Dory Question

[Palaemon]

Which would be more appropriate ? The Leaf shaped spear with midrib or the more angular spear head w / rib for Classical era hoplites ?

[PMBardunias]

Odd that no one replied to this. To me the most elegant spear head was the type commonly seen that is shaped like an elongated tear drop with a robust mid-rib. There are others shaped more like laurel leaves. Both are hollow inside and relative small.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Logical that no one replied to this...

What is a Dory, what is Dory........

Most on here who read the topic title will not have a clue what you are on about..

And leaf shaped spear heads with midribs......

what are we talking about here.. Vexilla? Signa?

Just a possible explanation why not many people have answered to this.

M.VIB.M.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

The question was short and clear. The reason i didn't reply is because i didn't know. There has been such huge variety of spearheads! In fact we don't know exactly which spearhead was used for which purpose. It seems that military spears had small heads,but this is not universlal.Early archaic spear heads seem to be very long and very thin like an elongated olive leaf. I think you can use any of the styles found in greece,just make sure it is light and would fit in a rather thin shaft. The sochet should never be more than 2cm wide. The bigger heads with wider sockets must have been for hunting and (in later periods in macedonia) as cavalry spear butts.
Khaire
Giannis

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

So, he meant DORIC ?? DORIAN ??

M.VIB.M.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Dory is the greek word for spear.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Thank you for the info Giannis !!

i thought spear in greek was Sarissa...

M.VIB.M.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Sarissa was named the macedonian pike,and probably only by the Macedonians.It probably came from the thracian name of long spear.
Khaire
Giannis

[hoplite14gr]

So, he meant DORIC ?? DORIAN ??

M.VIB.M.

The earlist term is DOYRI OY pronunced like U. Found in Homer and "Doric dialect" inscriptions
The DORI is found more frequently in Hellenistic texts

Initially it meant a long wooden shaft which what probably the first hunter/warrior was using.
The shaft still called DOYRI was reinforced with a stone point and later with metal.

It is hotly debated that the word DORIEIS (Doreans) means the spear bearers. A hypothesis wants the Bronze Age WANAX (king) to have a guard of hillmen spearmen
Hillmen always had a reputation of being crude and warlike

The name DOYRIS wasgiven to a man probalby adept with the weapon. A potter and historian were known by this name.

Kind regards

[Palaemon]

I was talking hoplite spear. I am gonna go with a leaf shaped spear with a nice mid rib. Thanks to everyone.

[PMBardunias]

Here are some probable/possible dory heads from Olympia: