ur ‘typical’ Samnite warrior wears the ubiquitous feathered helmet and wields two javelins. For defence he carries a shield and wears a typical trilobate pectoral as well as a wide bronze belt. The unusual combination of seemingly both light and heavy equipment in the Samnite warrior is completed with the wearing of greaves – usually reserved for heavy infantry. The use of javelins, however, implies a lighter role as does the lack of full armoured protection of the torso. Although no contemporary depiction shows warriors with swords, they must have had some kind of blade for self defence, if not for attack, after they had loosed their javelins. The success of the Samnites and their dogged resistance to Roman domination – across at least three wars fought over two centuries – shows, perhaps, the origins of the Roman adopting and adapting the best of what they found in their erstwhile opponents – the later use of the javelin by the majority of legionaries may have had its origins in the successes of the Samnites.
