Throwing a Pilum in Armour - How far can a pro throw?

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ธ.ค. 2024

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  • @LordOceanus
    @LordOceanus ปีที่แล้ว +2931

    The genuine smile on Michael's face when he first put the mail on was wonderful. Doesn't matter where you are from or who you are, wearing armor is still pretty cool.

    • @katarinatibai8396
      @katarinatibai8396 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      💯💯💯👍

    • @ogloc6308
      @ogloc6308 ปีที่แล้ว +60

      i feel the same way when i put on my level IV plates 🤓

    • @shockwave6213
      @shockwave6213 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      ​@@ogloc6308 Oh hell yeah. The Plate Carrier gang is here. Love how much crossover there is

    • @leonardodelpuertoburk2439
      @leonardodelpuertoburk2439 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      What do you mean "still"? I doubt it was pretty cool in the past, back when they had to put on the armor, walk a hundred kilometers in it only to bleed out in the middle of nowhere after having an arm chopped.

    • @noinfo5630
      @noinfo5630 ปีที่แล้ว +72

      @@leonardodelpuertoburk2439 most of the time warfare was - and still is today - boring. Lots of standing around, marching and waiting. Until "modern" times i.e. the introduction of small firearms with high firing ratio (around American civil war) the casualty rate was (usually) much much lower than it afterwards. Additionally, volunteers often didn't know what would expect them on a battlefield as mostly the grand and heroic stories are told. So, your picture is not really accurate.
      Furthermore, the others were referring to the feel of wearing something substantial, solid, which is very satisfying and calming. (Similar with animals, which you can dress in a tight shirt to reduce their stress e.g. during fireworks.)
      I think this goes a bit in the same direction as donning a uniform or a well made/fitting suit (when one can often observe a change in behaviour, like standing more upright), but on a even more fundamental level: we feel safe under heavy stuff.

  • @thcdreams654
    @thcdreams654 ปีที่แล้ว +1784

    Tod is slowly making his own army. Michael throwing javelins. Joe shooting arrows. Matt coming in with the infantry weapons. Tod himself with the artillery. Now you just need some cavalry.
    Edit: Toby as the Cavalry.

    • @molochi
      @molochi ปีที่แล้ว +81

      Toby jousts.

    • @vivianevans8323
      @vivianevans8323 ปีที่แล้ว +130

      Jason Kingsley has the horses and the expertise ... and armour ...

    • @thcdreams654
      @thcdreams654 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@molochi I forgot thanks for the reminder.

    • @adders45
      @adders45 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      cue modern history

    • @alexfisch2228
      @alexfisch2228 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Air force too

  • @kevinmorrice
    @kevinmorrice ปีที่แล้ว +1142

    honestly, this is the kind of stuff we need to study more, like that castle in france being built with only medieval methods and materials, recreating the history helps us understand it more, by doing this video we learn more and more about what its actually like for roman soldiers to do this stuff, BRILLIANT

    • @elgraid
      @elgraid ปีที่แล้ว +66

      The Castle of Guédelon. it's a small castle of a baronet and it's absolutely a blast to visit and see how it's done! They even have a small watermil for flourmaking they do the forging, the stone masoning etc, it's really intresting to visit indeed!

    • @kevinmorrice
      @kevinmorrice ปีที่แล้ว +25

      @@elgraid exactly, interactive history, it gives you a real scale of how impressive these things actually are

    • @MAGAMAN
      @MAGAMAN ปีที่แล้ว +30

      "Modern society" seems to be more interested in rewriting history than studying it.

    • @tyree9055
      @tyree9055 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      The most interesting tidbit I saw / read was the commentary about "How did the medieval warrior clean and care for their chainmail?"
      It turns out that while museums had to oil and clean their chainmail, marching soldiers did not. Their armor cleaned itself (from all of the movement). They learned this from marching overland in it!
      🤣👍
      It's definitely a boon for reenacting history.

    • @teutonicorder3905
      @teutonicorder3905 ปีที่แล้ว

      There is a TH-cam series on it.

  • @rhor1882
    @rhor1882 ปีที่แล้ว +1390

    4:42 Tod just casually duplicating himself to help someone put on some mail, a man of many talents.

    • @erikkennedy
      @erikkennedy ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Ahaha, I thought the same thing.

    • @redbeardie
      @redbeardie ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Me too! Who is this second Tod?! 😊

    • @Anthony-qk2wb
      @Anthony-qk2wb ปีที่แล้ว +42

      Summon 'Tod +2 Str'

    • @pirapp3751
      @pirapp3751 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      wait what

    • @jlinkous05
      @jlinkous05 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Tod clones with The Force

  • @MartinAhlman
    @MartinAhlman ปีที่แล้ว +452

    Michael is a hero to do this. Thank him for us, will you? We need lots of people who know different things to make history come closer to us.

  • @dylanspargo8993
    @dylanspargo8993 ปีที่แล้ว +512

    Fascinating insight into the role of skirmishers. Running around unarmored in front of the enemy lines always seemed risky to me, but if you can significantly outrun and outrange them it makes a lot more sense!

    • @LuisAldamiz
      @LuisAldamiz ปีที่แล้ว +75

      Absolutely. Especially with the flexible Roman formation that left spaces between the units for those ahead to be able to retreat rather easily.

    • @QuantumHistorian
      @QuantumHistorian ปีที่แล้ว +83

      I doubt it was a conscious decision to not wear armour in order to throw further. It's just that some people recruited (/drafted) into the army couldn't afford armour, so they were organised to fight in a way to accommodate that. By the time the Roman army was professional and kit was issued by the state, the light infantry (velites) virtually disappeared, not only in the legions but also the auxillia. The role that they had fulfilled was taken over by a combination of archers and cavalry.

    • @killerkonnat
      @killerkonnat ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Also if you have a line of soldiers in a formation, even a loose one, it's a lot easier to hit them than a small amount of skirmishers that don't stand in a formation.

    • @noinfo5630
      @noinfo5630 ปีที่แล้ว +64

      @@QuantumHistorian I'm pretty sure it was a conscious decision. There were not only Romans in history, you know... Also Greek peltasts (and other types of skirmishers) didn't wear any significant armour.
      It's a choice of tactics imho: run fast out of reach or withstand missiles.
      We should not forget that after the initial skirmishes, these very same men would also carry water and supplies etc.
      Of course economic conditions, social structures and professionality/training/experience of the troops also played a role, but I'd say mostly tactics.

    • @16m49x3
      @16m49x3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I guess you could have a line of armored troops with shields and a line of minimally armored skirmishers as one unit. The skirmishers would run ahead of the formation to throw, then retreat behind the armored troops after throwing.
      If they stay at 40 meter, their troops would be able to hit armored troops without being able to be hit back. Then have armored backup incase they were rushed

  • @HereticalKitsune
    @HereticalKitsune ปีที่แล้ว +251

    Big thanks to Michael for coming again to show off his skills in these very unusual conditions!

  • @JurgenFjurgen
    @JurgenFjurgen ปีที่แล้ว +587

    Big props to Michael for his willingness to participate & share his insights. Thank you for another excellent video.

    • @simonnadeau2146
      @simonnadeau2146 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I'm sure that throwing the pilum with armor and shield on brought a new insight for him towards his sport.

  • @peterm4675
    @peterm4675 ปีที่แล้ว +161

    I love the poof of rain off the mail when he launches the pilum. It really shows the speed his arm is moving. 6:31

    • @YouPlague
      @YouPlague ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I thought that was talc powder for his hand

    • @FlavourlessLife
      @FlavourlessLife ปีที่แล้ว +2

      And was that an added sound effect or was that the real sound?

    • @yoroshikuonegaishimasu8649
      @yoroshikuonegaishimasu8649 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      ​@@FlavourlessLife thats the real sound

    • @2bingtim
      @2bingtim ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I thought I must've imagined that, as when we sdaw the slo-mo replay I didn't notice it. Of course it was water spray; I thought it was rust or dust at first.

  • @prnzlsr
    @prnzlsr ปีที่แล้ว +274

    Love the fact that Michael threw the pilum further than anyone on set anticipated. They set up the camera and the second throw is just out of frame. Wonderful.

  • @vivianevans8323
    @vivianevans8323 ปีที่แล้ว +257

    I love Tod's approach: 'let's find out' - after thinking hard what exactly needs to be looked at.
    And it's great that he finds enthusiastic experts, like Michael (or Joe Gibbs) who know their stuff and can give great feedback after they've done it.
    Thanks - great video!

    • @tods_workshop
      @tods_workshop  ปีที่แล้ว +37

      Thanks

    • @dgmt1
      @dgmt1 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      Todd's videos are excellent. However, some of his historical assumptions can be a little off. For example @07:00 he compares Michael's stature with that of a Roman legionary and describes them as being 163cm/5'4". Legionnaires were actually taller than average due to their recruiting policies and Geoffrey Kron's research of exhumed bodies in Italy concluded that the average man was around 168cm/5'6" while Vegetius in De Re Militari wrote that the ideal height for a soldier was 180cm/5'11". I can't find the reference right now but I believe there was another study of exhumed Legionnaires on a campaign that found an average height of 173cm/5'8". So it's likely they were not particularly smaller than modern people and Michael's stature would not be uncommon. It's a small point overall but part of historical education and experimentation is making sure we don't pass on inaccurate information.

    • @eom1682
      @eom1682 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@dgmt1 One significant factor about stature was diet and health. We can say we arent genetically much different than people in older eras but our habits and nutrition do have changed. This means that while the average population height has significantly increased, the "stand outs" may average about the same, that is people who had acess to plenty of food and medicine. Romans had recruiting policies and viewed the military as a job option through most of their history, so It may very well be the case that the average legionnaire had the same physique as an average modern soldier from a developed country.

    • @dariogutierrez6716
      @dariogutierrez6716 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      We can assume the average legionary was similar to the average person thanks to the existance of special legions that had unusual height requirements.

  • @oopus4
    @oopus4 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    Thank you Micheal, if you're seeing this, thanks for being a part of this experiment and i wish you well on your future endeavurs. Great video as always Tod! :)

  • @NirrumTheMad
    @NirrumTheMad ปีที่แล้ว +192

    Michael Competitively competes
    As opposed to casually competes or competitively casuals. Keep up the good work all the same!

    • @mostlychimp5715
      @mostlychimp5715 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      I competitively don't compete. I'm probably the least competitive person.

    • @Jusvidz
      @Jusvidz ปีที่แล้ว +25

      @@mostlychimp5715 I'd put myself forward to challenge you on that, but then I'd lose by default. Consider yourself unchallenged

    • @ScottKenny1978
      @ScottKenny1978 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I mean, there are people who go to a competition without the intention of winning it, but to just see how they compare, beat their previous record, or even use very different equipment from normal.
      That's a casual competitor.

    • @Carrot421911
      @Carrot421911 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@mostlychimp5715 Same. If there was a world championship for sitting still, I wouldnt even show up.

    • @mostlychimp5715
      @mostlychimp5715 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Jusvidz Na you take it.

  • @johneden2033
    @johneden2033 ปีที่แล้ว +184

    We begin to really see the utility of unarmored skirmishers when comparing their throwing distance to heavy infantry; it's almost twice the distance! A group of skirmishers can easily harass a column of infantry while staying out of range.

    • @chehalem
      @chehalem ปีที่แล้ว +6

      that's a great point I hadn't considered! For a wise general they'd have their own utility and weren't just 'throwaway' troops.

    • @OldOneTooth
      @OldOneTooth ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I seem to recall a description of a battle in the war between Sparta and Athens near Corinth where this was evident and some hoplites doffed armour to counter.

    • @Astraben
      @Astraben ปีที่แล้ว +11

      ​@@OldOneTooth This became a wider phenomenon throughout the Peloponnese Wars, hoplites started wearing lighter and lighter panoplies and ended up just using textile clothing most of the time.

    • @Alexthehuge
      @Alexthehuge ปีที่แล้ว +19

      unarmoured skirmisher with a small/no shield makes a heck of a lot of sense now.

    • @damionkeeling3103
      @damionkeeling3103 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@Alexthehuge This was the description given for the opening stages of the battle of Mons Graupius. The Caledonians with small shields were sparring against the Germanic auxiliaries with javelins. Throwing them, catching the ones coming at them and throwing them back. Very much a skirmish oriented army with longer swords for dueling and small shields to parry with. Then the Germanic infantry which was essentially heavy infantry with shorter swords designed for fighting in close surged forwards and those small shields meant the Caledonians got cut down in close quarters.

  • @theamericancristero7390
    @theamericancristero7390 ปีที่แล้ว +194

    Not surprising that over 40lbs / 20 kilos had this effect. Cool to see it demonstrated, and see how significantly the weight affected his willingness to try running throws.

    • @foldionepapyrus3441
      @foldionepapyrus3441 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      Indeed, though I'd love to find a nutter that can throw and is willing to train in the armour and shield (so probably a 'retired' athlete) - see just how much difference it makes with and without and across the training journey to a well practised and prepared warrior. Would really answer that tricky question of 'Can with some extra confidence and training that range deficit be reduced, possibly even eliminated?'.

    • @Sk0lzky
      @Sk0lzky ปีที่แล้ว +25

      @@foldionepapyrus3441 or a joe gibbs kinda nutter who just decided "I'm gonna start doing this thing and I'll dedicate every day of my life to it" lmao

    • @foldionepapyrus3441
      @foldionepapyrus3441 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@Sk0lzky That would work, but I'd like to see how much that particular 'pro' thrower looses initially by donning armour and see the progression from that POV myself. Would still be really interesting your way, seeing the progress from normal to Roman Legionary, but to me not as interesting.

    • @Duiker36
      @Duiker36 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@foldionepapyrus3441 I think it's significant that Michael's opening stance has arms outstretched. That stance is blatantly designed with the assumption of no armor on the arms. It would be interesting to get some people with biokinematic knowledge to try to figure out how you might trade off with that additional constraint to still maximize a throw. At the very least, you'd lose that opening stance.

    • @MusMasi
      @MusMasi ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @Oivin F I agree. they ever wear sleeveless armor in the legions? Did they ever have lighter troops specialized in just skirmishing? I guess the ranges would vary on the type of troop and how they were equipped. I wonder if that segmented armor they wore would even further effect the range as well?

  • @_B_K_
    @_B_K_ ปีที่แล้ว +101

    It just amazes me how awesome this channel is every time I watch a new video. I mean... I already know the standard set by the previous videos, but I am still impressed each time. This... THIS is what History channel and the like should have been like. THIS is the Golden Standard of historical weaponry videos.

    • @tods_workshop
      @tods_workshop  ปีที่แล้ว +24

      Thank you - big words, but I will take it!

    • @Vibranium_man
      @Vibranium_man ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@tods_workshop could you do a comparison video between the English longbow and the Mongolian composite bow?

    • @babochee
      @babochee ปีที่แล้ว

      @@tods_workshop An executive at a big producer of history content would be stupid not to offer you a show

  • @mikaelwidlund4123
    @mikaelwidlund4123 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    the throw at 4 minutes made me shiver. imagine getting that in your shoulder digging itself down into your lungs.

  • @ericmitchell985
    @ericmitchell985 ปีที่แล้ว +79

    Michael is a total MVP for his assistance! Awesome work as always, Tod!

  • @Glorfindel_117
    @Glorfindel_117 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    I just hope that Michael, as a modern competitor, doesn't see these results with his throws and gets discouraged. Nobody is gonna be getting their competition throws in with these conditions or these pilum. So I hope he's been having some good fun doing this experiment and seeing what he can do with no training under these conditions. And lets hope none of his peers make fun of him for sub-par throws, technique, etc. Cause we all know what competitive sporting youth can be like..
    I'm really glad he's agreed to so many videos though, and I want to thank you, Michael, for doing this. It's really interesting to see, and welcome to the channel and group!

    • @toahero5925
      @toahero5925 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      I find that unlikely. Michael's got to be well aware that the pilum is drastically different than the javelins he trains with, and are designed with other intentions beyond simply "go as far as possible".
      As for other competitors, none of them have thrown a pillum before, so they don't really have ground to criticize his technique (besides, getting to try throwing a Roman pilum is something they'd probably all want to try, I know I would)

  • @jamesstewart8663
    @jamesstewart8663 ปีที่แล้ว +42

    This is some of the best historical exploration and discovery content on TH-cam, great job as always Tod!

  • @RobbieB2606
    @RobbieB2606 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    Loving this pilum series, glad to see more from Michael

  • @erichcoogan4649
    @erichcoogan4649 ปีที่แล้ว +105

    Roman mail for the most part had short sleeves or no sleeves at all. I now wonder if they had short/no sleeves because that would make it easier to throw a pillum. Would also be interesting to see this test with lorica segmentata.

    • @Intranetusa
      @Intranetusa ปีที่แล้ว +21

      I think the short sleeves were also or more due to lower cost and ease of production, and the fact it was sufficient for the time. The Romans did adopt longer mail sleeves later during the mid to late empire, and the Romans during the 2nd century during Trajan wore additional arm armor...all of which could've hindered javelin throwing. The Celts also had some forms of mail that had a longer sleeve, and they also often used javelins.

    • @killerkonnat
      @killerkonnat ปีที่แล้ว +21

      @@Intranetusa Also it's damn hot in the mediterranean.

    • @dougmartin2007
      @dougmartin2007 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I have done reenactment in the butted mail with no sleeves and I would not want that kind of weight restricting my arm movement. With the flat, riveted rings, I would be a lot more comfortable with sleeves as the weight is so much less. I think you see the change in the presence of sleeves when the way mail is made changes. Just my 2 cents.

    • @QuantumHistorian
      @QuantumHistorian ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@killerkonnat Some of the heaviest and most cumbersome armour ever created was worn by the Parthians, Sassanids and other Turkic/Iranian peoples living in smouldering heat of the middle east. Think layers of padding and _heavy_ chainmail from head to toe, on top of a horse similarly covered. So I doubt heat is a major factor in wearing armour if you think having it on will make you perform better in combat.

    • @jpavlvs
      @jpavlvs ปีที่แล้ว

      My thoughts exactly

  • @Deailon
    @Deailon ปีที่แล้ว +76

    That still shows that pilum was an effective weapon at a distance of 20-30 meters. That is impressive and shows, why we read of two pila per standard legionary. There was enough time to throw both of them on an attacking enemy (the "after 20 passum" and "after 10 passum" seems quite right). Very nice :)

    • @ForestRaptor
      @ForestRaptor ปีที่แล้ว +22

      AND this is using someone that is a great distance thrower, but NEVER had trained in armor/shield. IMAGINE if he trained for a month before doing a throw :o

    • @hautakangasarttu6915
      @hautakangasarttu6915 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      To gain more range and power The legionaries used string of leather wrappedt around their throwing hands wrist and to the end of pilum. Like any other skirmishers of era.
      And I know The legionaries were not skirmishers,

    • @cognitivedisability9864
      @cognitivedisability9864 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      ​​​@@hautakangasarttu6915the legionaries were equipped with several weapons we have proof of atleast legionaries having, sword, dagger, javelins/spear and slings. If a legionary were to reduce his armour and use a lighter shield they could pretty easily fill a skirmisher role to my mind.
      But, like you said(not that ive seen anything about the romans doing this) using a sling or another tool to throw the javelins further by slingshotting them was pretty widespread, i wonder if they did this with the smaller plumbata in the late roman era? Got any knowledge on that?

    • @mindstalk
      @mindstalk ปีที่แล้ว

      @@cognitivedisability9864 At least in some periods the Romans had a dedicated skirmisher force, the velites, likely people who couldn't afford armor. Small shield, 7 actual javelins, sword for backup.

    • @firefox7801
      @firefox7801 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      it seems to me that the pila were often held up, waiting for the enemy, then throwing them at almost stabbing range into their faces.

  • @thepagan5432
    @thepagan5432 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    Michael was a great sport to take part in Tods investigation. The throws taken could possibly be the minimum distance that a Roman soldier could throw after a much more intense throwing regime. Furthermore, the Romans used the amentum when throwing pilums, so perhaps that could be of use to Tods investigation. Just loving Tod's energy for bringing ancient weapons into present day, thank you Tod👍

    • @DuBstep115
      @DuBstep115 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I feel like he could have gone easily 5m up in one day of training without the cameras

    • @thepagan5432
      @thepagan5432 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@DuBstep115 Yes, I believe he could have done 👍

  • @simonmoorcroft1417
    @simonmoorcroft1417 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    Thanks for listening to the comments Tod. Great work. It kind of panned out as I expected and Michael was not even burdened by the extra weight of a Gladius and Pugio or a helmet.
    Since the Legion fought in ranks I do think the Legionaries at the rear of each file could have stepped back and had more room to hurl their Pila over the front ranks.
    I also suspect that the Legion had held an 'open order' to release Pilum and were ordered to step forward and 'close up' when the moment of melee arrived.
    It is best to remember that a Pilum is not a Javelin. Rome of the classic era had plenty of skirmishers and missile troops to deliver those.
    The Pilum is a specialist weapon of the heavy armoured infantryman.
    It is a shock weapon designed to break up or disrupt formations of massed armoured and shielded foot soldiers.
    It is like the massed volley delivered at 50 paces during the musket era.
    It stops an advancing charge in its tracks causing chaos or it is the prelude to an attacker charging in with the bayonet. Range is not the main factor its all about the killing power.

    • @DaHuntsman1
      @DaHuntsman1 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Thats why stuff like this is so interesting and vital for historical research, cause we can sit around on a armchair and talk about how they *could* have done things, or we could go and do it ourselves and see how it actually worked.

    • @andyleighton6969
      @andyleighton6969 ปีที่แล้ว

      ...and almost certainly weren't carrying their shields.
      They'd probably also be throwing the pila of the soldiers in the front rank[s] who provided cover as the shield wall.

    • @simonmoorcroft1417
      @simonmoorcroft1417 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@andyleighton6969 I agree. I think its most likely that while all legionaries carried Pila on the march, during combat they were passed to the rear ranks to throw whilst the front ranks formed a solid shield wall.
      I this way its similar to all modern soldiers in a squad carrying spare machinegun belts while only the MG gunner and his assistant use them.
      In fact I suspect that each Roman squad had good throwers and bad throwers and the best Javelin throwers always got the job of hurling the Pilum until they got worn out.

  • @filipselakovic9768
    @filipselakovic9768 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Great video. Slight correction: Roman legionaries were typically at least 5ft 6/168 cm, and the army wanted to recruit reasonably big guys. Cavalry were expected to be slightly taller on average. The calorie intake of Roman soldiers was usually good, and meat was eaten fairly often. Legionaries were largely recruited from labourers, and this plus a rigorous regime of exercise meant that they were strong.

    • @ThefamousMrcroissant
      @ThefamousMrcroissant ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Didn't they have a policy where recruitment targeted farmhands first and foremost? I also read that height was considered a big factor in recruitment especially during the heights of the roman empire, but I can't for the love of me remember where.

    • @JohnSmith-j7n
      @JohnSmith-j7n ปีที่แล้ว +8

      From historical notes of Roman writers we know their neighbors/invaders were quite a bit taller than Roman soldiers were and yet the bones of those neighbors/invaders rarely show 5'8 individuals which probably means the Romans greatly overestimated their height when writing it down and were most likely shorter than they claimed. This is very in character for Roman writers.

    • @cognitivedisability9864
      @cognitivedisability9864 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      ​@@JohnSmith-j7nyeah however i have seen videos in the past that the romans set height requierments on the legionaries which was around 5'10 or taller and this was reduced or increased at some point(s).

    • @cognitivedisability9864
      @cognitivedisability9864 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​​@@ThefamousMrcroissantThe idea as far as i can remember was that using people from the countryside was a great bonus for legionaries. For several reasons but those i remember being mentioned was these people often were used to hard labour, were used to harsher conditions, and often had superior knowledge of all things nature, than the urban population. Wasnt just about the "strength" itself

    • @melanoc3tusii205
      @melanoc3tusii205 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@cognitivedisability9864 That's what Vegetius says, at least... writing about a military several hundred years before his time.

  • @PalleRasmussen
    @PalleRasmussen ปีที่แล้ว +23

    Michael is back :D
    He seems like such a good and humble kid.

  • @TheRoboJesus
    @TheRoboJesus ปีที่แล้ว +38

    Michael is a really great sport for doing all this, glad he's helping! Hope his professional career turns out great!

  • @vlad3967
    @vlad3967 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Crackin' job, both of you! The more practical tests people like you do, the better idea we get of how it actually played out! Here's hoping for more!

  • @anomalyp8584
    @anomalyp8584 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Once again reality turns out to be so much more interesting than just theorising! Thanks Tod and Michael!

  • @MrPlainsflyer
    @MrPlainsflyer ปีที่แล้ว +6

    You sir are a perfect historical channel. Its a wonderful thing to be able to get top-notch folks to try and show what these tools could, and maybe did, do.

  • @theaquarian5849
    @theaquarian5849 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Michael is a trained, consistent thrower. Perfect for testing purposes.

  • @mediocrefunkybeat
    @mediocrefunkybeat ปีที่แล้ว +5

    As opposed to uncompetitively competing. Which I have been accused of.
    Great video Todd.

  • @LawlTwins
    @LawlTwins ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Cheers for contributing to this Michael. Didn't have to do it but very much appreciated. Thanks as always Tod.

  • @QuantumHistorian
    @QuantumHistorian ปีที่แล้ว +26

    It's worth noting that the Roman light infantry (velites) that wasn't wearing armour were also throwing different kinds of javelins than pila. Something much shorter and lighter IIRC, although I can't remember the latin term. But they were presumably longer ranged intrinsically, and the velites carried more than 2 each (we see around 5 in art work). However, such light infantry was phased out at about the same time as Marian reforms. Which, incidentally, is also when the pila evolved into what Tod is holding, and we hear more and more about the pilum being used as a melee weapon against cavalry and in some defensive roles.

    • @Norrikan
      @Norrikan ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Very good point; I'd just like to add that the javelns the Velites used were called iaculum (or, less creatively, hastae velitares).

    • @TitusVarus
      @TitusVarus ปีที่แล้ว +1

      As the previous worthy commenter has said, iaculum (plural iacula) would be the javelin used by velites, though the word telum is sometimes used instead. Both essentially mean "light javelin" (or dart...). It amuses me just how many words there are in Latin for 'spear'.

    • @QuantumHistorian
      @QuantumHistorian ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@TitusVarus Thank to you both.
      I remember while trying (and mostly failing) to memorise my Latin vocab for GCSE, just how many words there were for "to kill".

    • @TitusVarus
      @TitusVarus ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@QuantumHistorian Oh yes. I can think of at least four off the top of my head, and I'm very rusty.
      Romans liked themselves some killing.

  • @justskip4595
    @justskip4595 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Fantastic job by Michael. If you're reading this, greetings from Finland.
    This sort of stuff doesn't give definitive answers but it gives a lot when speculations and at best educated guesses tend to be what's out there. The years of training, the ground the thrower is on and what kind of shoes he has, all make a difference. This gives some sort of idea about what things could have looked like. There would have been rubbish throws, people slipping etc and some great throws and a lot in between.
    I am also sure that I would not want to be in the direction where those would be flying towards.

  • @GrimrDirge
    @GrimrDirge ปีที่แล้ว +9

    If I were a competitive javelin thrower I would jump at the chance to connect with the deep history of the skill.

  • @CowCommando
    @CowCommando ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Huge props to Michael for being willing to do this for us. He probably felt a bit silly in that getup, but the data he provided was invaluable.

  • @terenceconnors9627
    @terenceconnors9627 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Thank you for such detailed experiments. This one has confirmed the range listed for a thrown javelin in the GURPS 4th edition TTRPG core rulebook is quite reasonable. 😎

  • @DSlyde
    @DSlyde ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Im so glad he came back to do more. Its super interesting getting his perspective and seeing his expertise applied.

  • @lukeorlando4814
    @lukeorlando4814 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Thank you Micheal for putting your professionalism at stake to humour us

  • @taysandean
    @taysandean ปีที่แล้ว +11

    This team up is great! Hope Michael Allison makes it big in the athletics world and plays a consistant role in re-living history!

  • @karrachr000
    @karrachr000 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Another fantastic video.
    One thing that I noticed, with the shield throw, is that Michael usually uses his off-hand as a counterbalance, but the weight of the shield has to throw the equilibrium, that he is used to, off by a lot.

    • @c-mart5117
      @c-mart5117 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      One assumes there may be some "correct" or optimal way to hold the shield when throwing that isn't commented on in the sources. At least, that was the thought going through my head when watching.

  • @kajnatok
    @kajnatok ปีที่แล้ว

    One of the most instructive and well put together video on the internet concerning Roman weaponry and the technique that went behind using it in battle. Looking forward to seeing more of these ! Well done !

  • @emmetpbyrne
    @emmetpbyrne ปีที่แล้ว +5

    This was absolutley brilliant!! Also so happy that you both stepped back and said no on the running throw. As interesting as it would have been, safety is paramount especially with a young athelete. Keep it up!

  • @odinip
    @odinip ปีที่แล้ว

    I wasnt going to comment it because every one has but i just had to show my thanks and appreciation to Michael for taking part in these videos! and it looks like he is enjoying this exploration of the javelin as much as us history nerds:)

  • @deltaxraindrop9592
    @deltaxraindrop9592 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Phenomenal example of the scientific method at work! We need more people like you in the community, keep up the great work!

  • @mongocrock
    @mongocrock ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you Michael for lending your expertise.

  • @loupiscanis9449
    @loupiscanis9449 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thank you , Tod .
    Thank you , Michael .
    🐺

  • @dgray3771
    @dgray3771 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I really love your approach. Everyone knows you can't get a professional legionary for your tests but you always get the next best. And it creates a treasure of information and great videos to watch.
    I've always had a fascination for the Romans but seeing these I look at things differently. The amount of training but also over time that they changed things in their armies and perfected their weapons. They truly were the best and strongest of their time.

    • @huntermad5668
      @huntermad5668 ปีที่แล้ว

      The most expensive too.
      That is why the Empire moved Away from the Legions. They were replaced with cheaper, more agile and more efficient formations.

  • @2008davidkang
    @2008davidkang ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Can't wait for him to throw some plumbatae next!

    • @MrMighty147
      @MrMighty147 ปีที่แล้ว

      Was thinking about that as well.

    • @oopus4
      @oopus4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Plumbum hurh hurh :B

  • @Fazoer
    @Fazoer ปีที่แล้ว +1

    realy enjoyed watching this. Thanks again Tod and Michael.

  • @Ranstone
    @Ranstone ปีที่แล้ว +3

    What impresses me is how even with a running start, his torso _instantly_ freezes. it just stops dead. it's like all momentum suddenly goes into he arm and projectile.

  • @Erick_Bloodaxe
    @Erick_Bloodaxe ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant, life to see a professional throwing a pilum. This pretty clearly illustrates why the skirmishers were the young men who couldn’t afford armor. Things to keep in mind, velites we’re around Michael’s age and fought basically unarmored except for their helmet and buckler (which being a smaller shield allows for easier running and hold it out as a counter balance). The other thing is that not all Roman legionaries of later years were short, height is a factor of nutrition more than ethnicities, therefore Italian people from the more prosperous later times wouldn’t have all been as short. Plus Roman forces consisted heavily of ethnically Germanic and Celtic men who fought as regular legionaries as well as auxilia. Final thought: the priority for the armored and shielded infantry line is maintaining formation for the scrum to come during the main clash, therefore standing throws would often be employed to minimize gaps and uneven battle lines. Just consider the overall battle and how throwing a spear plays into the fighting. Armored men throwing at 20-24 meters are close enough that the barbarians are already charging, they will close that 20 meters in a second or two after the throws.

  • @mariusdragoe2888
    @mariusdragoe2888 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Why are there 2 Tods 4:55 ? What are you hiding from us mister Oftodsworkshopandtodcutler?

    • @adamrudling1339
      @adamrudling1339 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Not a Tod clone, although that's maybe flattering?

  • @Perichoresis777
    @Perichoresis777 ปีที่แล้ว

    Throw pilum. Draw gladius. Form ranks. Dress ranks. All while enemy running at you full tilt...Much respect for those legionnaires.
    Thanks for this awesome video and keep up the great work!

  • @derfailer3434
    @derfailer3434 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The roman legion was split in different classes like any army ever. The legionarys used pilum while charging or defending from a charge therefore its not necessary to throw them 20+ meters. I think in reality they had to throw them at about 15 to 20 meters, they're not sharpshooters. But as a Velites (spear thrower) you wear no armor, a buckler and a helmet and you're job was to throw spears. They had to throw them further than a legionary, thats what they're ment for.

    • @00Trademark00
      @00Trademark00 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Sure, but note that this is the middle republican army you are talking about. Before that (kingdom and early republic) the Romans probably used something similar to the greek style of combat and then by the time of the Marian reforms they abandoned the different classes of soldiers altogether for a single all-purpose legionary. The main reason behind the use of velites was that those were poorer and younger citizens who could not afford a full gear. Later, as the army professionalized, they were not required to buy their gear beforehand and every soldier carried more or less the same equipment (unless they performed specialist roles such as artillerymen). The auxilia also used the same equipment and tactics the Romans did. It is true that the later foederati used their native fighting styles and equipment but by that time (the late empire) even the Roman army composition changes too (and pila are probably not used any more or not very often anyway).

  • @leonrobinson2053
    @leonrobinson2053 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is actually excellent. Two things, 1. Would be the absence of a helmet. With the armour, your thrower has to overcome the shoulder restraint and the visual restraint. The thrower uses their eyes for aim and the helmets additional weight can put you off but the narrow view focuses the throw.
    2. Run, jump and throw. You're absolutely right. It would be behind a front line (or 2) of other infantry. The front line would be almost a shieldwall. The aim is to attack anyone else attempting to join the oppositions frontline, I.e. thin out their numbers so their morale falls or you can begin an advance.

  • @The3Rich3
    @The3Rich3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I especially like the bit where Tod experiences mitosis and multiplies into 2 Tods to put on the maille.

  • @guldukat1354
    @guldukat1354 ปีที่แล้ว

    i mean big props for the guy, he is risking potential injury here that could put him off his career doing these stunts

  • @SirLynX93
    @SirLynX93 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Dude this guy's throw is remarkable. Considering he is standing in the first throw and still delivering so much engery to the Pilum, blows my mind

    • @dougmartin2007
      @dougmartin2007 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I thought that too. I was immediately thinking of how much damage 162 J would do to a soldier.

  • @ravendon
    @ravendon ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Roman soldiers and their training were amazing.

  • @Ser_Swenfeld
    @Ser_Swenfeld ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Very cool, always love these.
    Pilum vs armour soon maybe?

  • @cognitiveinstinct2929
    @cognitiveinstinct2929 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hats off to Michael for willing to come to be a part of this.

  • @advisorrook
    @advisorrook ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I really appreciate the respect you show to Michael with the emphasis on what he is comfortable with

  • @LittleHouseOnThePrairie23
    @LittleHouseOnThePrairie23 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    More of this! Absolutely awesome video. Cheers to all of you involved.

  • @martynkalendar
    @martynkalendar ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I don't remember the exact number but in the Sylloge Tacticorum the distance that ranks should be spaced from each other for this purpose is specified. Of course, that's a 600~ years younger text than vegetius and their javelins were different, but it could be used as a balpark.

    • @martynkalendar
      @martynkalendar ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I think it was something like 1.8 meters

  • @DIREWOLFx75
    @DIREWOLFx75 ปีที่แล้ว

    Well done Michael, thanks for helping Tod test things out!
    And good on you Tod for testing further.

  • @chrismiksworld
    @chrismiksworld ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I Live for this type of content. I just LOVE All but especially Medieval, Celtic, Greek, Roman, & Egyptian History, Culture, Folklore, Story Telling, Mythology, Fables, Legends, Weaponry, & ANYTHING ANCIENT. I absolutely love reading watching & just learning what I can about these topics and more

  • @-Plot-
    @-Plot- ปีที่แล้ว

    If y’all don’t know, this channels work is some of the most important historical research taking place.

  • @leoscheibelhut940
    @leoscheibelhut940 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Brilliant again Tod and Michael. I can't help but wonder if there is a method of pilum throwing that involves using the shield as a counterweight like Michael used his arm throwing javelin style.

    • @snafu2350
      @snafu2350 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I suspect that style would require a different shield shape: the scutum as depicted is too long & awkward for such use IMO

  • @Congnitive_Dissenter
    @Congnitive_Dissenter ปีที่แล้ว

    I appreciate the applied science and included history. Thanks to Michael for being a part of this!

  • @criticviking
    @criticviking ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Tod such a engineer he created a cloning machine and cloned himself.

    • @LuisAldamiz
      @LuisAldamiz ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Heh! That's a brother, right?

    • @adamrudling1339
      @adamrudling1339 ปีที่แล้ว

      Definitely not a relative

  • @robertbrodeur4326
    @robertbrodeur4326 ปีที่แล้ว

    Outstanding - very much appreciate Michael's participation.

  • @MidwestArtMan
    @MidwestArtMan ปีที่แล้ว +14

    4:43 There are two Tods?!

    • @adamrudling1339
      @adamrudling1339 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      No, Tod plus beautiful assistant

  • @davidroomes9087
    @davidroomes9087 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Tod, I'm thoroughly enjoying your channel and all of these wonderful videos. I am building a role playing game (like D&D, but more realistic and historically accurate) and your channel has been absolutely INVALUABLE for research. It is a treasure trove of information... not just historical information, but actual real world tests. Arrows vs armor, the range of missile weapons, the different types of arrow heads, the time it takes to reload a crossbow and so much more. Every video is fantastic. Thank you so much for this channel and for these actual, real world tests of medieval weapons and armor. Keep up the brilliant work.

    • @defaultytuser
      @defaultytuser ปีที่แล้ว

      Such a cool project! Wish you luck with it. I limited myself to modding Skyrim to a point when it basically became a non-fantasy medieval combat simulator and Tod's videos were my benchmark, so I know that feel 😁

  • @porter-831
    @porter-831 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Interesting video, I do have a few, albeit small, caveats and addendums though (going by an early Imperial legionary): They generally ate quite well too, certainly better than the average civilian population and trained regularly, as was said, so I don't think Michael's physique is necessarily that far off. Of course modern training and nutrition regiments will be better, but they certainly weren't all short and scrawny.
    The mail shirt was a bit longer on the arms than what would be typical for the period and also fairly loose there. From personal experience, some extra weight on the arms can make a big felt difference, since it is further away from the body and the weight has more leverage there. So this mail shirt was probably more of a hindrance than period ones would have been.
    Finally, since we already had armour and a shield I would have liked to see Michael wear a appropriate helmet as well, since I would be curious to see if that makes a difference. Legionary helmets of the period generally are very good soldier's helmets as they barely restrict vision, hearing and so forth and can comfortably be worn for quite long periods at a time, but I still would like to see if it makes a difference. Even if the result is skewed by Michael being not used to the equipment.
    Also, I'm sure Michael's time is limited and it's great he's available for this at all, but a few more throws, maybe at least an average of three, would give a more robust result than a single throw each.
    (Main source is M. Junkelmann: The Legions of Augustus, among others, as well as personal experience.)

    • @00Trademark00
      @00Trademark00 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yeah, my thoughts on the nutrition as well (although Tod is probably right about the height of most legionaries).
      The mail shirt in the video is closer to medieval mail than a Roman one. On the other hand, Roman mail was also often (although not always) padded with shoulders reinforced. The sleeves were shorted but the extra mail on the shoulders might also make throwing harder.
      Also, in early to middle republican armies, soldiers often wore a square torso plate instead of mail (which was in fact adopted from the Gauls). That was a lot lighter and arms were not covered at all. The scutum also had a different shape at that time (more oval than the one Tod has, which doesn't seem to be common during the republic at all), although I am not sure which one is more or less unwieldy during the throw.
      And of course, the velites wore almost no armour at all (save for the helmet and a smaller shield)...but those dissapear after the Marian reforms.

  • @Is_this_username_unique
    @Is_this_username_unique ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I absolutely love this hands-on approach to history.
    I was taught at school that the shaft of the pilum would bend on impact to stop the enemy throwing it back. That obviously didn't happen here. This is why these experiments are so crucial to our understanding. Two questions:
    1) is the metal you used for the shaft comparable to Roman iron? I have no idea whether there is even a definitive answer to this question
    2) would they bend if they hit something hard rather than a muddy field?
    I wonder if the idea of them bending on impact is because the ones found on excavations of battlefields were the few that bent and were not reused. Maybe the majority of them didn't bend and were just picked up after the battle and reused? Or maybe my teachers were just making it up as they went along!

    • @nickkerber1145
      @nickkerber1145 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The pilum bending is mentioned in historical sources, but it seems to have been less about preventing the javelin being thrown back than it was about disabling enemies. The pilum would punch through a shield. The weight of the shaft would bend the head over the shield, causing it to drag and encumber the enemy's shield, forcing them to abandon it or fight with an added weight slowing their shield down.

  • @Reverend.John_Ignatowski
    @Reverend.John_Ignatowski ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Rule #1 Do not break the athlete.

  • @LeeMorgan07
    @LeeMorgan07 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I noticed that Michael wears track shoes with cleats - makes me think about throwing pilum in hobnailed sandals for traction.

  • @SethJayson
    @SethJayson ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I wonder if there was a technique by which the shield arm could be swung opposite, more intentionally, in order to provide a torsional moment to the throw and go from being a hindrance to an advantage, or at least neutralize it versus sort of fighting its mass.

    • @nickkerber1145
      @nickkerber1145 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I'm guessing there was. When you do see roman legionnaires in contemporary art throwing their javelins, they tend to be shown holding their shields almost perpendicular to their bodies.

  • @Zarl451
    @Zarl451 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Enjoying this series and many thanks to Michael for being such a good sport with this!

  • @AndreasMadsen
    @AndreasMadsen ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Being a fireman and former pro scuba diver I'm fairly used to working in heavy, restrictive gear. To me this looks very difficult. In my experience having a heavy weight on your shoulders and arms makes it extremely tiring to do any work with you hands above chest height. The weight pressings down on the outer part of the shoulders is the thing that does it. As a fireman we can often find myself, for example pulling down ceilings with a crowbar or similar heavy tool and your shoulders just start aching after a few minutes. Now I'm not superfit, but I'll say my upper body strength is above average. My point is that if I were to wear amour and throw a spear, I'd probably try to limit the weight on my shoulder. Maybe by having more of a vest kind of mail, or maybe with some light plate, either leather or metal, to cover the shoulder. I'm no expert in Roman armour or tactics, but it would be very interesting to hear what kind of amour, if any, these back row spear throwers used. I mean one thing is to throw one or two spears, but presumably more is needed for a big battle. Very interesting tests 👍

  • @sophoklesgreek3237
    @sophoklesgreek3237 ปีที่แล้ว

    that was very interessting. thank you Michael for doing this. and thank you Tod and Team for asking those questions

  • @afalk1024
    @afalk1024 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I’m just imagining Roman soldiers conquering the world while they all have perms 😂

  • @bunker1213
    @bunker1213 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    From the loosely realistic roman battle scenes in movies and comics I've seen, the romans were great at holding a formation. A strong line also gives the opportunity to have pilum throwers just behind in light or no armor. As long as that line holds there can be quite a few pilums thrown without the thrower being reached by infantry. No idea about historical accuracy for this though.

  • @krissteel4074
    @krissteel4074 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    To some extent there was also the Roman Auxiliaries like the Velites which had chain, a helm and a very small shield not much more than a buckler and the Light Auxillia which tended to have much the same but a much larger shield. Not quite to the extent of the big Scutum shield the legionaries tended to tote around, so they probably would have had even more practice throwing Javelins and Pila at the enemy. But yeah, throwing with a big shield is a whole other way of doing it and its really going to make it awkward until you eventually found the right way of keeping balance, out of the way and not tripping arse over head!
    Interesting to see how it worked though first hand

    • @LuisAldamiz
      @LuisAldamiz ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The last thing you want to do is being the one who trips down when the enemy is charging against you. It'd make for a very silly death probably.

    • @krissteel4074
      @krissteel4074 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@LuisAldamiz If you're in a standoff range of under 30metres, it could get very unpleasant as some angry barbarian can probably cover that distance in about 4-5 seconds at full tilt... and now there's a hole in the shield wall so your friends are probably going to tread on you to fill it :)

    • @LuisAldamiz
      @LuisAldamiz ปีที่แล้ว

      @@krissteel4074 - I'm sure they had well calculate how long it takes. I've argued somewhere that it's possible that the first line only threw one pillum, while those behind threw two instead. We don't know so much detail but makes sense.

    • @krissteel4074
      @krissteel4074 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@LuisAldamiz It could even be that the 1st rank sets up to receive a charge and anyone behind them throws everything they have and see what sticks. There would definitely have been a combat drill to practice where the centurion would have all the soldiers working together. Get the timing right and after enough of that it would come down to him giving the order on the day they take to the field.
      I've not read anything on it myself

  • @badsamaritan8223
    @badsamaritan8223 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    These are my favorite of your videos, I imagine It's got to feel so validating to have actual athletes giving feedback, insight, and of course, real-world data on the historical data you're working off of.

  • @preacherjohn
    @preacherjohn ปีที่แล้ว +19

    I'd be really interested to see how far Michael can throw the much lighter, shorter verutum javelin, which was the weapon of the Roman velites (skirmishers) who tended not to wear armour, but often had the smaller lighter parma shield.. However, I think you might need a longer field for that experiment Tod! :)
    en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verutum

    • @BakaEngel
      @BakaEngel ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Agreed! Also the Lancea from their interactions with Iberian peoples. But seriously, what can the amentum do for a throw. I imagine there is a decent learning curve to it, but some of those very simple add-ons can be highly effective. Look at Atlatls for an example of crazy power with relative simplicity.

  • @metetong2065
    @metetong2065 ปีที่แล้ว

    really awesome to have a dude of his stature coming along to help better understanding all this
    Thanks Michael !

  • @sanitarycockroach9038
    @sanitarycockroach9038 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Ah, this is the edutainment that I crave. When the History Channen, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel turned into reality shows, I'd lost hope in fun video education. You and those like you have filled that niche in my heart. You also make better, more honest, and more accurate content as well. WONDERFUL!

  • @HYSTERIA-ee2re
    @HYSTERIA-ee2re ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Clearly this lad isn't a trained Roman soldier that is used to wearing that armour all day every day doing basically everything in it as well as the shield.

  • @blitzkriegfritz2779
    @blitzkriegfritz2779 ปีที่แล้ว

    Simply gotta love what Tod (and all the specialists he involves) does for the field of history and archeology.

  • @NathanPops
    @NathanPops ปีที่แล้ว

    I just love the respect. I'm so glad Michael is willing to throw for our research, but I really wouldn't want him to compromise his future. Over 20m in armour with a shield is wild.

  • @uncletiggermclaren7592
    @uncletiggermclaren7592 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is what you excel at Tod. Practical, well structured, plain tests. You have really made some interesting videos for us over the years,

  • @Gunslinger2121
    @Gunslinger2121 ปีที่แล้ว

    Awesome video! Thanks to Michael for agreeing to give it a throw in armour! This is why I love experimental archeology.

  • @re1v3r
    @re1v3r ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Props. Dude is a beast. Cheers m8

  • @haraldbull1558
    @haraldbull1558 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Give this lad 100 more throws with mail and shield and compare the numbers then.

  • @MrMonstamasha
    @MrMonstamasha ปีที่แล้ว

    Huge props to Michael for helping out with this video

  • @firelock9080
    @firelock9080 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Loved it. Very grateful to Michael for being such a good sport and coming out again, because this was educational.