Adoption of the cavalry shield in Hellenisitc heavy cavalry.

[Paullus Scipio]

Ruben wrote:

I've never seen any sort of Graeco-Bactrian example of a horseman spearing a lion, which is a thoroughly oriental theme. The bowl you cite, aside from being entirely irrelevant to any discussion of the motif's nature in the centuries BC, was probably made under Persian influence, which was still strong in Bactria under the Sassanids. The fact remains that early examples of this motif are entirely Parthian.

That is not correct, the lion-hunting motif goes back IIRC, to Assyria, and even if it is of Persian ( not Parthian) origin, it is still not unique. Consider for example the Alexander sarcophagus and the Philip tomb, both showing mounted lion hunts. It is clear Alexander and his successors used this motif, and hence it should be no surprise to find the mounted lion hunt in a possible Seleucid context c. 200 BC

The former is sometimes cited as an early example of a kontophoros, but if you look at the drawing, and other clearer examples from Tolstov's original publications, you will see that the left arm is gripping the reins, and does not run past the horse's neck (what looks like a continuation of it is actually the reins themselves). This is thus a lancer, but not a kontophoros.

That is a matter of interpretation, surely ? One thing that strongly favours a two-handed grip is the fact that the right hand is placed well back, and there is clearly no large counter-weight, so the spear must be supported by the front hand......a 'lancer'/single handed grip must have a counterweight, even to be held in the middle, let alone far back.....once again, as in many of these debates, you don't seem to give much consideration to the realities/practicalities of the matter. Just pick up a broom by the end single-handed and you will begin to appreciate the difficulties of 'unbalanced' shaft weapons - then consider the weight of a 'large' spearhead.....

We find massive spearheads in La Tene Celtic panoplies with only small or no spear butts, and also Lucanian spears or javelins with enormous heads and regular-length or short shafts are depicted on red-figure vases, including ones used by cavalrymen.

The Celtic examples are not considered actual 'battle' weapons, and are considered by a number of scholars to be symbolic, or of a religious nature, or even a form of standard ( the 'gae' or great spear could be a symbol of 'gaesati'/spearmen for example.) Whatever they are, it is certain they are not practical weapons.
Depictions in art are not to scale, and in art details are often exaggerated, as I have already said.

Where is it said that kontoi don't have butts? What if the rider wanted it as a secondary weapon?

As an example, 3(d) referred to above has no butt/counterweight. I suggest you look at images of undoubted 'kontoi' again.....I can't think of one with a large butt/counterweight shown. Not all spear-types have a 'sauroter' type spike for a secondary weapon - in fact most throughout history don't. ( e.g. 'longche/palta' type weapons). The Roman spear-butt, and the blunt-edged and blunt-pointed 'xyston' butt ( judging by the tomb example) would not be practical 'secondary' weapons, and in support of this Macedonian cavalry seem to have used their swords as secondary weapons ( e.g. Cleitus famously saving A.'s neck).....there is more, but I don't have time to go into this.

This is tangential, but the Chertomlyk scabbard is a very poor iconographic source. It shows a highly classicized amazonomachy, and that figure on horseback is almost certainly an amazon. Whatever details were drawn from real life (and the xyston and saddle of the dragged amazon on the right certainly look true to life), this cannot be taken as a representation of a xystophoros Persian.

The figure on horseback wears a tiara and has 'Persian' attributes (possibly including a beard!) and the figure with the axe could be an Amazon or a Persian youth - a matter of interpretation once more, but it doesn't matter!!
The point is that in the period 330-320 BC roughly, the artist is portraying a contemporary weapon being used by an Eastern cavalry-person - a clear example of a 'xyston', as you yourself say, and we are told by our sources that Darius and Alexander equipped Persians with 'lances'. There can be little room for doubt that Persiam cavalry used the 'xyston'.