Greek/ Hoplite Spear and shield?

[Permalost]

The pilum was exactly that- a heavy, throwing javelin designed to be thrown when closing in.



See how the metal tip is rather long? This was intended so that if the Pilum didn't hit its mark, it would bend so as not to be immediately usable and re-throwable by an opponent (something that often happened to Greeks).

We're talking classical Rome, mostly- early Rome is too Greek, and late Rome (200 AD etc) is slowly changing towards more medieval terms (lots of mounted cavalry, for starters).

So the long metal tip would bend? Samburu spears have long metal shafts too but they don't bend (at least from the Cold Steel demos I've seen).

[odysseus_dallas]

So the long metal tip would bend? Samburu spears have long metal shafts too but they don't bend (at least from the Cold Steel demos I've seen).

That would be because Cold Steel spears are made of (probably tempered) steel, while pilums were made of iron, which has an uncanny tendency to bend (which was one of the reasons there were few blades longer than 70-80 cm, and even then there's a ton of accounts of warriors stepping on their swords to straighten them between pauses in battles).

[odysseus_dallas]

Actually, the Roman army was the only standing army* ever which used the sword as a primary weapon. Unlike the greeks beforehand, whose phalanx relied on spears first and swords secondarily, the romans used their spears almost exclusively for throwing, relying on their short, heavy and ugly gladii for close combat.

I forgot to add the *:

The only other standing army I know which used 'swords' (in a sense) were the Aztecs which routinely used maqahuitls. These are of course sword-like objects, but they were used in a similar fashion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macuahuitl

I thought it was maqahuitl, not macuahuitl...

[Permalost]

That would be because Cold Steel spears are made of (probably tempered) steel, while pilums were made of iron, which has an uncanny tendency to bend (which was one of the reasons there were few blades longer than 70-80 cm, and even then there's a ton of accounts of warriors stepping on their swords to straighten them between pauses in battles).

I figured that the Cold Steel ones used better metal, but I'm not so sure about the original samburu spears.

[rocketsurgeon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjjU6tSUp34

This one looks like they are trying to imitate the movie Troy. No speaking or narration.

I try not to judge, but one serious critique is shield bashing with the arm. The arm needs to be in contact with the body so there's no space between you and the shield. This is important for singles and charging in a shield wall.

[NJM]

I forgot to add the *:

The only other standing army I know which used 'swords' (in a sense) were the Aztecs which routinely used maqahuitls.

But was their army technically a "standing army"?

[odysseus_dallas]

Well it was more of a caste system rather than a mercenary army (which was the Roman standard), but they were definitely professionals.

Unless this was a joke on the standing part :p