(DM 312) The Greek Spear

The spear or (dory in Greek) is the primary weapon of the heavy infantry (hopolite formations) of ancient Greece. During Greece's Classical Period, the spear is the symbol of military power. The Greek poet, Homer states 'Troy won by dory.' In the Iliad and Odyssey, Homeric heroes carry two spears. After the conquests of Alexander the Great, 'spear-won land' is the powerful theme in Greek poetry and art of the Hellenistic Period. The spear of ancient Greece was between 6 and 10 feet in length. The dory had a shaft of ash wood; an iron leaf shaped spear head; and counter balanced with a bronze butt spike. This weapon weighed between two and four pounds. When employed in mass military formations or phalanxes, the Greek spear was a highly effective weapon. The Greek phalanx was a group of heavily armed infantry formed in ranks and files close and deep, with shields joined and long spears overlapping. Thousands of heavy infantry organized in rectangular walls of shields and hedges of spears gave Greece military supremacy in the Classical and Hellenistic periods of Greek history. This historical set includes a resin reproduction of an ancient Greek spear head that was a symbol of Greek power for over 450 years.