Editing Pilum (section)

==Tactics==
{{main|Roman infantry tactics}}[[Legionary|Legionaries]] of the late [[Roman Republic|Republic]] and early [[Roman Empire|Empire]] often carried two ''pila'', with one sometimes being lighter than the other. Standard tactics called for Roman soldiers to throw one of them (both if time permitted) at the enemy, just before charging to engage with the ''[[gladius]]'';<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Slavik |first=Jordan F. |date=2017 |title=Pilum and Telum: The Roman Infantryman's Style of Combat in the Middle Republic |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/801439 |journal=Classical Journal |volume=113 |issue=2 |pages=151–171 |doi=10.1353/tcj.2017.0032 |issn=2327-5812}}</ref> however, [[Alexander Zhmodikov]] has argued that the Roman infantry could use ''pila'' at any stage in the fighting.<ref>Zhmodikov, Alexander, 2000, "Roman Republican Heavy Infantrymen in Battle (IV–II Centuries B.C.)," in ''Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte'', vol. 49 no. 1.</ref> Zhmodikov has also argued that Roman battle tactics sometimes consisted of exchanging projectile weapons such as the pilum. [[Sam Koon]] argues against the idea that Roman tactics primarily consisted of projectile combat.<ref name=":0" />

The effect of the ''pilum'' throw was to disrupt the enemy formation by attrition and by causing gaps to appear in any protective shield wall.<ref name="Cowan200322"/> The design of the ''pilum''{{'}}s tip is such that once wedged inside a shield, it is difficult to remove; a shield thus penetrated by a ''pilum'' became very awkward to wield, and was usually discarded. This resulted in the aforementioned gaps in the protective shield wall, which could then favour the short ''gladius'' in tight hand-to-hand mêlées.

''Pila'' could also be used in hand-to-hand combat; one [[De Bello Gallico|documented instance]] of this occurred at the [[Siege of Alesia]], and another during [[Mark Antony|Mark Antony's]] Parthian campaign.<ref>"''tois yssois paiontes.''" {{Cite web |author=Plutarch |title=Life of Mark Antony, 45.3 |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0077%3Achapter%3D45%3Asection%3D3 |access-date=2011-09-27}}</ref> Additionally, ''pila'' could be employed as a thrusting implement and a barrier against cavalry charges.<ref>[[Arrian]]'s Array against the Alans. "And the front four ranks of the formation must be of spearmen, whose spearpoints end in thin iron shanks. And the foremost of them should hold them at the ready, in order that when the enemies come near them, they can thrust the iron points of the spears at the breast of the horses in particular. Those standing in second, third and fourth rank of the formation must hold their spears ready for thrusting if possible, wounding the horses and killing the horsemen and put the rider out of action with the spear stuck in their heavy body armour and the iron point bent because of the softness. The following ranks should be of the javelineers."{{Cite web |author=Dorst, Sander van |title=Arrian's Array against the Alans |url=http://members.tripod.com/~S_van_Dorst/Ancient_Warfare/Rome/Sources/ektaxis.html |access-date=2010-10-03}}</ref> Some ''pila'' had small hand-guards, to protect the wielder if he intended to use it as a mêlée weapon, but apparently this was common.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}