Longer Hoplite Spear

[Paullus Scipio]

Paul B. wrote:

Sarissas were always biased forward because the balance point is at the foregrip, thus even if center balanced the pivot point could be an arms length from the sarissaphoroi. In fact the double grip allows you to hold it beyond the balance point in a way that can't be done with a single overhand grip, and can only be accomplished with a single grip if the shaft lays along the forearm in a "high underhand" grip.

Connolly, using maximum 'tapered shaft, small head, large butt' technology showed that the balance/pivot point was always ahead of the leading hand - around 350 mm-480mm ( 14 inches- 19 inches) depending on the size of the head.....

I see no need to relegate them to anticavalry uses since any reach advantage in doratismos might well be worth the chance of breakage.

I didn't say they were restricted to counter the cavalry 'kamax', merely that with its introduction, a cavalryman could outreach an ordinary 'doru', and that the introduction of the tapered infantry spear was, as you suggest, part of an 'arms race' . We know from the iconography that it did not replace the normal 'doru', and as to how widespread its use, we cannot tell......

Lastly, is this a Dorudrepanon or some type of boat-hook? I have read that there are images showing something more akin to the later Rhomphaia, but I have not seen one.

This weapon is likely to be a "longche-drepanon" ( no, I'm not making this up! ) because of its smaller shaft - the 'drepanon' part refers to the sickle-shaped blade.A "doru-drepanon" would likely have had a similar head, but a larger, longer shaft.....