Pilum

The pilum was a heavy javelin that was commonly used in ancient times by the Roman foot soldiers. The pilum was about 6-3/4 foot long and consisted of an iron shank that was around 24 inches in length and featured a pyramidal tip. When in combat, Roman soldiers first threw the pilum at the enemy and then charged with their gladius swords. Some pila featured hand-guards to protect the soldier if he chose to use the pilum as a melee weapon. The effective range of the pilum, when thrown was about 49-66ft and the maximum range up to 98ft.