Making Roman weapons - Ancient Rome project

A Roman helmet made from a baseball cap spray painted gold

Roman helmet, from the kids at Laurelhurst School, Portland, Oregon

Although the Romans did many other things besides fight battles, certainly one of their greatest achievements was the world’s first really professional, paid army. Roman soldiers conquered most of Europe and all around the edges of the Mediterranean Sea, and held onto it for five hundred years.

A Roman helmet model made out of a bike helmet covered with tinfoil

Another Roman helmet from Laurelhurst School

You can make Roman helmets, spears, and swords for your history museum or just as a project. One student made the helmet on the upper right from a baseball cap spray-painted gold, some plywood, and broom bristles. Another student made the helmet on the left from a bike helmet covered with foil, some cardboard, and some yarn. The stand is an old lamp.

A Roman shield model with a big red star painted on it

Roman shield, also from Laurelhurst School

There’s a Roman shield made from cardboard and papier mache, dried and then painted. Some Roman shields were round like this one, but at other times Roman soldiers carried rectangular shields, so you could also make yours rectangular instead of round.

Or you could make a Roman sword, like the one below. This one is made from foam rubber, painted to look like metal.