Spiculum

Spiculum

A spiculum is a late Roman spear that replaced the pilum at around 250AD as the infantryman's main throwing javelin. Scholars suppose that it could have resulted from the gradual combination of the pilum and two German spears, the angon and the bebra. As more and more Germans joined the Roman army their culture and traditions became a driving force for change. The spiculum is better than the old pilum for retention in the hand, used as a thrusting spear, but still maintaining some of the former weapons penetrative power when thrown.

Vegetius mentions the spiculum in his military manual, but some scholars maintain that the spiculum was simply a different name for the pilum. Whatever the case, most historians accept that the spiculum evolved from the earlier javelins used by the Roman army

The main difference between the spiculum and the pilum was the length of the thin point. The spiculum tended to have a much shorter iron point. Thus, the spiculum was significantly shorter than its ancestor, perhaps 190 cm long. The spiculum had a medium iron shank attached to the head. Its exact design is not fully known as there are many variants. The spiculum fell out of favour with the Roman army some time after 400AD.

ee also

*Pole weapon
*Javelin
*Pilum
*Verutum
*Lancea
*Roman military personal equipment


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  • Spiculum — (Latein, kleine Spitze), Plural Spicula, ist ein Ausdruck für: die Skelettelemente der Blumentiere und Schwämme, siehe Sklerit die äußeren Skelettelemente bei Wurmmollusken (Aplacophora) und die inneren Skelettelemente bei einigen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • SPICULUM — a spicae similitudine sic dictum, teli genus apud Romanos fuit, idem Dempstero cum hasta et sparo. Quod enim C. Nepoti in Epamin. c. 9. Sparum seu us, id Valerio Maximo l. 3. c. 2. ex. ext. 5. Hasta; Ciceroni vero l. 5. Famil. Ep. 12. Spiculum… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Spiculum — Spic u*lum, n.; pl. {Spicula}. [L., a little point.] (Zo[ o]l.) Same as {Spicule}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Spicŭlum — (röm. Ant.), 1) Nadel, womit die Frauen ihre zusammengebundenen Haare durchstachen, meist in Form eines Pfeiles; 2) Spieß, Speer. Daher Spiculatus (Bot.), pikenförmig …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • spiculum — [spik′yə ləm] n. pl. spicula [spik′yələ] [L] a spicule; esp., any of several spinelike organs found in lower animals, as the starfish …   English World dictionary

  • Spiculum — El spiculum era una lanza utilizada en la época tardía del Imperio romano y que sustituyó al pilum alrededor del año 250 d. C. como principal arma arrojadiza de la infantería. Los estudiosos suponen que podría haber sido el resultado de …   Wikipedia Español

  • Spiculum — Le spiculum est une lance romaine apparue tardivement qui a remplacé le pilum comme principale arme de jet. Les spécialistes estiment qu il pourrait s agir d un croisement entre la combinaison d un pilum et d une arme similaire utilisée par les… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • spiculum — /spik yeuh leuhm/, n., pl. spicula / leuh/. Zool. a small, needlelike body, part, process, or the like. [1740 50; < L spiculum; see SPICULE] * * * …   Universalium

  • Spiculum (Waffe) — Angaben Waffenart: Speer …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • spiculum — n.; pl. spicula [L. spicula, small spike] Spicular structures, as the spines of echinoderms and dart of certain snails …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

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