What was the heaviest spear?

The sarissa, made of tough and resilient cornel wood, was very heavy for a spear, weighing approximately 5.5 to 6.5 kg (12 to 14 lb). It had a sharp iron head shaped like a leaf and a bronze butt-spike, which could be anchored in the ground to stop charges by the enemy.

How heavy was a phalanx spear?

Each phalangite carried as his primary weapon a sarissa, a double-pointed pike over 6 m (18 ft) in length, weighing about 6.6 kg (14.5 pounds).

How much does a battle spear weigh?

Generally, a spear becomes a pike when it is too long to be wielded with one hand in combat. It was approximately 2.5–6 kg (5.5–13.2 lb) in weight, with the 16th-century military writer Sir John Smythe recommending lighter rather than heavier pikes.

What was the longest spear?

use by Alexander the Great

…the Macedonians' use of the sarissa, a 13- to 21-foot (4- to 6.5-metre) spear that was roughly twice the length of the pikes used by the Greeks.

How long was the Greek spear?

The typical panoply included an eight- to ten-foot thrusting spear with an iron tip and butt, and bronze armor consisting of a helmet, cuirass (chest armor), greaves (shin guards), and a large shield about 30 inches in diameter.

Spear Master Rates 9 Spear Fights in Movies and TV | How Real Is It? | Insider

How long was a Xyston?

It measured about 3.5 to 4.25 m (11 to 14 ft) long and was probably held by the cavalryman with both hands, although the depiction of Alexander the Great's xyston on the Alexander Mosaic in Pompeii (see figure), suggests that it could also be used single handed. It had a wooden shaft and a spear-point at both ends.

What was the longest spear used in battle?

The sarisa or sarissa (Greek: σάρισα) was a long spear or pike about 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) in length. It was introduced by Philip II of Macedon and was used in his Macedonian phalanxes as a replacement for the earlier dory, which was considerably shorter.

How long was a xiphos?

It was a secondary battlefield weapon for the Greek armies after the dory or javelin. The classic blade was generally about 45–60 cm (18–24 in) long, although the Spartans supposedly preferred to use blades as short as 30 cm (12 in) around the era of the Greco-Persian Wars.

What size was a Viking spear?

The most common and important weapon wielded by a Viking warrior was the Norse spear. Viking spears typically feature metal spear heads attached to wooden shafts of 6 to 10 feet long. The head of a Viking warrior spear was about 7 to 24 inches long with a tendency towards longer heads in the late Viking age.

How far would a Spartan throw a spear?

The Spartan Spear Throw is the bane of many racers. Often a smaller archery-style foam target and sometimes a target made up of two or three bales of hay, this obstacle is a 20-to-30-foot throw from behind a barricade. It's also the single most-failed Spartan race obstacle of all time.

How heavy were Spartan spears?

How much did a Spartan spear weigh? The Hellenic spear was called a dory and weighed anywhere from 2.5 to 5 pounds, depending on length and style.

How far could a caveman throw a spear?

Study suggests our ancient cousins could hurl their weapons and kill prey at up to 20 meters. Neanderthals were dangerous—even at a distance. A new study suggests they might have been able to nail prey with their pointy spears from up to 20 meters away. Scientists know our archaic cousins stabbed prey at close range.

What is the most famous spear?

Holy Lance, also called Spear of Destiny, Holy Spear, or Lance of Longinus, legendary relic that pierced the side of Christ at the Crucifixion.

What was the most effective spear?

The term "spear" may be applied to two separate weapons, the throwing spear and the thrusting spear. Although the origins of the two are interrelated, their histories, development, and characteristics are very different. The bladed thrusting spear is the most effective hand-held, edged weapon of all time.

How heavy is a Viking spear?

The overall length of the Viking spear is 14.75 inches and it weighs in at about 1 lb.

How big was a Spartan spear?

The Spear was the main offensive weapon of the Greek Spartan Hoplite warrior, it was approx. 6-9 feet long and made of ash wood specifically chosen because of its lightness and strength.

How heavy were hoplite spears?

The spear was heavy, considering only the right hand was used in holding it. Spears measured six to eight feet in length, but only an inch in diameter. A typical spear weighed between two and four pounds.

What defeated the phalanx?

At the Battle of Cynocephalae in 197 BCE, the Romans defeated the Greek phalanx easily because the Greeks had failed to guard the flanks of their phalanx and, further, the Greek commanders could not turn the mass of men who comprised the phalanxes quickly enough to counter the strategies of the Roman army and, after ...

How many spears did a Roman soldier carry?

The legionary wore his sword high on the right side of his body. This enabled it to be drawn underarm with his right hand without interfering with the shield which he carried in his left. A soldier carried two spears to throw at the enemy.

What was the heaviest Viking weapon?

One of the heaviest and longest extant swords of the Viking Age is dated to the 9th century and was found in Flå, now kept at Museum of Cultural History, Oslo, at a total length of 102.4 cm and a mass of 1.9 kg.

Did Cold Steel stop making spears?

The Future of Cold Steel's Models and Materials

“There are no plans to discontinue or halt production of any models at this time,” Mann says. “That being said, Lynn opted to keep some of the niche categories for himself such as blowguns and spears, hence why they are notably absent on the new Cold Steel website.”

Why do spears have wings?

The protruding wings on either side of the base were intended to check the forward momentum of a charging animal, keeping it at a safe distance from the hunter. The fine brass inlay decorating the spearhead is a reminder that hunting was a favorite pastime of nobility during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

How long were Spartans spears?

The Spartan Army

A Spartan warrior wore a bronze corselet or breastplate, a bronze helmet, a pair of greaves, a thrusting spear about eight feet long, and a short sword.

How big was a kopis?

The kopis sword was a one-handed weapon. Early examples had a blade length of up to 65 cm (25.6 inches), making it almost equal in size to the spatha. Later examples of the kopis from Macedonia tended to be shorter with a blade length of about 48 cm (18.9 inches).