Spear (Object)

Spear

OBJECT

A long, piercing weapon.

Overview

A spear is a pole weapon used for both hunting and war in ancient times. It is made of a shaft (usually made of wood) and a tip made of either stone or some kind of metal. In some cases the shaft itself is sharpened. They lasted as an acceptable weapon from the Stone Age until firearms became popular. Spears could be used for either thrusting or throwing (where it qualifies as a javelin). In the ancient golden era many civilizations used the spear as their main weapon or formation. Like the Greeks they were using thephalanxformation that basicly was a wall of troops holding long spears and shields pointing their foes. It was very effective for close combat and against cavalry but its weakness was the flanks of the spearholder troops. Alexander the Greatalso used the phalanx formation but he improved it with longer spears and named the new formation as "Sarissa" (sweeper). The romans had an elite unit the "Triarii" that basicly had the spear for a main weapon and it was simillar with the Greek phananx formation with the difference that the roman used these elite troops mainly for anti - cavalry purposes. Many other faction and civilization used the spear in that period like the Egyptians, The pontic Civilization Alexander's Heirs the Seleucid empire and the Carhedonias .Also many barabarian factions used the short spear along with wooden shields again for anticavalry purposes. Also almost all the cavalry units used the spear as their main weapon espesialy when the horse were charging and were thrusting the enemy infantry with fierce force. Offsprings of the spear include polearms such as the lance, halberd, pike, and the Japanese naginata. Spears were popular throughout the Medieval and Renaissance eras for stopping horsemen, by sticking spears or pikes into the ground they could scare off anyhorses. The role of horse-stopping was eventually taken over by gunpowder. Famous spears include Poseidon's trident, Gungnir, Spear of Lugh, and the Spear of Destiny.

Types of Spear

Non-throwing Spears

Jousting Lance
Half pike
Partisan
Pike

Throwing Spears

Angon
Javelin
Pilum
Harpoons

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