Legionary on Adamclisi Metope XXIV thrusts with a pilum held thumb forward into a Dacian. Image: Cristian Chirita (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Legionary standing on a cart on Adamclisi Metope XLIII thrusts down with a pilum held thumb backward into a Dacian below him. Image: Cristian Chirita (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Finally, if you thought the #pilum was just for throwing, here it is being used in hand-to-hand combat on #Adamclisi metopes. Rules, it seems, were made for breaking. #ReliefWednesday

Two columns of citizen troops on Metope XLVI from Adamclisi, carrying curved rectangular shields and shouldered (and weighted) pila. Image: Cristian Chirita (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Metope XXXII from the Tropaeum Traiani at Adamclisi (now in Istanbul) with two standing Roman soldiers facing the viewer, each equipped with a curved rectangular shield and holding a pilum in the right hand. They wear the paenula over a tunic which reaches to just above the knee (no body armour is apparent), have caligae on their feet, but lack the knee-length breeches seen elsewhere on the metopes. Their shields and pila mark them out as citizen soldiers, probably legionaries (since their shield blazons do not include the scorpion motif usually associated with members of the Praetorian Guard). Unusually for the period, they wear their swords on the left hip. Image: G. Dall'Orto

And in the early 2nd century AD, everybody was still wearing the #gladius on the right hip ... weren't they?! #Adamclisi #ReliefWednesday

Metope XVII from the Tropaeum Traiani at Adamclisi depicting two Dacians, one wielding a two-handed falx, and a legionary with drawn sword, curved rectangular shield, helmet with cross-bars, a laminated arm guard, and scale armour. Image Christian Chirita (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Metope XX from the Tropaeum Traiani at Adamclisi depicting two Dacians, one armed with a two-handed falx, and a legionary with raised sword, curved rectangular shield, helmet with cross-bars, a laminated arm guard, and possible mail armour. Image Christian Chirita (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Vegetius conveys mixed messaging about whether stabbing (punctim) or chopping (caesim) with a #gladius were better, but the troops on the #Adamclisi monument are happily doing both. #ReliefWednesday

Two columns of citizen troops on Tropaeum Traiani metope 44, the furthest with standards and the nearest depicted carrying curved rectangular shields and weighted pila held in an underarm (thumb forward) grip. Image: Cristian Chirita (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Two columns of citizen troops on Tropaeum Traiani metope 43, the furthest with standards and the nearest depicted carrying curved rectangular shields and (probably) weighted pila held in an underarm (thumb forward) grip. Image: Cristian Chirita (CC BY-SA 3.0).

On #ReliefWednesday, let's consider some rule-breaking on the Tropaeum Traiani at #Adamclisi in the Dobruja (ROM). These metopes are weathered and damaged, but the way each legionary is holding his weighted #pilum by his side (thumb forward) rather than raised (thumb back) is plainly visible.