An ''amentum'' (Greek ''ἀγκύλη'') was a leather strap attached to a

javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with the ...

used in

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...

athletics, hunting, and warfare, which helped to increase the range and the stability of the javelin in flight. Stability in flight was important because it allowed the javelin to land on its point, which was the only way the throw could be accurately recorded in competition or be useful against a live target. An amentum also increased the effective length of the throwing arm, as does a

spear-thrower A spear-thrower, spear-throwing lever or ''atlatl'' (pronounced or ; Nahuatl ''ahtlatl'' ) is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart or javelin-throwing, and includes a bearing surface which allows the user to store ene ...

, and so enhanced speed. It is very similar to the

Swiss arrow A Swiss arrow (also known as a Yorkshire arrow, Dutch arrow, Scotch arrow, or Gypsy arrow) is a weapon similar to an arrow, but thrown with a lanyard, retained via a small notch close to the fletching. It is very similar to an amentum and uses th ...

Throwing technique

The javelin was held at ear level and released after a short run. The amentum was looped over the first two fingers of the throwing hand so as to slip off when the throw was made. In competition throwing for distance, including the

Ancient Olympic pentathlon The Ancient Olympic pentathlon ( gr, πένταθλον) was an athletic contest at the Ancient Olympic Games, and other Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. The name derives from Greek, combining the words ''pente'' (five) and ''athlon'' (compet ...

Olympia, Greece Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ολυμπία ; grc, Ὀλυμπία ), officially Archaia Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Αρχαία Ολυμπία; grc, Ἀρχαία Ὀλυμπία, links=no; "Ancient Olympia"), is a small town in ...

, a blunt javelin would be launched at about 45 degrees, but in war or the chase, a sharp weapon was thrown much closer to the horizontal. Javelins and their amenta were used both on foot and from horseback. The amentum was securely attached at or behind the centre of gravity of the shaft. Attaching the amentum behind the centre of gravity increased the possible distance thrown but reduced accuracy. Hence the amentum was detachable, and the athlete fastened it to suit his taste shortly before use. The winding of the amentum added rotation and therefore accuracy to the projectile, similar to the effect of

rifling In firearms, rifling is machining helical grooves into the internal (bore) surface of a gun's barrel for the purpose of exerting torque and thus imparting a spin to a projectile around its longitudinal axis during shooting to stabilize the ...

on a bullet. The experiments conducted by H. A. Harris support the theories based on vase paintings of the proper use of an amentum.

Performance enhancement

In experiments made by General Reffye for

Emperor Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephe ...

, a javelin that could be thrown only 20 metres by hand could be thrown 80 metres with the amentum. More recent experiments have failed to replicate this level of enhancement, with well-designed tests, showing only a 58% improvement on average.S.R. MURRAY, W.A. SANDS, N.A. KECK, and D.A. O'ROARK Efficacy of the Ankyle in Increasing the Distance of the Ancient Greek Javelin Throw in: Nikephoros, 23, 2010, 329-333. The advantages of the amentum are the high precision for fast-flying light javelins, and a less demanding construction than

atlatl A spear-thrower, spear-throwing lever or ''atlatl'' (pronounced or ; Nahuatl ''ahtlatl'' ) is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart or javelin-throwing, and includes a bearing surface which allows the user to store ene ...

darts.

Parallels

Similar throwing straps were used on light javelins throughout Europe. Italian, Gaulish, and Iberian troops used them before and after the Roman conquests, they are mentioned in an ancient Irish story, and remains have been found on spears in the Nydam bog finds, where some appear to have been permanently fastened with studs. A similar device was used in

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, but in the rest of the world, the spear-thrower was the usual device for increasing the speed and range of light javelins.

References

{{Reflist Javelins