorin

4 жыл бұрын

@@cyrneco I have no idea how many ranks were standard. But I heard is said quite often, that the romans continuously switched out their first line, so they would allways have fresh people in the front. -fight for 2-3 minutes, then step back into the last rank and have a breather untill it is your turn again. I think it did also help psycologically: "I only have to survive for 2 minutes in the first line. I can do that" as oposed to "If I#m in front something will kill me sooner or later". You would need a bit of depth in your line to make this really effective.

@cyrneco

4 жыл бұрын

@@MacBorin certainly so. And I'm sure it depended on many other factors too. But eight "at least" seems very wasteful to me, and the Romans weren't into waste. The change of position in the front line was possible because they fought as swordsmen not as hoplites or on a shieldwall where push and shove are very important. I've no doubt that I might be wrong, that's why I asked for the sources of the "at least eight" ranks idea. Three ranks are enough for the cycling of the front line.

As a spear hunter your throwing is nothing to apologize for. Very well done. It's not as easy as some may think and it's not like throwing a javelin for distance. Again, nicely done.

@scholagladiatoria

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

The dirtiest bit of 100% clean dialogue on penetration, shaft and thick archery butts I've ever heard lol Great video!!

Please someone do a meme with the Spanish inquisition 5:51

@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz

4 жыл бұрын

No one expects -the Spanish inquisition- _that one guy who breaks formation and fucks up the battle plan, but somehow ends up helping_

@SonsOfLorgar

4 жыл бұрын

@@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz so not Leeeeeeroooooy! Jeeenkins....

@2bingtim

4 жыл бұрын

Nobody expected that!(Monty Python).

my guess is that pilum were used to defeat the enemys shield-use. so they can go into combat with shield-less enemy.

@swoleinvictus213

4 жыл бұрын

Didnt Caesar mention just that in Bello Gallico? Just with a few exaggerations that they would pin multiple shields together by just one spear throw and so on...

@kevinsullivan3448

4 жыл бұрын

And, contrary to popular myth, the tip doesn't have to bend over to make the shield undesirable, 8+ inches of sharp spike pointing at your soft bits is encouragement enough without the added weight dragging on your arm.

Great video!

¡An excelent topic for a series of trials against different kinds of targets!

Love this channel!

Nice yard cool demonstration. Love from 🇺🇸

10 of those flying in your general direction would probablly be quite terrifying.

This is actually the best video of "throwing a Pilum" i have ever seen on youtube... Good Job Sir👍 Greetings from Greece

I love the very quiet, very subtle "noice" at 4:30 from who must be Lucy Easton behind the camera. And a nice hit indeed, Matt.

Awesome Weapon

It is quite logical to assume that the pila were used primarily to disrupt the enemy's defenses rather than to get a clean kill. Gladius doesn't fare well against heavily armoured target, mostly due to its lack of curve; a pilum that penetrates a shield will successfully render it useless, not because of the dent in it, but because it's close to impossible to remove it during combat. Imagine using a shield with a giant ass heavy pole attached to it. This is why I adore the ancient Roman military - they were disciplined, they were lethal, and they most certainly were prepared to deal with any sort of enemy through active adaptation or creative tools such as the pila.

Pretty accurate for a guy that has not thrown for decades. I understood they bent on impact but makes sense that they had engineered various styles. Well done keep up the info.

This was very interesting, thank you for the video! I was just reading about Roman equipment on Wikipedia and thought it would be cool to see a pilum in action. I was surprised to see that this video came out just yesterday, very good timing!

That was great!

Very interesting to see it action great vid matt!

This was a super fun video. I love the time period weapons and tactics. I will definitely subscribe. Great video. 👍

Very Agreeable and enlightening.

I really envy you mate, this is awesome!

That impact sound

Thank you it interested me for a long time, in terms of accuracy and range of a throw.