Roman Heavy Cavalry Fighting Techniques

[Paullus Scipio]

May I ask, what did a cavalryman do with his two-handed spear after the first impact? It isn't quite practical to fight with in close combat, is it? Or did they just leave and charge again?

As I tried to explain above, the kontos should, in my opinion, not be viewed as a weapon for close combat. Just as with the long spears of a phalanx it only works frontal and when charging. As soon as you're comming closer, I would leave my contos in the bodies of the first rankers and grap for your spatha. Also not that (as far as I know) this weapon is mostly associated with heavy cavalry, which is armoured for a reason.

One misconception that seemingly just will not die is that of the "cavalry charge", and also the "bayonet charge/infantry charge". Horses and humans alike are not stupid enough to run headlong at sharp pointy objects. There is no 'first impact', indeed no impact at all.
So what really does happen? The 'chargers' launch their attack, at the trot or canter if done properly ( only very rarely will two evenly matched forces simultaneously 'charge' one another). The defenders soak up the terrifying sounds and sights, and actual ground shaking ( I have experienced this - it really is awesome and terrifying hock: ) and must collectively and individually decide whether to stand their ground ( in the case that they are infantry) or not. If they give way and run, the horses continue to trot/canter forward after them, and a kind of 'pig-sticking' or 'tent-pegging' takes place, with the successful 'chargers' spearing fleeing individuals. No need, then, to abandon one's 'kontos'.

If the defenders resolutely stand their ground, and present a prickly defensive wall, then the line of horses will spontaneously stop, out of reach of the defenders - and likely then sheer off, either to try again, or find easier prey. If the 'charge' is driven resolutely home, which in reality means that the horse, after spontaneously pulling up, is spurred, reluctantly, closer to the screaming thrusting prickly line one step at a time - here the 'kontos' comes into its own, for with it, the cataphracts/clibanarii can outreach the foe by prodding and jabbing at the defenders, while hopefully their own and their horses armour keeps them fairly immune. Again the 'kontos' is not a one-off weapon. Think of the way a 'Picador' in a bull-ring uses his lance to repeatedly inflict wounds.

Against cavalry, the same rules apply, except that if the defenders morale does not collapse and cause running away, they may 'counter-charge'. If the attackers do not 'sheer off' in the face of this, and the two bodies of close packed horsemen approach one another, both sides horses will spontaneously halt rather than run into each other ( not even Hollywood can get two 'walls' of horses to collide). As before, the long 'kontos' allows the cataphract/clibanarii to prod and jab at an opponent or his horse and bring him down, 'picador' fashion. For an example one need look no further than the "Alexander mosaic", which plausibly shows an (alleged)incident at the battle of Issus. Darius' brother Oxathres* has interposed himself between the two (Diodorus Siculus XVII.34), and his wounded horse founders. Alexander is easily able to reach the Persian with his 12 ft lance ( a 'xyston' in this instance), who with his short 'palta' dual-purpose throwing/thrusting weapon 5-6 ft long cannot reach Alexander ( one lies in the foreground, perhaps dropped by Oxathres, who twists and grasps desperately at the lance to escape.) By retaining the 'kontos'/lance, the cataphract is able to jab/prod at the foe and outreach him.

Occasionally, and rarely, at this stage of the combat, especially if the lines of horsemen aren't riding boot to boot, it may be possible for a particularly brave foe and horse to spur and drive, at a walk, between two attackers. Only in that all-too-rare occurence might it become necessary to drop the 'kontos' and defend oneself with secondary weapon ( 'kontos' armed men in the second rank could reach this hypothetical intrepid defender ! )

In short, the 'kontos' is not used like a mediaeval couched lance, nor do trained mediaeval destriers of large size yet exist. ( I would argue too that 'knights' did not charge head-on into one another either).

There is no need to 'drop/dispose' of the 'kontos' after first contact ( which virtually never occurs at speed), but rather it is at that point, whether against infantry or cavalry, that the reach of the 'kontos' come into its own - in 'close' combat....

*Oxathres, if the anecdote is true, had a narrow escape, for he survived the near-miss and Alexander later honoured him by making him a 'Companion' cavalry guard. ( Diod.XVII.77.4)