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A spiculum is a late Roman spear[1] that replaced the pilum as the infantryman's main throwing javelin around 250 AD. 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 was better than the old pilum when used as a thrusting spear, but still maintained some of the former weapon's 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 a bit shorter than its ancestor, perhaps 190 cm (75 in) long. The spiculum had a medium iron shank attached to the head. Its exact design is not fully known as there were many variants. The spiculum fell out of favour with the Roman army some time after 400 AD.
^Fighting Techniques of the Ancient World (3000 B.C. to 500 A.D.): Equipment, Combat Skills, and Tactics. Macmillan. 2002. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-312-30932-9.
A spiculum is a late Roman spear that replaced the pilum as the infantryman's main throwing javelin around 250 AD. Scholars suppose that it could have...
Tragosoma spiculum is a species of long-horned beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It is found in North America. "Tragosoma chiricahuae Report". Integrated...
Vexillum spiculum is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Costellariidae, the ribbed miters. The length of the shell attains...
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...
during the Late Empire. Javelin § Ancient Rome Polearm Lancea (weapon) Spiculum Roman military personal equipment Carr, Thomas Swinburne (1836). A manual...
javelins were adopted by the late Roman army, such as the lancea and the spiculum, which were heavily influenced by the weapons of Italic warriors. The pilum...
All pages with titles beginning with Speculum Specula (disambiguation) Spiculum, a Roman weapon This disambiguation page lists articles associated with...
Aesopus clausiliformis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails. The size of an adult shell varies...
In addition to his thrusting-spear, a late foot soldier might carry a spiculum, a kind of pilum, similar to an angon. Alternatively, he may have been...
A. Adams, 1855: synonym of Conus artoptus G. B. Sowerby I, 1833 Conus spiculum Reeve, 1849: synonym of Conus generalis Linnaeus, 1767 Conus spirofilis...
Romano-Germanic migration era longsword (spatha), lance (contus), javelins (spiculum, verutum, and lancea), the lead-weighted dart (plumbata), sling and staff-sling...
hermaphroditica, ovotestis; where gametes are manufactured love dart – spiculum amoris; known to transfer secretions that can manipulate the partner mucous...
a late foot soldier might also carry a throwing-spear (verutum) or a spiculum, a kind of heavy, long pilum, similar to an angon. Alternatively, a couple...
nerve of supplementary organ; t, cavity of supplementary organ; u, left spiculum; v, accessory piece; w, the three caudal glands; x, anus; y, terminus;...
nigripenne Bates, 1892 c g Tragosoma pilosicorne Casey, 1890 i g b Tragosoma spiculum Casey, 1890 i c g b Tragosoma soror Laplante, 2017 i c g b Data sources:...
and prominent. Elytra oval with rows of punctures. In male genitalia, spiculum gastrale characterized with short, thick strut and enlarged around base...
again: magnified 80 linear. Fig. 4. A small-sized fusiformi-acerate dermal spiculum, magnified 80 linear. Fig. 5 & 6. Two of the triradiate spicula of the...
name. The origin of the genus name, "Spiculaea", is from the Latin word spiculum meaning "a sharp point" or "a sting", probably referring to the appendage...
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