pilum

100px|thumb|right|Pilum The pilum (; : pila) was a javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It was generally about long overall, consisting of an iron shank about in diameter and long with a pyramidal head, attached to a wooden shaft by either a socket or a flat tang.

== History == The pilum may have originated from an Italic tribe known as the Samnites. It also may have been influenced by Celtiberian and Etruscan weapons. The pilum may have derived from a Celtiberian weapon known as the falarica. Archaeological excavations have disclosed pila in tombs at the Etruscan city of Tarquinia. The oldest finds of pila are from the Etruscan settlements of Vulci and Talamone. The first identified written reference to the pilum comes from The Histories of Polybius. According to Polybius, more heavily armed Roman military soldiers used a spear called the hyssoí. This may have been the pilum. The precursor to the pilum was the hasta. It is unclear how soon it was replaced by the pilum. Polybius mentioned that it was an important contributor to the Roman victory at the Battle of Telamon in 225 BC.