Javelin (weapon)
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- For other uses see Javelin (disambiguation)
Javelin (Greek: ακόντιο, Latin: verutum, German: Wurfspeer, French: javelot, Spanish: jabalina, Italian: giavellotto) is the name of a pole weapon designed primarily for casting as a ranged weapon. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand unlike the arrow or slingshot which are projectiles shot from a mechanism. However, hurling devices do exist to assist the thrower in achieving greater distance. The word javelin comes from Middle English and it derives from Old French javeline a diminutive of javelot which meant spear. The word javelot probably originated from the Celtic language.
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[edit] The difference between javelin and spear
The primary difference between a spear and a javelin lies in their intended use. Javelins were meant to be a ranged weapon thrown before the sides joined in hand to hand combat. A javelin, therefore, tends to be lighter, which makes it easier to throw but increases the odds of the weapon breaking, thereby all but eliminating its value in a melee. The spear is usually heavier, with a thicker shaft and broader head, usually sharpened along the sides so that it can cause wounds even if the attacker fails to land the point in his enemy. A spearman would typically attack by thrusting the spear head at an enemy, but the heavy shaft could be used to strike a target in a manner like a club, or to trip him like a staff, though both these were less effective than thrusting, since the spears length and weight made it harder to wield in a non-stabbing manner, particularly in close formations.
[edit] History of the javelin and its use
[edit] Prehistory
There are archeological evidence that javelins and throwing sticks were already in use during the last phase of the lower Paleolithic. Seven spear-like objects were found in a coal mine in the city of Schöningen, Germany. The weapons were carbon dated to be about 400,000 years old. The excavated items were made of spruce (Picea) trunk and measured between 1.82 and 2.25 meters. They were manufactured with the maximum thickness and weight situated at the front end of the wooden shaft. The frontal center of gravity suggests these pole weapons were used as javelins. Fossilized rhinoceros shoulder blade with a projectile wound, dated to 500,000 years ago, were revealed in a gravel quarry in the village of Boxgrove, England. Studies revealed the wound was probably caused by a javelin. [1] [2] [3]
[edit] Classical age
The Javelin was a typical weapon for light infantry or light cavalry in ancient Greek and Roman warfare.
[edit] Ancient Greece
The Peltasts, usually serving as a skirmishers, were armed with several javelins, often with throwing straps to increase standoff power. The Peltasts hurled their javelins on the enemy heavier troops, the Hoplite phalanx, in order to break their lines so their own army hoplites will come and destroy the weakened enemy formation. In the battle of Lechaeum the Athenian general Iphicrates took advantage of the fact that a Spartan hoplite phalanx operating near Corinth was moving in the open field without the protection of any missile throwing troops. He decided to ambush it with his force of peltasts. By launching repeated hit-and-run attacks against the Spartan formation, Iphicrates and his men were able to wear the Spartans down, eventually routing them and killing just under half. This marked the first occasion in ancient Greece military history on which a force entirely made up of peltasts had defeated a force of hoplites.
The Thureophoroi and Thorakites who gradually replaced the Peltasts had javelins in addition to a long thrusting spear and a short sword.
[edit] Rome
[edit] Republic and early empire
In 387 BC the Gauls invaded Italy, landed a crushing defeat to the Roman Republican army and sacked Rome. After this defeat the Romans undertook a comprehensive reform in their army and changed the basic tactical formation from the Greek-like phalanx armed with the hasta spear and and the clipeus round shield to a more flexible three line formation. The Hastati stood on the first line, the Principes in the second line and the Triarii at the third line. While the Triarii were still armed with the hasta the Hastati and the Principes were rearmed with short swords and heavy javelins. Each soldier from the Hastati and Principes lines received two javelins. This heavy javelin, know as Pilum (plural pila) was a about two meters long overall, consisting of an iron shank about 7 mm in diameter and 60 cm long with pyramidal head. The iron shank may be socketed or more usually widens to a flat tang, this was secured to a wooden shaft. A pilum usually weighed between two and four kilograms, with the versions produced during the Empire being a bit lighter. Pictorial evidence suggest that some versions of the weapon were weighted by a lead ball to increase penetrative power, but no archeological specimens have been found.[4] Recent experiments have shown pila to have a range of about 30 metres, although the effective range is only about 15 to 20 metres. Pila were sometimes referred to as javelins in general but the archaic term for the javelin was verutum.
From the third century BC the Roman legion adds a skirmisher type of soldier to its tactical formation. The Velites were light infantry armed with a Gladius or Pugio, a small round shield and several small javelin which were not Pila. These javelins were called Veruta (Verutum in singular) . The Velites used to draw near the enemy, hurl javelins against its formation and then retreat behind the legion's heavier infantry. The Velites were considered highly effective in turning back war elephants, on account of discharging a hail of javelins at some range and not presenting a "block" which could be trampled on or otherwise smashed - unlike the close order infantry behind them. At the Battle of Zama in 202 BC the javelin throwing Velites proved their worth, and were no doubt critical in helping to herd Hannibal's war elephants through the formation to be slaughtered. The Velites would slowly have been either disbanded or re-equipped as more-heavily armed legionaries from the time when Gaius Marius and other Roman generals reorganised the army in the late second and early first centuries BC. Their role would most likely have been taken by irregular auxiliary troops as the Republic expanded overseas. The Verutum was a cheaper missile weapon than the Pilum. The Verutum was a short distance javelin. The head of the javelin is made of soft iron, simply made.
Legionaries of the Late Republic and Early Empire often carried two pila, with one sometimes being lighter than the other. Standard tactics called for a Roman soldier to throw his pilum (both if there was time) at the enemy just before charging to engage with his gladius. Some pila had small hand-guards, to protect the wielder if he intended to use it as a melee weapon, but it does not appear that this was common.
[edit] Late Empire
In the late Roman empire the Roman infantry came to use differently shaped javelin than the earlier Pilum. This javelin was lighter and had a greater range.
[edit] Gaul
The Gallic cavalry used to hurl several javelins volleys to soften the enemy before a frontal attack. The Gallic cavalry used their javelins in a tactic similar to that of horse archers Parthian shot. The Gauls knew how to turn on horseback to throw javelins backwards while advancing forward.
[edit] Iberia
The Hispanic cavalry was a light cavalry armed with a Falcata and several light javelins. The Cantabri tribes invented a military tactic to maximize the advantages of the combination between horse and javelin. In this tactic the horsemen rode around in circles, toward and away from the enemy, continually hurling javelins. The tactic was usually employed against heavy infantry. The constant movement of the horsemen gave them an advantage against slow infantry and made them hard to target. The maneuver was designed to harass and taunt the enemy forces, disrupting close formations. This was commonly used against enemy infantry, especially heavily armed and slow moving legions of the Romans. This tactic came to be know as the Cantabrian circle. In the late Republic various auxiliary cavalry completely replaced the Italian cavalry contingents and the Hispanic auxiliary cavalry was considered the best.
[edit] Carthage
The Numidians were indigenous tribes of northwest Africa. The Numidian cavalry was a light cavalry usually operating as skirmishers. The Numidian horseman was armed with a small shield and several javelins. The Numidians had a reputation as swift horsemen, cunning soldiers and excellent javelin throwers. It is said that Jugurtha, the Numidian king "...took part in the national pursuits of riding, javelin throwing and competed with other young men in running." [Sallust The Jugurthine War: 6]. The Numidian Cavalry served as mercenaries in the Carthaginian army and played a key role in assisting Hannibal during the Second Punic War.
[edit] Middle ages
[edit] Norsemen
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[edit] Viking
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[edit] Normans
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[edit] Anglo-Saxons
In the Anglo-Saxon warfare soldiers usually formed a shield wall and used heavy weapons like Danish axes, swords, and spears. Javelins were used as an offensive weapon from behind the shield wall or by warriors that left the protective formation and attacked the enemy as skirmishers.
[edit] Spain
The Almogavars were a class of Aragonese infantrymen armed with a short sword, a shield and two heavy javelins, known as assegai. The equipment resembled that of a Roman legionary and the use of the heavy javelins was much the same.
The Jinetes were Spanish light horsemen armed with a javelin, sword and a shield. This troop type developed in the Middle Ages in response to the massed light cavalry of the Moors. Often fielded in significant numbers by the Spanish, and at times the most numerous of the Spanish mounted troops, they were proficient at skirmishing and rapid maneuver, and played an important role in Spanish mounted warfare throughout the Reconquista until the sixteenth century.
[edit] Muslim world
[edit] Kharijites
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[edit] Almoravid
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[edit] Almohades
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[edit] Modern age
[edit] Africa
Many African tribes used the javelin as their main weapon. The typical African warfare was based on a ritualized stand-off encounters involving throwing javelins without advancing for close combat. In the flag of Swaziland there is a shield and two javelins, which symbolize the protection from the country's enemies.
[edit] Zulu
The Zulu warriors used a long version of the assegai javelin as their primary weapon since the middle ages when it was imported from the Iberian peninsula into Africa. The Zulu legendary leader Shaka initiated military reforms in which a short stabbing spear, with a long, swordlike spearhead named iklwa had become the Zulu warrior main weapon and was used as a mêlée weapon. The assegai was not discarded, but was used for an initial missile attack. With the larger shields, introduced by Shaka to the Zulu army, the short spears used as stabbing swords and the opening phase of javelin attack the zulu regiments were quite similar to the Roman legion with its Scutum, Gladius and Pilum tactical combination.
[edit] Mythology
[edit] Mythological Javelins
- Spear of Destiny - The spear that pierced the side of Jesus was either the Pilum or the Lancea.
- Gungnir - The javelin of Odin, famous god in Norse mythology.
- Gáe Bulg - The javelin of Cúchulainn, hero in Irish mythology.
- Vel - The javelin of Murugan, the most popular Hindu deity amongst the Tamil people.
[edit] Mythological javelin throwing soldiers
[edit] Greek mythology
The Apollonian Guard of the Trojan army were light cavalry unit which was renowned for its javelin throwing capablilities.
[edit] Norse mythology
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[edit] Recreational javelin throw
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[edit] List of javelins
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[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] Further reading
- Anglim, Simon et al., (2003), Fighting Techniques of the Ancient World (3000 B.C. to 500 A.D.): Equipment, Combat Skills, and Tactics, Thomas Dunne Books.
- Bennett, Matthew et al., (2005), Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World: Equipment, Combat Skills and Tactics, Thomas Dunne Books.
- Connolly, Peter , (2006), Greece and Rome at War, Greenhill Books, 2nd edition.
- Jorgensen, rister et al., (2006), Fighting Techniques of the Early Modern World: Equipment, Combat Skills, and Tactics, Thomas Dunne Books.
- Saunders, J. J., (1972), A History of Medieval Islam, Routledge.
- Warry, John Gibson, (1995), Warfare in the Classical World: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons, Warriors and Warfare in the Ancient Civilisations of Greece and Rome, University of Oklahoma Press.
