Weapons of Rome

Essay by pengumJunior High, 9th gradeA+, May 2007

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Ancient Weapons of RomeThere are many different types of weapons in the ancient Roman arsenal. The weapons vary from close range swords to 300-pound rock hurlers! The Romans were a great nation because they adapted other countries weapons into their culture. They also utilized various weapons for different situations. The weapons included daggers, bows, javelins, crossbows, and catapults.

The Gladius Hispaniensis was a Spanish dagger. It was meant for close range attacks. It was used from the 1st century of A.D. to the 3rd century of A.D. The blades were very thick and made of iron and the handles were also made of metal. Some handles were made of wood.

The bow and arrow was one of the first mediums to long distance weapons. There were two different types of bows, the longbow and the short bow. The longbow was meant for longer distances. It was harder to pull back and much larger than the short bow.

The short bow was a short to medium range bow. It was small and easily concealed. There were many different arrowheads for the arrows. Some were pointy and others acted as a fishhook. The fishhook arrows were very hard to remove from the body. There were also poison and fire arrows. The poison was created by mixing roots from poisonous plants with honey. The arrowhead was then dipped into the honey. The poison arrows were very effective because they would kill even if it only nicked the enemy. Fire arrows were used for burning down wooden structures.

The Pilum or Javelin was sometimes considered the Roman's secret weapon. It was a throwing weapon that could go great distances. The weapon could pierce through enemy's shields and armor. It was a long wooden pole that had a long metal point at the top. Behind...