05-27-2011, 05:57 PM
In order to answer such questions we always have to see the original text, for usually translations are profoundly misleading, especially regarding matters of war. The text is
from Lucianus' "Alexander", 55.4 and in Greek it reads :
"ἐπηγόμην δὲ καὶ στρατιώτας δύο, λογχοφόρον καὶ κοντοφόρον, παρὰ τοῦ ἡγουμένου τῆς Καππαδοκίας"
So, it talks about loghoforos and a kontoforos (armed with a loghi and a kontos respectively). Now, what exactly Lucian means by these two terms is also a bit vague. Generally, a loghi is a spear that is used in melee BUT can also be thrown, while a kontos is a sturdier spear that is used in melee. It is almost impossible though to say how long these spears would be or whether this kontos was 8 or 12 feet.
from Lucianus' "Alexander", 55.4 and in Greek it reads :
"ἐπηγόμην δὲ καὶ στρατιώτας δύο, λογχοφόρον καὶ κοντοφόρον, παρὰ τοῦ ἡγουμένου τῆς Καππαδοκίας"
So, it talks about loghoforos and a kontoforos (armed with a loghi and a kontos respectively). Now, what exactly Lucian means by these two terms is also a bit vague. Generally, a loghi is a spear that is used in melee BUT can also be thrown, while a kontos is a sturdier spear that is used in melee. It is almost impossible though to say how long these spears would be or whether this kontos was 8 or 12 feet.
