Roman Military Technology and Tactics

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  • Опубліковано 28 кві 2024
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    2000 years ago the Roman army is the best equipped army in the world. While architects have mastered the art of manipulating stone and concrete, military engineers have fashioned metal and wood to create devastating weapons of war.
    The Roman foot soldiers main weapon is a fearsome sword called the Gladius, a double edged blade with a sharp point used for stabbing and thrusting, rather than slashing. When not fighting at close quarters, their spear, called a pilum, could kill from a distance with lethal accuracy.
    Protecting soldiers from injury is just as important as arming them for attack. Early Roman soldiers wear chainmail, but armourers come up with a far superior form of protection. Articulated plate armour called lorica segmentata, made from overlapping iron plates joined together by leather straps, as flexible as chainmail, but one third lighter.
    If the romans weaponry has a modern feel, then so does the tactics they use. The Roman legions know exactly how to fight heavily armed foes. They use the testudo, Latin for tortoise. Legionaries bunch together and lock their shields in formation to create a protective screen, a formation as effective in attack, as it is in defence.
    Few examples of Roman artillery survive, but they left detailed clues as to how to recreate them. The Ermine Street Guard Roman Reenactment Society is dedicated to research into the Roman Army and the reconstruction of Roman armour and equipment.
    The scorpion fires iron tipped bolts, used in the first stages of attack and during sieges. It fires arrows at incredible speeds, pierces armour, and kills instantly, a bit like a giant crossbow. Although an effective anti-personnel weapon, the scorpion is of little use when attacking a building.
    For that the Romans need something with a bit more punch, the onager and the ballista. These pieces of artillery fire large stones at the enemy. During sieges they propel projectiles so high into the air that they can break down enemy walls. The whizzing noise of the stones strikes terror into Rome’s enemies. To increase the fear factor they’re painted black so harder to see.
    The ballista works like the scorpion, but is bigger and more powerful. It can fire a 60 pound stone or a 3 foot bolt around 15,000 feet allowing the soldiers to stand well away from enemy archers. The speed of the missile is phenomenal hitting its target at about 115 mph, anyone sustaining a direct hit would be killed instantly.
    The onager uses a different principle, it catapults basketball sized stones nearly 100 feet using a single arm and sling. The vertical arm is powered by a large horizontal skein of rope, coiled and twisted to create a rotational force, the skein acts like a spring storing energy to be released on firing.
    The combination of technology and tactics makes the Roman army the premier fighting force in Europe for 500 years and influences military tactics for the next 1,500.
    Clip taken from our documentary “How Did Roman Tech Work?”
    Watch it here - • How Did Roman Tech Work?
  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 3 тис.

  • @ThePotentialOfWis
    @ThePotentialOfWis 4 роки тому +3309

    “ The Pilum was designed basically to kill”
    *I thought it saved lives*

    • @jj-hb8rq
      @jj-hb8rq 4 роки тому +93

      Well it did

    • @frosttroll3411
      @frosttroll3411 4 роки тому +239

      It did save lives but at the cost of ending lives

    • @Luis_Facil
      @Luis_Facil 4 роки тому +20

      @@frosttroll3411 lol

    • @Azwarrior94
      @Azwarrior94 4 роки тому +28

      It did. By breaking after ending the life of an enemy combatant.

    • @AHMEDALI-vq4vc
      @AHMEDALI-vq4vc 4 роки тому +29

      It killed b*rbarians but saved Roman lives

  • @ricardoleite2190
    @ricardoleite2190 4 роки тому +669

    5:57
    Incredible, the romans had cars!

    • @realprincephillip
      @realprincephillip 3 роки тому +11

      Ricardo Leite not incredible it’s boring I hate life

    • @Ammi553
      @Ammi553 3 роки тому +42

      @@realprincephillip you good man?

    • @realprincephillip
      @realprincephillip 3 роки тому +4

      Ammi no not really mate

    • @Ammi553
      @Ammi553 3 роки тому +32

      @@realprincephillip don't worry im sure whatever you're going through is gonna end soon bruh, after a storm there is always sunshine, don't give up and keep soldiering through it, it'll be worth it trust me

    • @BintangGaryo
      @BintangGaryo 3 роки тому +4

      @@realprincephillip keep fighting my man :D

  • @isabellaluo2712
    @isabellaluo2712 4 роки тому +5377

    what students actually want to learn in history class

  • @ClaudeMagicbox
    @ClaudeMagicbox 2 роки тому +594

    I'm Italian and remember how my history professor introduced these same knowledges on the Roman army by saying "Imagine being a Franc or Teuton barbarian dressed in animal fur and cowhide with a large heavy iron sword or axe and having no tactical discipline but just forward rushing and sheer violence. Facing the Roman army of the period of the Republic to you seemed to face a science fiction level formation with sorcerer like powers...you would be hit by heavy projectiles already from a distance, then injured by a swarm of pilum and finally get mangled by geometric formations of cubic shape that came forward fearless and deadly".

    • @mozartwolfgang4656
      @mozartwolfgang4656 2 роки тому +13

      And even like that the romans get kicked.

    • @ITALICVS
      @ITALICVS 2 роки тому +72

      @@mozartwolfgang4656 After kicking anyone in their path

    • @saptaswapal4064
      @saptaswapal4064 2 роки тому +13

      @@ITALICVS The Germanic tribes kicked Roman ass in three consecutive battles. But at the fourth battle, their numbers were exhausted and they were defeated by the Romans.

    • @auroraflos2498
      @auroraflos2498 2 роки тому +19

      @@saptaswapal4064 exactly which string of battles are you referring to?

    • @Herb_IsTheWord
      @Herb_IsTheWord 2 роки тому

      Umm

  • @demoniqpng8623
    @demoniqpng8623 7 років тому +1427

    7:55 R.I.P Fly 2016-2016

    • @fabiomurraysanchez6062
      @fabiomurraysanchez6062 5 років тому +55

      The Fly Wars was very popular in Rome.

    • @MlokLik
      @MlokLik 5 років тому +28

      Flys were invented when Johnatan Fly tried to breed a mosquito with himself. It went well.

    • @uhoy1488
      @uhoy1488 5 років тому +2

      name so a fat mosquito that only knows how to eat

    • @MlokLik
      @MlokLik 5 років тому +16

      @@uhoy1488 "eat'' wasnt invented yet. It was invented in 2014, when Adam Eattens tried to bite his food.

    • @uhoy1488
      @uhoy1488 5 років тому

      name but 2016

  • @maxnetirtimon4121
    @maxnetirtimon4121 5 років тому +1334

    0:44 the "the pilum is designed basically to kill"
    no shit i didn't know that what a Genius you are

    • @noobdave474
      @noobdave474 4 роки тому +82

      i was looking for this comment lol... imagine a weapon being designed to kill.

    • @gridlock2835
      @gridlock2835 4 роки тому +47

      No it was designed to save lives

    • @dreysantillan
      @dreysantillan 4 роки тому +40

      it is also designed to hinder enemies, once it sticks to a shield, the shield gets heavy making it unusable

    • @therustedshank9995
      @therustedshank9995 4 роки тому +21

      What?! The pilum is designed to kill? I thought it was a cooking utensil!

    • @ericle9371
      @ericle9371 4 роки тому +5

      Weapons could be designed to poke.

  • @cbmobile1797
    @cbmobile1797 3 роки тому +781

    _"The pilum was designed basically to kill."_
    *ah yes... floor is made of floor.*

  • @MoseyOnout
    @MoseyOnout 5 років тому +241

    0:42 > "It was designed basically to kill," States Mrs. Nokidding, PhD in the Obvious. "This implement you just saw with a frigging long metal point is used for piercing things," She goes on to inform her colleagues at Mensa.

    • @ericoberle9671
      @ericoberle9671 3 роки тому +2

      And don't forget protecting your soldiers from injury is just as important as giving them weapons to attack

  • @bijogxazindagi7545
    @bijogxazindagi7545 6 років тому +1311

    7:55 poor little fly, Only one insect was harmed in making this video

    • @TheSlashd0t
      @TheSlashd0t 6 років тому +170

      This proves once more that Roman weapons were highly accurate and effective during the Fly Wars in 1337 IBC were millions of flies were led to the slaughter in a desperate fight against 1 scorpion. Never again would the Flyninian Empire have the opportunity to recover from this defeat.

    • @sukarnos3xy
      @sukarnos3xy 5 років тому +34

      Top 10 Brutal Anime Bug Deaths

    • @kww178
      @kww178 5 років тому +18

      THAT NIGGA GOT CAPPED!!!

    • @torinlupo7527
      @torinlupo7527 5 років тому +9

      *Brutally Murdered

    • @cocostudio278
      @cocostudio278 5 років тому +2

      Yah

  • @MostEnvious
    @MostEnvious 5 років тому +289

    4:22 he looks like he's having fun.

    • @We_Roq2021
      @We_Roq2021 3 роки тому +2

      40 Miles of Bad Rhoads yes

    • @pranabmallick01
      @pranabmallick01 3 роки тому +3

      I noticed that

    • @b_f_d_d
      @b_f_d_d 3 роки тому +3

      Yes

    • @papastalin4545
      @papastalin4545 3 роки тому +2

      I would have been happy to be in a testudo rather than in normal formation too

    • @evanjuniorfluffy
      @evanjuniorfluffy 3 роки тому +1

      They are the naked reg ready to attack with shields protecting them

  • @orhan6929
    @orhan6929 5 років тому +101

    For the record,the pilum had two types of pegs:iron and wood.The wooden peg would dislodge on contact, bending the spear at a 90 degree angle.This made it difficult to remove.The pilum is not your typical javelin

    • @Concerned_Robot
      @Concerned_Robot 7 місяців тому +1

      watching those pila get thrown, they didn't look effective at all!

    • @orhan6929
      @orhan6929 7 місяців тому

      ​@@Concerned_Robotmaybe in this demo yes but just ask the multitude of Rome's enemies what they made of it

    • @nobodykilledme9641
      @nobodykilledme9641 4 місяці тому +1

      the whole point of it wasn't to kill someone it was the fuck up their shields , because nobody is just gonna stand there and get hit with that thing they are going to block it with their shield , gets stuck it the shield so now you have to drop your guard and try to pull it out or drag that thing with you , its pretty smart tbh@@Concerned_Robot

    • @graham5716
      @graham5716 3 місяці тому

      Pilums aren't like this at all, if they were, Caesar wouldn't have repelled cavalry during pharsalus.​@nobodykilledme9641

  • @wulfloft5805
    @wulfloft5805 4 роки тому +528

    "The pilum was basically designed to kill"...

    • @yanousse3217
      @yanousse3217 4 роки тому +65

      I thought it was for baking pancakes..

    • @fedess3647
      @fedess3647 4 роки тому +21

      Its main use was actually to pierce the enemy shields, bending on impact and forcing the fighter to drop the shield, disrupting the enemy formation and allowing the legionaries to effectively exploit the gaps in the enemy formation during first impact
      But yeah, either that or Killing the motherfucker 😂

    • @hannibalbarca6878
      @hannibalbarca6878 4 роки тому +7

      HMMM YES THE FLOOR IS MADE OF FLOOR

    • @AA-bz1pr
      @AA-bz1pr 4 роки тому

      @@hannibalbarca6878 lmfao

    • @hitsugayatoshiro9517
      @hitsugayatoshiro9517 3 роки тому

      4HEad

  • @thrakerzad5874
    @thrakerzad5874 7 років тому +781

    6:05 I love how he keeps a stone serious face as the camera man wildly orbits him like a lunatic.

  • @zacharykramer8244
    @zacharykramer8244 7 років тому +1739

    The Pilum wasn't a spear, it was a Javelin. You never throw spears, but you throw javelins(pilums). Great research

    • @paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522
      @paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522 7 років тому +30

      Exactly

    • @zachsmith1676
      @zachsmith1676 7 років тому +63

      apparently there are instances of Pila being used as spears but i hold it to be false since a spear needs to be completely rigid to be effective whereas a Pilum is not completely rigid

    • @zacharykramer8244
      @zacharykramer8244 7 років тому +33

      Spears are as long as twelve to fourteen feet, do you think anyone could throw that accurately while in formation. I don't think so.

    • @jeffery9521
      @jeffery9521 7 років тому +71

      You can throw a spear. Spears are not necessarily always 12 foot Long.
      Besides, have you thrown a spear in a Roman formation or seen research about it? It feels like you're assuming

    • @brandonwalenter1147
      @brandonwalenter1147 7 років тому +8

      Negro Joe she's right you don't throw spears you throw javelins though

  • @Verciaga
    @Verciaga 3 роки тому +32

    7:55 RIP Mr fly 2016-2016 *sniff he was so young..... I-I don't know what to say. May you rest in peace. :'(

  • @geedergworl
    @geedergworl 5 років тому +107

    "The pilum was designed to piss people, piss armor, to piss their shields"

    • @pellm8272
      @pellm8272 3 роки тому +4

      @ChinOfTheSisity woooosh

    • @We_Roq2021
      @We_Roq2021 3 роки тому +1

      RK- 800 Pierce not piss

    • @devnull5098
      @devnull5098 3 роки тому +1

      You mean it designed to cause the enemy to piss their armor and shields :)

    • @ivyhealthcare5688
      @ivyhealthcare5688 2 роки тому +1

      @@We_Roq2021 wow you missed the joke like these guys missed their targets at 0:52

    • @TPS-Ultimate-Soccer69
      @TPS-Ultimate-Soccer69 2 роки тому +1

      She said Pierce but it sounds like “piss”

  • @Cristian-vl8pg
    @Cristian-vl8pg 6 років тому +811

    For my foreign friends.
    0:23
    46 cm
    0:39
    30.5 m
    1:01
    1.8 m, 61 cm
    2:24
    15 kg
    7:08
    .37 km or 366 m
    9:43
    27 kg, .9 m, 4.6 km

    • @levoGAMES
      @levoGAMES 6 років тому +6

      7:08 "1200 feet" since one foot is about a third of a meter, that'd make it about 400 meters.
      I only checked that one conversion, you should check the others if you want to distribute accurate information.

    • @user-hr7nm4td1s
      @user-hr7nm4td1s 6 років тому +6

      Cristian Thank you Jesus

    • @Cristian-vl8pg
      @Cristian-vl8pg 6 років тому +8

      Levo GAMES I accidently put the decimal point in between 3 and 7.
      The correct conversion is around. .37 km -> 370 meters which is not quite 400 meters but whatever.

    • @xyon9090
      @xyon9090 6 років тому +2

      *Cristian,* thank you

    • @ironmike2010
      @ironmike2010 6 років тому +9

      Cristian I hope you know that about 80% of the world uses the metric system now

  • @mondwolf306
    @mondwolf306 5 років тому +1270

    video name is roman military technology and tactics
    - does not contain tactics

    • @luger9857
      @luger9857 5 років тому +42

      I was here for the tactics

    • @torinlupo7527
      @torinlupo7527 5 років тому +118

      There was tactics.
      KILL EVERYTHING WITH EXTREME BRUTALITY

    • @GhoulGoon
      @GhoulGoon 5 років тому +7

      Your profile pic...
      Perfection

    • @eb8827
      @eb8827 5 років тому +7

      tactics are at 3:50

    • @liamjm9278
      @liamjm9278 5 років тому +13

      @joe Recto "Firing a gun is a tactic". "Punching an enemy in the face is a tactic". Testudo is the only real tactic given.

  • @u.s.citizen9933
    @u.s.citizen9933 Рік тому +46

    I think it's interest how technology really changes warfare so drastically. Before gunpowder, large and well trained armies won the day but guerrilla warfare becomes a lot more viable with the creation of explosives and long-range rifles.

    • @salted_lizard
      @salted_lizard 4 місяці тому +1

      Guerilla warfare worked back then as well, in the Roman's time there was Teutoberg Forest.

    • @u.s.citizen9933
      @u.s.citizen9933 3 місяці тому +1

      @@salted_lizard you are definitely right. Guerrilla warfare definitely had its place back then and it's important not to forget that. It's also important to remember modern deterences to guerrilla warfare that didn't exist before like all the Intel these days with cameras and tracking abilities. That's a massive burden to any guerrilla group.
      That being said, I'd argue it's still more viable in our modern age with firearms. A hit and run tactic on a group of knights would've been a lot tougher than in recent history with a couple well placed gunmen or sniper shots.

  • @mikewilliams258
    @mikewilliams258 5 років тому +117

    "The pilum was designed to kill." Must be great to be a military expert!

  • @denji3716
    @denji3716 5 років тому +698

    can we talk about the fly that got killed at 7:55
    one like for one prayer

  • @Ben-zg5xb
    @Ben-zg5xb 7 років тому +255

    Few mistakes i'de like to point out:
    The pilum (plural pila), was not a spear, but an advanced javelin
    The testudo was not used for attack, and only against enemy archer and missile defense. Similar formations were used for defending gates and streets as well however
    Onagers were often much larger than what is depicted, many being able to hurl 100-150 pound rocks at enemies. The kind shown in the video were used in Gallic Wars, in which Gallic city walls were only wooden, so they didn't need extreme heavy artillery

    • @Justin-hj7sz
      @Justin-hj7sz 5 років тому +4

      I'm pretty sure there is such thing as "Attacking Testudo" and "Defensive Testudo"
      A testudo was either used for standing still while taking missile fire and then were disassembled when the enemies got close.
      And it was used to advance toward the enemy to deflect missiles.

    • @bakersmileyface
      @bakersmileyface 5 років тому +2

      I believe the only exception to the idea that 'testudos weren't used for attacking' is when assaulting a wall during a siege.
      But yeah, generally under most circumstances, wouldn't be used for attacking.

    • @lordofdarkdudes
      @lordofdarkdudes 5 років тому +3

      To quote wikipedia
      A Javelin is a light spear intended for throwing.
      Yes a javlin is spear, stop being smug about how much you know

    • @haveiszalfaroqie1628
      @haveiszalfaroqie1628 5 років тому

      The best tactic is obviously to wall in your enemies.

    • @karel-de-Grote
      @karel-de-Grote 5 років тому +1

      @@Justin-hj7sz the shield is a defense system, the testudo is composed of shields, so it is always a defense system. Like the armor of the tanks, it acts as a defense.

  • @knotwilg3596
    @knotwilg3596 2 роки тому +14

    The testudo was an emergency measure, mostly to temporarily cross under arrow attack. In offence it wasn't used because the coordination when moving required is difficult and makes the soldiers clumsy in combat. They would form a couple of lines instead, with the front row shielding and stabbing, then moving to the back of the cohort while the other rows move one up. This is depicted accurately in the starting scene of "Rome".

  • @claytonchandler7493
    @claytonchandler7493 4 роки тому +22

    The pilum was a javelin and didn’t have a standard size but were never 8 feet long they were smaller and used 10-25 yards away to break the enemy line before charging

  • @markiehewitt602
    @markiehewitt602 6 років тому +64

    7:51 my fly boy just minding his own business when a bolt obliterates him and his melon

  • @collinfitzp1344
    @collinfitzp1344 5 років тому +170

    0:50 "Deadly Accurate"

    • @ginka2281
      @ginka2281 4 роки тому +38

      Yeah that was a terrible throw. I wonder why they kept that shot lol

    • @melia3240
      @melia3240 3 роки тому +1

      Its wood so its hard to pierce unless its flesh the target would be dead instantly

    • @epsilon5733
      @epsilon5733 3 роки тому +1

      “Pierce shields” as 2 spears come in too short, one comes in sideways, and one hits but barely penetrates. Camera man didn’t wanna ask for a second throw I guess.

    • @KianIrv
      @KianIrv 3 роки тому +2

      Storm trooper aim

    • @elfrogman1428
      @elfrogman1428 3 роки тому

      These guys are just reinactors. Real Roman military is deadly accurate

  • @norsethe_horse
    @norsethe_horse 4 роки тому +11

    I don't know why people don't like this video! It has given me so much useful info for my history assignment!

    • @TPS-Ultimate-Soccer69
      @TPS-Ultimate-Soccer69 2 роки тому +2

      Yup, I should have watched this ages ago when I was learning about romans

  • @royalknight9493
    @royalknight9493 2 роки тому +12

    I really think that the romans were really advanced,deciplined and organized for there time

  • @BoarhideGaming
    @BoarhideGaming 6 років тому +590

    The Romans didn't conquer half the known world because of their Pila, shields, armor, Gladiai or their Onagers.
    They conquered the world with supply lines, roads, local governments, incentives to join the empire, incentives to join the legions, great education and profitable citizenship.
    There were many peoples in ancient Europe, Asia, Arabia and North Africa that were better warriors in many aspects, but with no standing army, no communication and no centralized tacticians, they still lost against the Legions

    • @DeezUp4Da3zz
      @DeezUp4Da3zz 4 роки тому +47

      Better warriors but not better soldiers

    • @bitTorrenter
      @bitTorrenter 4 роки тому +6

      @@DeezUp4Da3zz Now what's that supposed to mean. Both go to war.

    • @DeezUp4Da3zz
      @DeezUp4Da3zz 4 роки тому +26

      @@bitTorrenter there's a difference between the 2 lol warriors fight together but as single entities and usually when the best warriors die the army would usually lose morale and rout, soldiers fight as a single unit and usually only rout when their formations get fucked or the commander gets killed

    • @andrewh7084
      @andrewh7084 4 роки тому +49

      People like the simple view of war, just weapons and tactics instead of the full picture. Alexander the Great, for example, could never have advanced so far into Asia if he didn't have an extremely advanced logistics network.

    • @patriot6943
      @patriot6943 4 роки тому +24

      Fucking excuses. The Romans were superior warriors.

  • @griffin7700
    @griffin7700 7 років тому +141

    The claim that the sword was not used for slashing is just false, while slashes aren't particularly effective when in a tight formation the gladius is perfectly capable of slashing. Also the name of the gladius isn't a type of weapon or the title of the weapon it simply means sword in Latin

    • @AAthlete34
      @AAthlete34 7 років тому +1

      MsASpratley a

    • @nbkwolverine
      @nbkwolverine 6 років тому +11

      The gladius was primarily a stabbing weapon... yes it could have been used to slash, but that's not its intended use. The Spatha was more of a slashing sword.

    • @koerier718
      @koerier718 6 років тому

      When you have something sharp, just hit someone in any way you want and you're fine.

    • @flamingrubys11
      @flamingrubys11 6 років тому

      unlike the greeks somewhat curved swords which 'could take a mans head off with one fell slash'

    • @jeffjones7108
      @jeffjones7108 6 років тому +4

      Pretty funny when you get a better explanation for how important the gladius was from a David Gemmell book than from a documentary. Because the gladius was a stabbing weapon it meant the legionaires could stand shoulder to shoulder. Any enemy fighting them using a slashing sword had to stand further apart so they didn't hit each other. Which meant that each enemy soldier was fighting 3 Roman soldiers, even if their army was larger. Guaranteed local superiority right across the line. Pretty smart, and very effective.

  • @hulriksborg6912
    @hulriksborg6912 3 роки тому +15

    my teacher: sends the class this video
    me: wow something that's actually interesting for history class-

  • @CCPvirus141
    @CCPvirus141 4 роки тому +3

    10:09 It catapults basketball size stones? Has the narator even seen how big a basketball is? What these guys are shooting are far smaller than any official size basketball.

  • @iisig
    @iisig 5 років тому +104

    0:51 i'm quite sure that the romans actually practiced spear throwing a bit more. That was just embarassing

  • @paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522
    @paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522 7 років тому +128

    This is butted mail not rivited.
    Testudo is VERY ineffective in melee. Its for missle protecction
    White is least visible in sky. Black is very visible.

    • @duckster4637
      @duckster4637 6 років тому +1

      They were designed for night attacks I suppose.

    • @gunnycanimation3465
      @gunnycanimation3465 6 років тому

      Zach Smith As in ships? because i would understand if it was in waters

    • @flamingrubys11
      @flamingrubys11 6 років тому

      actually the tetsudo was used also for
      Barbarians, seein how barbarians had this way of charging and not flanking the romans took advantage of this so when the barbarians charged into them it would cause newtons law, the abrupt stop will either cripple them or send them sliding off the top of the shields and possibly resulting in internal bleeding
      2 construction, the romans (not the actual legions but some times yes) would use this to help remove the stress of carrying most heavy bricks before it was simplized

    • @flamingrubys11
      @flamingrubys11 5 років тому

      @alvi syahri it was in the early times it was made yes but after a bit the romans figured out that since the barbarians like charging forth toward them, that they can use that aganist them

  • @artisorak
    @artisorak 3 роки тому +7

    2:45: That is wrong. The lorica segmentata was used only for about 250 years and never replaced chain mail armour. The segmentata is more sturdy and lighter, but chain mail is more comfortable and the soldiers are more agile. The segmentata required a lot of maintenance and was a lot more expensive to produce while not giving a huge advantage in battle.

  • @stormykeep9213
    @stormykeep9213 3 роки тому +5

    The pilam need not hit the actual person thrown at. It would stick in the enemy soldier's shield, and essentially weigh it down to where his shield would be useless. He would have to toss it aside. Was a brilliant weapon.

  • @Valin9275
    @Valin9275 5 років тому +191

    "pierce armor ar shields" next shot is 10 spears bouncing off wood

    • @eventerminator1382
      @eventerminator1382 4 роки тому +21

      They’re just re-enactors, not actual soldiers.

    • @dododog447
      @dododog447 3 роки тому +1

      @CHONG CHEE KAI Moe
      I think that’s plural for pilum

    • @joey_ramone_96
      @joey_ramone_96 3 роки тому

      @@eventerminator1382 wait you're telling me they're not roman soldiers? damn

    • @JimmiusCarrelius
      @JimmiusCarrelius 2 роки тому

      @@eventerminator1382 no shit

    • @busterdancy1857
      @busterdancy1857 2 роки тому

      It's as if it's a bunch of nerds using weaponry designed 2k years ago for trained soldiers.

  • @phorewhoresman1897
    @phorewhoresman1897 6 років тому +36

    Shield usage was like a clay tiled roof for protection from liquid fire, tar, arrows etc. Shields were lower in front than the video shows, they overlapped back to front and to left side (90% of people are right handed hence weapon in right, shield left), Romans incorporated phalanx into their ranks as they learned their enemies' tactics enabling them to win their empire time after time. Ultimately it was corruption from within that doomed them.

    • @SamBrickell
      @SamBrickell Рік тому +1

      Immigration and "multi-culturalism" is what doomed Rome.

    • @jodhod1498
      @jodhod1498 Рік тому +1

      That's like, the opposite of what happened tho. They started with the phalanx, then left it behind for more manueverable formations

  • @gamergoblin69
    @gamergoblin69 3 роки тому +9

    I remember the pilum being for shields,you throw this long big javelin at the shield and it becomes super heavy for the enemy and the shield can't protect them anymore

  • @sherlockxia3061
    @sherlockxia3061 Рік тому +4

    0:02 Most people would think that the Gladius would be worn on the left side, allowing the soldier to draw the sword across their body, but in fact the sword was worn and draw on the RIGHT side, which meant that when being drawn it didn't impact on the holding of the shield, or on the soldier standing next to them.

  • @joujou264
    @joujou264 6 років тому +87

    8:19 British? Britons. The British are a mix of Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Normans and the original Britons, with sprinkles from various other cultures.

    • @bitTorrenter
      @bitTorrenter 4 роки тому +3

      You forgot the Frisians. The Romano British were the Brythonic speaking citizens of Roman occupied Britannia. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the movement of peoples what is British is hard to say.

    • @southwestsaxon
      @southwestsaxon 2 роки тому +2

      British is not an ethnicity. It just means you live in Britian.

  • @tylerrumbarger
    @tylerrumbarger 7 років тому +628

    their legs are exposed but weren't people a lot shorter back then? if the shields are sized accurately then they'd prob go all the way to the ground right?

    • @DinoArmy13
      @DinoArmy13 7 років тому +79

      yup

    • @dixout4harambe38
      @dixout4harambe38 7 років тому +303

      They also slightly crouched, and didn't have their hands exposed holding the shield above them. The people demonstrating aren't trained Romans (obviously [and most likely not military either]).

    • @ballisticcorporal8205
      @ballisticcorporal8205 7 років тому +23

      tylerrumbarger they would also tilt the top shields down towards the enemy

    • @Scuppetta1998IT
      @Scuppetta1998IT 6 років тому +9

      lol I thought about the same thing as well. It wouldn't make any sense to leave your legs not covered by the shield. Tendentially the romans were not high people if compared with the germanic populations (there is a description about them in the "de origine et situ germanorum" which is a book written by Tacitus). When the romans first met the germanic tribes they got surprised about their stature.

    • @swisstraeng
      @swisstraeng 6 років тому +39

      a shield that comes down to the ground is very impractical to use, especially in fields. It would hit the ground and be horrible to keep up in position.
      The chances your feets are hit are very low, since most thrown objects in this era don't fly straight as bullets do.

  • @damianhernandez1665
    @damianhernandez1665 Рік тому +2

    Testudo wasn't used for attack only for defense and the pilum is a special type of javelin.

  • @corbinkirkland883
    @corbinkirkland883 3 роки тому +3

    So glad we got that action packed instant replay at 1:10.

  • @makeitsonumberone1358
    @makeitsonumberone1358 6 років тому +447

    still no defence againesd a little village in gaul, who drink a magic potion before a battle....sorry couldn't resist 😊

    • @patientzero3943
      @patientzero3943 6 років тому +16

      paper back wrighter lol I got your reference

    • @RH-ls5od
      @RH-ls5od 6 років тому +1

      paper back wrighter and like half their army was part of the village they were fighting. They weren't the best at hiring the right people.

    • @mike62mcmanus
      @mike62mcmanus 5 років тому +2

      The Gauls were previously called the Gomerites according to Flavius Josephus. Gomer was the first grandson of Noah, the Welsh believe they landed on the isle of Brittan from France and the welsh language is called Gomerage after Gomer...Gauls, Galic, were related.

    • @diegoveloso3rd
      @diegoveloso3rd 5 років тому +11

      Magic potion + flying menhirs + a big boned shirtless man + his small witty bestbud + a shield mounted chief + a bard the gods hate + a fishmonger armed with fish + a blacksmith armed with a hammer + a lovable Roman hating dog + a crazy old man with a hot wife
      = a village of indomitable gauls

    • @Alex-eb3cb
      @Alex-eb3cb 5 років тому +1

      paper back writer lol if you live in greece and like asterix and obelix tommorow theres a movie called asterix in brittania at 9pm

  • @sinisakuzmanovic2233
    @sinisakuzmanovic2233 Рік тому +4

    The ''Gladius'' sword is just mentioned. Romans had many variations of this foot soldiers swords. But, horseman had one more sword called ''Spata'' much longer, not so heavy with gravity point moved toward tip of the sword, to have better hit effect on foot soldiers. This sword was base for huge medieval swords.

  • @RussUno
    @RussUno 2 роки тому +4

    Props to the camera man who travels a thousand years to record this

  • @MrGoogleChill
    @MrGoogleChill 4 роки тому +6

    Seems like the scorpion is a lot of work to take one soldier out of action. I like Maximus's use of his trebuchets, using clay pots full of flammable fluids then hurled at the enemies or trees to spread it around the battlefield. Now that is effective.

  • @Sazan_Jackal
    @Sazan_Jackal 6 років тому +44

    When you legit did almost no research but get an C+

  • @Blackrew
    @Blackrew 5 років тому +6

    1:03 the amazing thing is, people are still finding remains of these iron spikes today through metal detecting, etc in Italy and Greece

  • @sheldor40
    @sheldor40 2 роки тому +2

    This was really interesting and very informative thank you love to learn about history

  • @fwcolb
    @fwcolb 3 роки тому +1

    Great photo of the tortoise formation, the testuga. Best video lecture on Roman military gear ever!

    • @paprskomet
      @paprskomet 2 роки тому

      Its not a photo,its Testudo(although it was also called "Chelone" in greek by roman autors)and this video contains several errors.

  • @finaladvance5085
    @finaladvance5085 6 років тому +145

    The romans may have failed to conquer the British isles, but it seems the British failed to completely evict the romans

    • @ironmike2010
      @ironmike2010 6 років тому +30

      Final Advance you can’t conquer the world. Especially not places so primitive and difficult terrain wise like northern England and Scotland. The people there knew if the Romans would win and kill them then their wives would be raped and their children probably slaughtered or taken in as roman soldiers. And fighting someone who is protecting their family and their home is hard especially when they were as primitive as the celts and Scottish tribes.

    • @user-xi8qc9dj4c
      @user-xi8qc9dj4c 6 років тому

      Fluffy Snow doggo

    • @user-xi8qc9dj4c
      @user-xi8qc9dj4c 6 років тому +8

      Final Advance Julius Cesar had conquered Britian. He had armies conquered Britian and History books had been wrong History ADD things that the romans tell the romans didn't say they conquered Britian so Historians. Debunk the idea of romans conquered Britian.

    • @Terracecasualx5
      @Terracecasualx5 6 років тому +25

      Final Advance the Romans did conquer the British isles apart from Scotland. They would rather build a wall from one coast to another,regularly intercepted with forts and gates as the Picts were a troublesome lot. If the Romans didn’t conquer us why do we have city’s built by them still inhabited today? London,York(although the Vikings started this one). Then there are the forts they built,I use to play on one as a kid..Seguntium to be precise. In fact the saying uttered by Julius Ceaser is attributed to him when he landed ‘Vene,Vidi,Vici’ “I came,I saw,I conquered”. The British Isles was most definitely invaded by the Romans,apart from Caledonia of course.

    • @alexanderthegreatsdad.3831
      @alexanderthegreatsdad.3831 5 років тому +1

      Lee Bartlett so you are a foreigner? Go home you dirty refugee. Stop stealing out jobs and women. ; )

  • @Kaiyats
    @Kaiyats 2 роки тому +4

    How did they get stones that size that were so perfectly round?

  • @emeraldaaxe7203
    @emeraldaaxe7203 2 місяці тому

    I watched this when it came out, this video is what truely got me interested in history. I’m now in university for a history degree.
    Thank you for changing my life.

  • @mouadgranderson9618
    @mouadgranderson9618 4 роки тому +70

    These guys are easy pickings for Asterix and obelix

  • @mrfr87
    @mrfr87 5 років тому +8

    They used riveted chainmail but in the demo of a arrow piecing the mail it was butted mail which is useless against anything spiked and historically inaccurate.

    • @paulmcdonald2742
      @paulmcdonald2742 2 роки тому

      Great comment, in reality that arrowhead isn't going through. It's really hard to pierce proper mail. Skallagrim's slo-mo video with different weapon tests and Shadiversity's "the truth about mail armour" give justice.

  • @beaconofwierd1883
    @beaconofwierd1883 7 років тому +47

    It's funny how a relatively high budget documentary is more wrong than some random guy on the internet uploading videos x) Guess it's not strange tho, since this is just for entertainment and Lindy beige is just out to say what he knows.

    • @sabin97
      @sabin97 5 років тому

      hey!
      the metatron isnt just some random guy.....

    • @ramilsepuluh2430
      @ramilsepuluh2430 5 років тому

      KM HNJBHD HKKGVLKHBCVJOOHGCCJKUGXFJKCNDJGXGMHSZDHJKJHGFJHDGHJLJDKLHK8U4RDSZTE 87VUNKL6DIO8CVJOTCNLTTXJSDNLOJ76XBP MOYFCNKKLGFXBV, I5TRCVMLKUHCX V7GC NJO, JIHV, GC NML9IUV .KV HI88UFX UHDEZ KHUHB KMMLPOHV K8 LMHV JMKU HO7YRDCJITDDBI865RF JJOOUG KMOB MKIGV I8 MKKIFC HDXD UTX

  • @maximusy8311
    @maximusy8311 3 роки тому +2

    Probably the first tank ever, Roman shield formation

    • @christopherjakel1049
      @christopherjakel1049 3 роки тому

      And just as soft underneath. 😳
      "Dead fall" trumps "testudo." 😱😵

  • @myself3209
    @myself3209 7 місяців тому +1

    The pilum is not necessarely designed to kill, more to immobilize the enemy. It gets stuck in things and is hard to get pulled out, but its unlikely you hit something vital with it directly.

  • @kadartcostumes9842
    @kadartcostumes9842 6 років тому +98

    Pilum was not designed to pierce enemies, but to take down shield -walls , first and foremost. This is not a lorica hamata presented in this video, it's butted mail - no wonder the arrow penetrates.... 2,5 minutes in ... let's see how disappointing the rest will be ...
    Edit, pretty much every Latin word is mispronounced to a point of being barely recognizable :P Shame, but eh.
    lorica laminata (segementata) was actually not as flexible as hamata, but cheaper to mass produce compared to mail armor. That's why it was the preferred armor of Imperial times. (Many Centuriones still preferred lorica hamata.
    Next, Unfortunately it's not explained why the arrow doesn't go all the way through the lorica segementata in the shown test. Reason : The plates are partly overlapping, providing double protection at many parts of the armor. but eh...
    At least the information on the scorpion, ballista and onager is accurate :D

    • @ShadeAKAhayate
      @ShadeAKAhayate 6 років тому +2

      You forgot to mention that laminatas were way too expensive to maintain, so they emerged for around 100 years and then were gone from usage... Thus, a legionaire would almost always be packed into a hamata.

    • @cdgonepotatoes4219
      @cdgonepotatoes4219 6 років тому +5

      for that I'm guessing that their "weapon reproduction expert" was the only expert they hired and he's a complete inept about armor as even the most passive of medieval enthusiasts know mail armor was mostly riveted if not also a mixture with welded rings... how do the producers even miss this stuff? a quick google search doesn't cost money, they don't need an expert to know that the mail they're getting a closeup of isn't right! .........

    • @ThisWasWhatIThought
      @ThisWasWhatIThought 5 років тому

      KADArt Cosplay thank you

    • @darksideorbit8898
      @darksideorbit8898 5 років тому

      Did you know that Google isn't always right? Websites have a very high tendency of stating whatever bullshit they believe. I'm not saying that you're wrong. But using Google as your source of information is quite sad.

    • @cdgonepotatoes4219
      @cdgonepotatoes4219 5 років тому +5

      Let's make a quick google search with "mail armor" as keywords and see:
      -Wikipedia which, while it's not always the best way to gather information, this page is properly made mentioning its great effectiveness against all slashing and most thrusting blows, also mentioning a study of the Royal Armouries, the UK's national museum of Arms, saying "it's almost impossible to defeat mail armor with any conventional medieval weapon";
      -Lindybeige's video where he makes mail armor which, even though he's making butted armor he does mention it's not how proper mail armor was made and he's only doing it for roleplaying (cosplay) purposes;
      -The Metatron's video about mail armor, with the guy being particularly researched about the Roman period making it even more relevant to the video;
      -Knyght Errand's video, possibly the most researched popular UA-camr about European armor of all kinds;
      -Scholagladiatoria's video, Matt being a historian by profession himself;
      -A blacksmith resource website which LITERALLY WALKS YOU TROUGH THE MAKING OF MAIL ARMOR
      You know the kicker? this was all in the first page and took me less than 5 minutes to gather up all this stuff.
      This information isn't a secret nor an obscure topic, it's really just a Google search away. We're not in 2001 anymore, Google has become more and more reliable for research exponentially as more people, researchers and historians included, got access to the Internet and information demand increased

  • @program4215
    @program4215 7 років тому +5

    "The hard tip penetrates, but the soft shaft bends..."

  • @hawks977
    @hawks977 3 роки тому +13

    Ah yes we boys used to do this after school with rubber swords and paper shields

  • @Rickety3263
    @Rickety3263 2 роки тому +1

    Best scorpion construction I’ve seen

  • @marquissquinty5711
    @marquissquinty5711 6 років тому +161

    You can easily see in the video that the pretend roman legionaries are really bad at throwing the spears.

  • @Altijdgamervids
    @Altijdgamervids 5 років тому +3

    5:12 lol look at how happy that dude is

  • @BG_Low
    @BG_Low 5 років тому +2

    No wonder Roman is the greatest civilization. 2000 years ago they already have this nice HD footage...

  • @Delao1179
    @Delao1179 3 роки тому

    Wow you did a great job on the video, I am subscribing

  • @imperioportugues7062
    @imperioportugues7062 6 років тому +5

    Really good

  • @cendicate9132
    @cendicate9132 3 роки тому +7

    I like how 80% of the spears thrown at those human cut outs bounced off

  • @Spartacus6125
    @Spartacus6125 3 роки тому +2

    Using in a public high school world history class today, thank you!

  • @TOGGGAA1
    @TOGGGAA1 Рік тому +2

    I remember being 13 years old in 2005, and staying home to watch stuff like this all day with my friend (or by myself). We only had one landline phone in the house and two TVs. I had downloaded Banzai buddy a few years prior and destroyed the home computer. My parents didn’t seem to be interested in another one. They still don’t know how to really use a computer to this day. Anyways at 9am it was challenging to find things on cable television that my 13 year old brain wanted to watch. It was often this stuff, or old Popeye cartoons, because popeye just whooped ass the whole 15min episode.

  • @MrSychnant
    @MrSychnant 2 роки тому +5

    The Pilum was also used to great effect when it was lodged in the enemy shield ( either by throwing or stabbing with it) the romans just walked over the shaft and thus pulled the enemy shield down or out of their grasp.

  • @godking
    @godking 5 років тому +5

    I would pick a well equiped roman legion properly backed up with cavalry and archers/slingers to win most of the time against any pre gun powder army throughout history.
    The romans basically perfected infantry warfare in the pre gun powder era.

  • @theintunity
    @theintunity 3 роки тому +2

    Don't understand the dislikes. Very cool and informative video. After Watching the TV-series Rome and Spartacus I've become obsessed with Roman history.

  • @Ash-id3oh
    @Ash-id3oh 5 років тому +4

    Did I search for this video? *No*
    Did I sit there at watch the whole thing? *Hell yeah*

  • @laidbacklifestyle389
    @laidbacklifestyle389 4 роки тому +32

    Roman soldier: Throws spear
    Enemy: Picks up thrown spear
    Roman soldier: :O

    • @emperormiguel8327
      @emperormiguel8327 3 роки тому +1

      Notice how the Roman spear, the pillum, has a thin end?
      It’s so that if it hits a target, the tip would snap off, so the enemy couldn’t pick it back up to use it again.

    • @dastemplar9681
      @dastemplar9681 3 роки тому +4

      Emperor Miguel Not necessarily snap, but bend. It also would weigh down on your shield because you won’t be able to simply pull out the bent pilum out of your shield while you would for arrows or regular javelins. Most men who would catch a pilum with their shield would be forced to discard the shield as well. So making a throwing weapon that not only can’t be thrown back, but even would render your enemy’s shield useless.

    • @ansonng211
      @ansonng211 3 роки тому

      LOL

  • @seamuspink9098
    @seamuspink9098 4 роки тому +81

    Were going to Rome!
    -girls: awww boring, just pizza and old structures
    -boiss: this video

    • @Anna133199
      @Anna133199 3 роки тому

      "awww boring, just pizza and old structures" said no girl ever when she was told she was going to Rome.

    • @We_Roq2021
      @We_Roq2021 3 роки тому

      SeB MaR ahahahahahahahah

  • @jamesboulger8705
    @jamesboulger8705 2 роки тому

    Really enjoyed the analogues to modern day events.

  • @will7816
    @will7816 Рік тому +1

    0:47 "Designed to pierce armor, to pierce their shield"...
    *Proceed to showing dozens of Pilums failing to pierce a huge ass wooden target*

  • @Macy_Freya
    @Macy_Freya 4 роки тому +6

    2:28 the “weapons expert” uses a pinch grip when drawing the bow, instead of the much easier finger grip.

    • @sanderlaureyssens5688
      @sanderlaureyssens5688 2 роки тому

      And the weapons expert also somehow didn't notice that he was shooting at butted mail which you can literally rip appart with your bare hands.

  • @awesomedonut8228
    @awesomedonut8228 5 років тому +3

    I got more information from Rome: Total War, seriously, it’s a really in-depth game, and surprisingly accurate, I used to pitch armies against each other to see which is better, obviously, slow the gameplay down and read the stat to get more immersed. Good times.

  • @bagelgeuse5736
    @bagelgeuse5736 2 місяці тому +1

    2:18 Love how the chainmail is pretty clearly not riveted.

  • @thewafflethatfellover3078
    @thewafflethatfellover3078 3 роки тому +2

    7:55 Rest in peace fly may be remembered forever - hero of fly empire

  • @joshjago3927
    @joshjago3927 7 років тому +69

    The scorpion is just a smaller version of a ballista am I right

    • @tullussulla6167
      @tullussulla6167 7 років тому +3

      Josh Jago pretty much.

    • @swisstraeng
      @swisstraeng 6 років тому +13

      Josh Jago think of it as a .50cal, you cannot destroy a castle with it, but it will kill anything it hits

    • @erinmoody9376
      @erinmoody9376 6 років тому

      Josh Jago Scorpio

    • @cdgonepotatoes4219
      @cdgonepotatoes4219 6 років тому

      if we take it for a modern comparison, yeah, the scorpion is a bit like a .50BMG, strong enough to defeat most infantry armor (let's not count the anti-materiel properties as there were no cars 2000 years ago) but still far from a 20mm cannon. The scorpion, though, was still designed more as a hybrid between artillery and infantry so a better comparison would be a bolt action MMG (medium machine gun), a .50BMG of the pre-firearm era would be more the medieval windlass than anything, still operated by two people but it was designed to work as a shouldered firearm... plus it was definitively way more powerful as the limbs were made out of steel and you needed a pulley mechanism to _wind_ the string back in the ready position.

    • @ottovrizo5693
      @ottovrizo5693 5 років тому +1

      no, a ballista is a big scorpion

  • @shara30000
    @shara30000 5 років тому +6

    0:50 when you tell your mates to pick their targets, and you all pick the same target

  • @victorious276
    @victorious276 3 роки тому +3

    7:05
    Narrator: "Once the bow string is released, it fires the arrow 12 hundred feet"
    Subtitles: Once the bowstring is released it fires the arrow *12,000* feet
    *1200* sounds more accurate, but someone plz correct me if I'm wrong

  • @FrehleyFan3988
    @FrehleyFan3988 2 роки тому +2

    This is what they should be teaching in history

  • @AndrewMartin600
    @AndrewMartin600 7 років тому +334

    Lindy beige, DEBUNK THIS!

    • @facecrash24
      @facecrash24 7 років тому +21

      Chain mail once worn is equally distributed across the back and shoulders making its weight none too cumbersome and that arrow barely pieced it. No doubt it would eventually mess up the armour, but it would probably save your life multiple times before any significant damage was taken, unless armour piercing or heavy artillery projectiles are used.

    • @mad_scientist5597
      @mad_scientist5597 7 років тому +9

      he already did. at 10:28 he's cutting the rope.

    • @ciaranconnell1848
      @ciaranconnell1848 7 років тому +6

      the Romans didn't organly make the atilry the Greeks did

    • @arcaderust4697
      @arcaderust4697 7 років тому

      Andrew Martin I

    • @sgtyeary
      @sgtyeary 7 років тому

      Andrew Martin ui

  • @XThexReaperX
    @XThexReaperX 5 років тому +7

    Have you tried a shaft of wood with a rounded front part with drill-like grooves cut into the sides to increase the spin it would gain in flight and straighten its flight path, as a projectile? I love seeing stuff like this, but I also like questioning how our more modern era knowledge of science would effect things in such an area. Like castle construction, with knowledge of concrete, rebar, plumbing, and turning water mills into primitive hydrogenerators. It makes me curious as to how well it would stand up to medieval castle design since most modern era castles are simply houses for the rich or are built to defend against modern weapons rather than the brute force of medieval constructs.

  • @hmzdu
    @hmzdu 7 місяців тому

    Interesting ❤

  • @theintruderfromouterspace822
    @theintruderfromouterspace822 2 роки тому

    That's why I love them.

  • @The325dmc
    @The325dmc 5 років тому +22

    Lol when they say its riveted mail but show budded

    • @sanderlaureyssens5688
      @sanderlaureyssens5688 2 роки тому

      Yeah then they called the guy a weapons recreation expert. What a joke!

  • @elihays3543
    @elihays3543 7 років тому +168

    1:34-1:48 that's what she said

  • @lemonacidrounds7293
    @lemonacidrounds7293 3 роки тому +2

    4:26 You see something like this, call Asterix and Obelix :D OK, but the enemy might start aiming for their legs or cutting them in close distance. I thing the turtle had lances pointed forward against anyone who decides to charge them

  • @CIS101
    @CIS101 Рік тому

    Good video.

  • @lukashuber4419
    @lukashuber4419 4 роки тому +6

    7:55 CALL PETA!
    the poor fly

  • @walkercribbs6332
    @walkercribbs6332 5 років тому +23

    “Spear” ITS A FOOKIN JAVY DO NOY CALL A JAVY A FOOKIN SPEAR

  • @keithwatson8228
    @keithwatson8228 Рік тому

    That woman is a genius. "The spear is designed basically to kill." I'm sure glad she told me that. I would have never figured that out.

  • @akkigurjar9592
    @akkigurjar9592 2 роки тому

    भारतवर्ष के महान योद्धा हमेशा सही संसार के सभी योद्धाओं से ऊपर है भारत की फौज बहुत ताकतवर थी इतिहास उठाकर देख लो