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Hi,
Does anyone can provide me with pictures of a reconstructed late republican pilum ? Or drawings or pictures of real republican pila points ? My interest is on Cesar's time.
All the best.
Hervé CAILLAU
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Good job Peregrinus. I was looking for the same thing. Laud awarded!
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
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I just ordered a couple, they should be waiting for me when I get home!
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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What's interesting about the picture above, is how much diversity there was of length, thickness, attachment method, and point shape. It seems our "standard" pila that are sold by suppliers may be just one of the various types.
Somewhere (can't remember where right now) I read that the broadheaded and leaf shaped points were for use against elephants and cavalry, presumably the horses, and the pyramid points were for infantry. Even though it makes sense that way, does anybody have any evidence to support that theory? Having different equipment to issue to the troops seems like a quartermaster nightmare, but that doesn't mean they did or did not do exactly that.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
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Salue fratres
If you look at the drawing in B&C you will see a lot of pila measures and thicknesses. Thickness goes from 6 to 12 mm. aprox. Our pila measures 9/10 mm. We could have made them thinner but then they will bend a lot more in the "battlefield".
Do you have data about pila weights?
Jorge M.
[size=150:2l6moa87]ARMILLUM[/size]
[url:2l6moa87]http://www.armillum.com[/url]
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Hi,
Many thanks Jurjen.
Concerning the questions on the use of different shapes points, I can only refer to medieval arrowheads to make a parallel.
The crescent blade points, once thought to be made to cut the ropes of siege machines (stupid as the arrow is rotating on flight), are now thought to be shot at horses. Horse is a shy but tough animal. It is resistant to pain. So, points must be large to inflict large and painful cuts.
Hunting spearheads are large too in order to provoke hemoragies on big animals. Animals are not armoured even if their skins are thicker than our.
On the contrary, against an armoured enemy, you need small spear or arrow points to ease the penetration. A pyramidal point was also used on anti-mail armor dagger in medieval Europe and XVIth-XVIIIth century India for exemple.
All the best.
Hervé CAILLAU
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Hello Jorge!
Welcome to RAT! Good to see you!
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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Saluete fratres
Thanks for your warm welcome...
About republican pila, the socketed ones were more popular than the tanged ones, at least at Numancia. If I'm not mistaken the socketed ones were there more than double in number than the tanged ones.
The truth is that they are easier to make, they break less than tanged ones and are easier to repare. But the tanged ones are more popular today...
Jorge M.
[size=150:2l6moa87]ARMILLUM[/size]
[url:2l6moa87]http://www.armillum.com[/url]