Quote Originally Posted by Foot
I think that rather than Romans being the innovators of the javelin and melee attack styles that instead this form of combat had been around for much much longer. Romans undoubtedly copied from someone else.
Foot
Yes, I would have covered that fact in my first post. Seems as though it were the greeks thats influenced them in that fashion.. http://www.legionxxiv.org/weapons/ . Im sure a peltast, or one of its heavier variants.

heres something partially interesting http://www.archaeology.org/9905/newsbriefs/china.html ok this guy has issues.. http://naturesdesignsonline.com/Cat-of-nine-tails.htm