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The Romans were very strong, tough, and skilled, but it was their weapons that allowed them to conquer as much as they did. Without them they would’ve been decimated because other continents and nations would be ahead in the war because of the fact that they would have actual weapons, meanwhile the Romans would just be left to punch and kick everyone and thus they would die.

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By the time of the late republic the Romans had adopted the gladius; it was not as long as the early republican sword, which did not give as much mobility. The gladius was about a foot and a half long and two inches wide and was double-edged. For balance, the sword had a large ball at the end of the handle that could also be used as a weapon.

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The sword was worn on the right side, not the left as commonly portrayed in the media, so as to keep it clear of the shield (left) arm. The gladius was versatile, since it could be used for slashing or stabbing especially in close quarters, where a larger sword used for slashing only could not be brought to bear.

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The Roman cavalry typically used a longer sword, the spathea, that allowed them more protection and power than the gladius. This sword allowed the horseman to still combat the foot enemy without leaning over the horse and provide a powerful blow from above.

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The Romans also carried a dagger, or pugio. The dagger varied in length from six inches to a foot long and was as wide as the gladius. The pugio could act as a backup weapon if the gladius was lost or broken.

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What made the pilum even more useful was that when the spear struck a shield, the weight of the shaft would bend the shank, making it nearly impossible to pull out of the shield. With the pilum dangling at 90 degrees and the nearly 4-foot shaft, heavy and cumbersome, pulling the shield to the ground, the enemy was forced to throw away the shield, making himself open and vulnerable.

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The scutum was standardized so that the army could use it for other operations such as the testudo, or turtle, where in a small rectangular-shaped unit the interior soldiers could lift their shields over themselves as a roof, while those on the edge could have their shields as body protection so the unit could advance under a siege, with other soldiers without shields minding the walls.

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The Romans found that the hasta was not the best weapon for offense; for this they used the second type of spear, the pilum, used by the first two lines. The pilum was about six feet long and had a thin iron shank with a barbed tip and a heavy shaft. The design gave the Romans some distinct advantages. The pilum could be thrown from 50–70 feet away. In addition, the shank, about 2 feet long, could pierce a shield or body armor.

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The shield that the soldier carried was the scutum. Unlike the round republican shield, the imperial shield was rectangular and curved inward with a brass or iron boss in the middle to give it strength and to be used as an offensive weapon. The soldier could use the shield to bash the enemy, inflicting damage.

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In the early republic the legion fought like the Greek phalanx, which employed the long spear. The first few lines had their spears out, while the later lines held them up and shoved the forward lines. The Romans changed this system to the legion, which had three lines. The first two lines used swords, while the strongest and best line, the third, the triarri, had the hasta, or long spear, about six and a half feet long. The heavy spear was used not for throwing but instead for thrusting.

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The Romans used the composite bow made of horn and wood. The archers were often placed on the wings and behind the three lines, shooting over the infantry to break up the enemy charge. Offensively the archers produced fear in the enemy. Unless the attackers were sufficiently protected, they were liable to be hit by arrows from either above or straight on.

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The martiobarbulus was a small, barbed dart that was vicious against both men and horses.

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Roman armor evolved over time. The soldier in the republic fought mainly with a spear and carried an oval shield for protection. He wore a leather cuirass to which was fashioned a bronze breastplate, and he wore a helmet made of bronze.

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The Romans also built battering rams. These were squared-off timbers plated with iron and capped with an iron head, sometimes in the shape of a ram. Ropes were wound around the timber to reinforce it and to prevent it from splitting. The timber was suspended on ropes inside a small hut. The hut, built of heavy timbers, was covered with thick planking and green wicker to break the force of stones. To protect it against fire, two layers of animal hide with fresh seaweed in between were laid over the top.

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The catapult, which came in two types: stone throwing  (catapulta) and arrow shooting (ballista).  The Romans used ballista to fire flaming logs or rock missiles while waging sieges.

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In conclusion the Romans had many different weapons and methods of destroying whoever would oppose them from little daggers to full blown ballistas and catapults. Whatever the situation they had the right tools for the job and because of this and their battle strategies this is why they were one of the most feared nations of their time. But because we have much much more advanced technology for weapons and strategies alike this is all outdated now.

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Works Cited

Ermatinger, James W. "Catapults." The Roman Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia, vol. 2, ABC-CLIO, 2018, pp. 81-84. Empires of the World. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7645700183/GVRL?u=rich73879&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=65c08ff0. Accessed 16 Feb. 2022.

---. "Training." The Roman Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia, vol. 2, ABC-CLIO, 2018, pp. 127-29. Empires of the World. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7645700205/GVRL?u=rich73879&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=5138ccf4. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022.

---. "Weapons." The Roman Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia, vol. 2, ABC-CLIO, 2018, pp. 133-35. Empires of the World. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7645700208/GVRL?u=rich73879&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=32f0aef6. Accessed 16 Feb. 2022.

"Weapons and Armor." Ancient Greece and Rome: An Encyclopedia for Students, edited by Carroll Moulton, vol. 4, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998, pp. 131-33. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2897200497/GVRL?u=rich73879&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=3396e499. Accessed 15 Feb. 2022.