Hastati

: hastatus) were a class of infantry employed in the armies of the early Roman Republic, who originally fought as spearmen and later as swordsmen.

Penrose and Southern postulate that it is probable that engagements with the Samnites and a crushing defeat at the hands of the Gallic warlord Brennus, who both used many smaller military units rather than a few larger ones, taught the Romans the importance of flexibility and the inadequacy of the phalanx on the rough, hilly ground of central Italy.

The entire Roman army was destroyed at the Battle of the Allia in a crushing defeat that prompted reforms by Marcus Furius Camillus.

[6] They fought in a quincunx formation, usually carrying scuta, large rectangular shields, and wearing bronze helmets, often with a number of feathers fixed onto the top to increase stature.

[5] In a pitched battle, the leves would form up at the front of the legion and harass the enemy with their javelins to cover the advance of the hastati.

Each hastatus also carried two pila, heavy javelins that, according to Goldsworthy "contrary to deeply entrenched myth" did not bend on impact to make any struck shield useless or prevent the weapon from being thrown back.

By the time the volley of pila had reached the enemy line (usually only fifteen yards distant for best effect), the legionaries were charging and very quickly at work with their swords.

[10] Pitched battles were conducted in a similar fashion; the velites would gather at the front and fling javelins to cover the advance of the hastati.

At the Great Plains, Scipio, the Roman general, formed his men up in the usual manner, but once the hastati had begun to engage the enemy, he used his principes and triarii as a flanking force, routing the opposing Carthaginian troops.

Once the surviving elephants had been routed, Scipio formed his men into a long line with his triarii and principes in the centre and hastati on the flanks, ready to engage the Carthaginian infantry.