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The dory or ''doru '' (; ) was the chief
The dory was about 2–3 meters in length (6'7" in. to 9'10 in.) and had a handle with a diameter of made of wood, either cornel or ash weighing . The flat leaf-shaped spearhead was composed of iron and its weight was counterbalanced by an iron butt-spike. (cf Sarissa)
The point part of the spear was called αἰχμή and ἀκωκή and λόγχη.
The rear of the spear was capped with a spike called a (). It was also called ouriachos (οὐρίαχος) and styrax (στύραξ) or styrakion (στυράκιον).A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), William Smith, LLD, William Wayte, G. E. Marindin, Ed., Hasta
/ref> It functionally served as a counter-weight to give balance. This spike had several uses. It could be used to stand the spear up or used as a secondary weapon if the spearhead was broken off. If the shaft of the ''dory'' was broken or if the iron point was lost, the remaining portion could still function. Though its combat range would be reduced, the ''dory''s complete length would have lessened the chance of a single break rendering it ineffective. Additionally, any enemies that had fallen could be dispatched by the warriors marching over them in the back ranks of the phalanx who were holding their spears in a vertical position. A dory was kept in a case which was called δορατοθήκη or δουροδοθήκη or δουροθήκη or δοροθήκηIouliou Polydeukous Onomastikon en bibliois deka
/ref> (meaning "dory case") and δουροδόκηHenry George Liddell, Robert Scott, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Dourodokh
/ref> or δορυδόκη (meaning "dory rack"). Homer called it σύριγξ, meaning pipe because of the form of the case.
spear
A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...
of hoplite
Hoplites ( ) ( ) were citizen-soldiers of Ancient Greek city-states who were primarily armed with spears and shields. Hoplite soldiers used the phalanx formation to be effective in war with fewer soldiers. The formation discouraged the sold ...
s (heavy infantry) in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
. The word ''doru'' is first attested in the Homeric epics with the meanings of "wood" and "spear". Homeric heroes hold two (, plural of ) (Il. 11,43, Od. 1, 256). In classical antiquity
Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...
, the dory was a symbol of military power, possibly more important than the sword, as can be inferred from expressions like "Troy conquered by dory" (Il. 16,708) and words like " () (spear-won) and " () (spear-taken).
The spear used by the Persian army under Darius I
Darius I ( ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE. He ruled the empire at its territorial peak, when it included much of West A ...
and Xerxes in their respective campaigns during the Greco-Persian Wars
The Greco-Persian Wars (also often called the Persian Wars) were a series of conflicts between the Achaemenid Empire and Polis, Greek city-states that started in 499 BC and lasted until 449 BC. The collision between the fractious political world ...
was shorter than that of their Greek opponents. The ''dory''s length enabled multiple ranks of a formation to engage simultaneously during combat.
The ''dory'' was not intended for throwing, such as a dart or javelin
A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon. Today, the javelin is predominantly used for sporting purposes such as the javelin throw. The javelin is nearly always thrown by hand, unlike the sling ...
. However, its aerodynamic shape allowed the dory to be thrown. Because it had evolved for combat between phalanges (the plural form of ''phalanx''), it was constructed so as to be adequate against the defences of Greek infantry, which incorporated bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
in shield and helmet construction. Hoplites were generally more heavily armored than infantry of their non-Greek contemporaries.
Should not be confused with ''Dorydrepanon'' (δορυδρέπανον, from δόρυ (Dory) + δρέπανον (Sickle
A sickle, bagging hook, reaping-hook or grasshook is a single-handed agricultural tool designed with variously curved blades and typically used for harvesting or reaping grain crops, or cutting Succulent plant, succulent forage chiefly for feedi ...
)) which was a kind of Halberd and was used for cutting off halyards in sea-fights and for pulling down battlements in sieges.
Details
The dory was about 2–3 meters in length (6'7" in. to 9'10 in.) and had a handle with a diameter of made of wood, either cornel or ash weighing . The flat leaf-shaped spearhead was composed of iron and its weight was counterbalanced by an iron butt-spike. (cf Sarissa)
The point part of the spear was called αἰχμή and ἀκωκή and λόγχη.
The rear of the spear was capped with a spike called a (). It was also called ouriachos (οὐρίαχος) and styrax (στύραξ) or styrakion (στυράκιον).A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), William Smith, LLD, William Wayte, G. E. Marindin, Ed., Hasta/ref> It functionally served as a counter-weight to give balance. This spike had several uses. It could be used to stand the spear up or used as a secondary weapon if the spearhead was broken off. If the shaft of the ''dory'' was broken or if the iron point was lost, the remaining portion could still function. Though its combat range would be reduced, the ''dory''s complete length would have lessened the chance of a single break rendering it ineffective. Additionally, any enemies that had fallen could be dispatched by the warriors marching over them in the back ranks of the phalanx who were holding their spears in a vertical position. A dory was kept in a case which was called δορατοθήκη or δουροδοθήκη or δουροθήκη or δοροθήκηIouliou Polydeukous Onomastikon en bibliois deka
/ref> (meaning "dory case") and δουροδόκη
/ref> or δορυδόκη (meaning "dory rack"). Homer called it σύριγξ, meaning pipe because of the form of the case.
See also
*Xyston
The xyston ( "spear, javelin (weapon), javelin; pointed or spiked stick, goad), was a type of a long thrusting spear in ancient Greece. It measured about long and was probably held by the cavalryman with both hands. It had a wooden shaft and a sp ...
References
{{Pole weapons Ancient Greek military equipment Ancient Greek military terminology Spears