01-17-2008, 04:03 PM
Quote:"Hasta" is generally used these days for a spear mainly made for thrusting, not throwing, but of course the ancients were a lot looser in their use of terminology than we like!
Exactly! And apart from using names in a very loose manner, the ancient sources are also very unclear what was done with the weapons described. So, personally, when a source does not explicitly tells us that a weapon was used more than once (in which case it must be a thrusting weapon), it's even unsafe to assume it was used for thrusting OR throwing.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)