7 Lethal Weapons Used By Barbarians to Take Down Rome
Barbarians were not only skilled in the warcraft, but they also had weapons that carried fear and horror in their shades
No doubt the Roman Army was powerful and mighty, but it too has suffered the shame of defeat many times. Most of the debacles that the Romans faced directly came from their clashes with the Barbarian tribes.
These tribes were not only known for their valor and strength but were also feared for the various lethal weapons they used. Almost all the tribes who have sacked and raided the Rome Empire have used their distinctive set of weapons to accomplish their tasks. The stories of their valor and the feared weapons they used have come down to us throughout history.
Let’s look at those seven lethal weapons which were used by barbarians to take down Rome:
1# Double-Edge Long Sword
The double-edged long sword was a very famous war weapon among the Gauls.
They were swordsmen and knew how to use them. The Gauls were Celtic tribes who lived in what is now Belgium, Western Germany, and France. When the Gauls laid siege to the city of Rome under the leadership of Brennus in the 4th Century BC, they have used double-edged swords.
These double-edged swords were primarily made from iron and were fit for battles in open fields as they were long and couldn’t be maneuvered in short places.
They were also designed to hack and slash the enemy with more force. The Gauls prominently used these long double-edged swords against the Romans and were successful to take down them.
The Brennus and his army used these long swords in the battle on the banks of River Allia in the infamous sack of Rome. These swords were capable to cut through the enemy shields in one go.
2# The Heavy Battle-Axe
The heavy Battle-Axe was famous among Germanic soldiers who used it to smash the armor, helmet, and shield of an enemy in one blow. These axes were a favorite war weapon used by Barbaric tribes in old times and were in fashion in medieval times too.
The famous band of Viking mercenaries, the Varangian Guard, were famous for their use of these axes. The Varangian Guards were at the service of Byzantine emperors in the 10th and 11th centuries.
However, the Franks used ‘Francisca’ which were lightweight axes and were used to hurl as a projectile at a close range on the enemy.
According to a well-known historian of the 6th Century, Procopius, write about these axes as thus:
“The iron head of this weapon was thick and exceedingly sharp on both sides while the wooden handle was very short and they are accustomed always to throw these axes at one signal in the first charge and shatter the shields of the enemy and kill the men.”
3# The Chain mail
The chain mail is a war protective weapon used to be worn by the combatants to protect themselves from the attack of the enemy. The Gallic Celts probably invented the chain mail in Europe in the third century B.C. but it was expensive and was only affordable by the chieftains or the aristocrats.
The design of the chain mail is like a short-sleeved shirt and could be worn over armor. Making a chain mail was a tiresome job as it involved thousands of small metal rings interwoven like a mesh wire. It was easy to use as it provided enough flexibility to move around or to run or fight with.
The invention of chain mail also attracted the Romans, who also made a similar chain shirt for their legions. However, their chain mail was called ‘Lorica Hamata’.
4# The Falcata
The falcata was the most famous war weapon of a barbarian tribe called Celtiberian.
These barbarians were skilled warriors, swords smiths, and metal workers. It was a two-feet long curved steel with a single-edged along the hilt and double-edged at the point.
The Celtiberian tribe was living in an area that is now called Spain, and when the Romans invaded them in 218 B.C., they used falcata to fight the Roman army. They were successful in smashing the shields and armors of the Roman soldiers because of the double-edged points, the falcata allowed the barbarians to stab them easily from relative nearness.
The falcata was also very much good at cutting the Roman swords in the half and for this, the ancient general Hannibal highly praised the falcata. The barbarians used this weapon during battles for almost 200 years.
The falcata influenced the Romans so much that they also adopted Celtiberian’s short sword and made ‘gladius’ of the Roman legions.
5# The Famous Celtic Chariot
The barbarians also used the famous Celtic Chariot against Romans in various battles. The famous dictator of Rome, Julius Caesar, who as a general encountered the Celtic Chariot for the first time in 55 and 54 B.C. in his Britain campaigns.
Two horses drew the Celtic Chariots, and the wheels of the Chariots were iron-rimmed and made from the wicker and wood. They not only used them as a war weapon but also as personnel carriers. They were used for breaking the enemy lines, carry arms to the ranks, and drive back the injured soldiers.
Julius Caesar once wrote about these Chariot like this:
“They drive about in all directions and throw their weapons and generally break the ranks of the enemy with the very dread of their horses and the noise of their wheels, and when they have worked themselves in between the troops of horse, leap from their chariots and engage on foot.”
The famous British Warrior Queen Boudica also used the Celtic Chariot in 60 A.D. to unite Celtic tribes against the Romans. She was quite successful in her efforts, but at the Battle of Watling Street, she was defeated and killed.
6# The Wheeled Siege Towers
The White Huns were not only ferocious warriors, but they were also good at using advanced warfare technologies.
One such war technology they have built was the Wheeled siege towers. They first got the siege technology knowledge when they were serving as auxiliaries in the Roman armies.
The Huns used these massive wheeled siege towers to lay siege around the city and to break the city fortification easily. These towers were protected from all sides, would move through wheels, and would hammer the walls of the cities with huge battering rams. These towers would harbor soldiers protect from all sides and these soldiers would rain arrows over the city’s soldiers from above.
The Huns quickly conquered various Roman cities such as Serdica, Arcadiopolis, and Philippopolis by using the siege towers. This greatly worried the Eastern Emperor Theodosius II, who thought it wise to pay a hefty tribute to the Huns to end the destruction of the cities.
But soon after that, Attila the Hun unleased another deadly and horrifying campaign against Western Europe and Italy.
7# The Deadly Recurve Bow
Attila the Hun was a very famous warrior and a general of the Huns who invaded Europe, crossing and conquering the borders of the city-states one by one, leaving blood trails behind. The success of his army depended on many war weapons they have used but the most famous and deadly was the recurve bow.
These recurve bows were used as an ambush tactic of hit and run that would confused and weaken the enemy. These bows were mostly made up of bone, horn, wood, and sinew. These things were assembled in a fashion that gave much flexibility to the recurve bow that it could be bent to a higher level and would add extra force to the shooting arrow that would, in turn, easily penetrate the enemy’s armor at 100 or more yards.
These bows were small compared to European bows and could be easily used on the horseback. The recurve bows were most effective in dispersing the enemy lines and making them susceptible to close-range ambush. Once the Huns would scatter the enemies, they would kill them with sabers and spears.
