How did Roman legions defeat phalanx?

The phalanx relies on an unbroken front to be effective. The Romans, usually with their pilae or javelins, managed to open holes in the front of the phalanx, into which individual Roman soldiers could move, because they operated on a more flexible formation.

Why did the Roman army use short swords?

A short sword was cheaper to produce than a long sword. When you field a large army, costs quickly add up. A short sword weighs less and a Roman soldier has plenty of equipment that he had to carry and use.

Why did Romans use swords instead of spears?

Partly because the Roman way of fighting, in close-order formation, shoulder-to-shoulder and in-close contact with the enemy—instead of the Greek way of thrusting from a distance over a shield wall—was more suited to the short gladius than to the long spear.

Did Roman soldiers use swords or spears?

Because the Roman infantry developed a “two wave” attack structure. The phalanxes used long spears, whose advantage was that they could kill enemies at “long range” (15-20 feet). So the Romans broke up their attack into two stages.

Did Romans use spears or swords?

In the 1st century, Roman cavalry started using these longer swords, and in the late 2nd or early 3rd century, Roman infantry also switched to longer swords, as well as mostly changing from carrying javelins to carrying spears.

Did Romans use steel swords?

The roman military swords blade was forged from high carbon steel. By this point In roman history the bloomeries (forges) had talented smiths who had a good grasp on smelting iron ore and producing steel weaponry like those we produce in modern forges. There were a few different styles of blade found on the gladius.

How good was Roman steel?

The quality of Roman swords varied as much as the quality of medieval swords – from very poor to very good. There are examples of gladiuses with steel edges welded onto softer cores.

What is the significance of the phalanx army in ancient Rome?

This was the army that was able to secure the basis of the Roman Empire, including a defeat of Macedonia and other states belonging to Alexander’s successors which, presumably, were still putting pike phalanxes in the field.

Could the Romans get past the spears of the phalangites?

So no, the Romans could not get past the spears of the phalangites (question for Greek experts–can you still call a Hellenistic phalangite a hoplite?), but in the end they didn’t need to. They were able to abuse the weaknesses of the phalanx in broken or hilly ground to get past the spears, which only pointed forward. Also elephants helped…

Why did the Phalanxes have long spears?

Evolution had simply favoured longer and longer spears: by the time of Alexander, phalanxes often carried polearms that rivalled a pike in length. The Kings of Rome appeared to have gone with this prevailing trend.

Did the kings of Rome use spears or swords?

The Kings of Rome appeared to have gone with this prevailing trend. By the time of the early Republic, however, things had changed. Although not the well-organised Legionnaires of popular imagination, the Hastatii, Principes and Triarii of this era tended to favour stabbings swords over spears.