Mystery Ancient Roman Weapon(?)?

Question:I have been watching The HBO series Rome on DVD, and have noticed that soldiers in the city (maybe only on escort duty, tho I can't recall, now) are carrying what looks like a flagpole. This is obviously not a spear, as there is a box attached at approximately chest level. they appear to be carrying it at attention. I can't give a length for it, as the scenes never seem to show the full height of these individuals. They also appear to be wood, but I suppose depending on the alloy, that could simply be from age. Help please, the Brain Worm is eating me.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have been watching The HBO series Rome on DVD, and have noticed that soldiers in the city (maybe only on escort duty, tho I can't recall, now) are carrying what looks like a flagpole. This is obviously not a spear, as there is a box attached at approximately chest level. they appear to be carrying it at attention. I can't give a length for it, as the scenes never seem to show the full height of these individuals. They also appear to be wood, but I suppose depending on the alloy, that could simply be from age. Help please, the Brain Worm is eating me.

The Fasces or the Aquila ; good luck !
:0)

lance

Roman weapon? Haven't seen what you're watching see don't know for sure- but Roman city guards had a long handled axe with a bundle of sticks tied around the head as a symbol of authority and usefull street weapon. The sticks were used to punish/beat people for minor crimes, the tieing rope was slipknotted and used to bind prisoners, the axe itself was as noted a useful streetfighting and door breaking weapon, sometimes could be used for beheading job.

It may be a spear. Hear me out!

Roman soldier used an odd type of spear (some of the time). It had a heavy weight on the end of a short wooden handle, and sticking out from the weight was a thin, sharp, long spear head. It was made to be thrown at enemies carrying shields, and the weight of the "weight" (possibly the box-like thing you mentioned) would cause the thin spearhead to go right through most shields (bear in mind that shield would have been wooden with matal or animal hide coatings) As I was saying, the weight would cause the spearhead to go through the shield and injure or kill the soldier carrying the shield. Can't say for sure if that is what they were carrying, because I haven't seen the movie,(and your description isn't all that great) but it is a possibility.

The "fasces" is the ax-club-like thing (with the bundle of sticks) that the other guy talked about. And the "aquila would not fit the description."

Remember, give SOMEONE best answer. (preferably me)

That show is perhaps entertaining but rediculously historically inacurate. The weapons were most likely never carried in reality so they are not necessarily real Roman weapons anyway

billie doesn't know anything about rome. the spears to which everyone is referring are called pilum. all roman soldiers carried them into battle

That`s a pilum
http://images.google.de/images?um=1&hl=d...