The verutum, plural veruta (Latin: spit), was a short javelin used in the Roman army. This javelin was used by the velites for skirmishing purposes, unlike the heavier pilum, which was used by the hastati and principes for weakening the enemy before advancing into close combat. The shafts were about 1.1 metres (3 ft 7 in) long, substantially shorter than the 2-metre (6 ft 7 in) pilum, and the point measured about 13 centimetres (5 in) long. The verutum had either an iron shank like the pilum or a tapering metal head. It was sometimes thrown with the aid of a throwing strap, or amentum.
The verutum was probably adopted from the Samnites and the Volsci but there is not enough proof for that. During the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, Roman light infantry (velites) would carry seven veruta into combat. It proved to be quite an effective weapon, even against war elephants as proven in the battle of Zama. In the late 2nd century BC, the verutum was taken out of service along with the veles, but the javelin was taken back into the legionary arsenal during the Late Empire.
The verutum, plural veruta (Latin: spit), was a short javelin used in the Roman army. This javelin was used by the velites for skirmishing purposes, unlike...
troops as the republic expanded overseas. The verutum was a cheaper missile weapon than the pilum. The verutum was a short-range weapon, with a simply made...
Colaranea verutum is a species of orb-weaver spider that is endemic to New Zealand. Colaranea verutum was first described in 1887 by Arthur Urquhart as...
Lancea (weapon) Polearm Projectile Roman military personal equipment Spear Verutum Erdkamp, Paul, ed. (2007). A Companion to the Roman Army. Oxford, UK: Blackwell...
Roman military personal equipment Polearm Javelin Lancea (weapon) Pilum Verutum Fighting Techniques of the Ancient World (3000 B.C. to 500 A.D.): Equipment...
Soliferrum, saunion, soliferreum (Mediterranean) Spiculum (Roman) Vel (Indian) Verutum (Roman) Woomera, amirre (Australian) Could also be used as axe weapons...
existed, such as those used by the velites and the early legions, called verutum. Other types of javelins were adopted by the late Roman army, such as the...
the shield, the helmet, and the birrudu, a weapon similar to the ancient verutum, the Roman javelin. The militias of the ground and the infantry (birrudos)...
(scutum), helmet (galea), two javelins (one heavy pilum and one light verutum), a short sword (gladius), a dagger (pugio), a belt (balteus), a pair of...
thrusting-spear, 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...
migration era longsword (spatha), lance (contus), javelins (spiculum, verutum, and lancea), the lead-weighted dart (plumbata), sling and staff-sling...
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