Equipment

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Below are some short descriptions of the equipment that the basic Roman Legionary used. This included the rectangular shield, gladius, and pilum.

Roman Shield Rectangular Shield

The rectangular shield design of the Roman legionary soldier was a simple yet very effective design. It was easy to carry for one, being made of strong wood and only some metal cast components. The main advantage that this sheild provided though, was a huge area of protection. This shield covered the body from at least knee height to shoulder height. It's simple geometric design also allowed the Romans to form the Testudo formation, where they interlocked their shields together to form a protective wall against arrows.

Gladius Gladius

The gladius was the main weapon of a Roman soldier. The gladius was a short, stabbing sword, not a slashing one. The Roman soldier would hide the gladius behind his large shield, and when an enemy was in a good position, would give a thrust up into their gut, often piercing their heart. The gladius gave a lot of damage this way, and due to its ease of use like this, a soldier would not tire as quickly.

Roman soldier with a Pilum Pilum

The pilum was the throwing spear assigned to each soldier. It had an innovative design that gave it the best flying characteristics of a throwing spear and making it easy to use. It was also designed to break upon impacting a hard object or the ground, preventing the enemy from throwing the spear back.