Introduction of the Spiculum; Longevity of the heavy Throwing Spear

[Atheling]

Hi,

I'm currently putting together a Warhammer Ancient Battles (WAB V.2) Late Roman army for a trip down memory lane and a friendly event in Spring next year.

I've been humming and haring over whether I would be justified in taking Heavy Throwing Spears/Spiculum for an army based on an army for the time period between the Battle of the Milvian Bridge and the Battle of Adrianople, so 312 AD and 378AD respectively?

What are your thoughts guys?

[Duncan Head]

They had likewise two other javelins, the largest of which was composed of a staff five feet and a half long and a triangular head of iron nine inches long. This was formerly called the pilum, but now it is known by the name of spiculum. The soldiers were particularly exercised in the use of this weapon, because when thrown with force and skill it often penetrated the shields of the foot and the cuirasses of the horse. The other javelin was of smaller size; its triangular point was only five inches long and the staff three feet and one half. It was anciently called verriculum but now verutum.

As to the missile weapons of the infantry, they were javelins headed with a triangular sharp iron, eleven inches or a foot long, and were called pila. When once fixed in the shield it was impossible to draw them out, and when thrown with force and skill, they penetrated the cuirass without difficulty. At present they are seldom used by us, but are the principal weapon of the barbarian heavy-armed foot. They are called bebrae, and every man carries two or three of them to battle.

These passages suggest that for Vegetius, writing probably near the end of the 4th century, the spiculum was much the same as the pilum; and that it was by then rare, but not unknown.

Ammianus, I think, mentions spicula at Strasbourg without it being entirely clear which side is using them.

[Atheling]

They had likewise two other javelins, the largest of which was composed of a staff five feet and a half long and a triangular head of iron nine inches long. This was formerly called the pilum, but now it is known by the name of spiculum. The soldiers were particularly exercised in the use of this weapon, because when thrown with force and skill it often penetrated the shields of the foot and the cuirasses of the horse. The other javelin was of smaller size; its triangular point was only five inches long and the staff three feet and one half. It was anciently called verriculum but now verutum.

As to the missile weapons of the infantry, they were javelins headed with a triangular sharp iron, eleven inches or a foot long, and were called pila. When once fixed in the shield it was impossible to draw them out, and when thrown with force and skill, they penetrated the cuirass without difficulty. At present they are seldom used by us, but are the principal weapon of the barbarian heavy-armed foot. They are called bebrae, and every man carries two or three of them to battle.

These passages suggest that for Vegetius, writing probably near the end of the 4th century, the spiculum was much the same as the pilum; and that it was by then rare, but not unknown.

Ammianus, I think, mentions spicula at Strasbourg without it being entirely clear which side is using them.

Thanks Duncan. So, not very conclusive but open to interpretation like many other aspects of the Late Roman army.