03-07-2001, 10:00 AM
Salve,<br>
<br>
The <i> Ektaxis</i> of Arrianus seems to suggest that missiles, his <i> kontoi</i> almost certainly referring to <i> pila</i>, could be thrown in the closest order, though it is uncertain how common this was. His first ranks are described as to brace themselves for the attack of the Alani in the densest order and for the ranks behind the first (which was instead to stab their enemies with their <i> kontos</i>) to throw their javelins at the enemies. Since this was to be done at point blank range, one supposes that any decrease in range imposed by lack of space would be negligible in effect. Hopefully there should come available some more information on various formations and their range effects on thrown weaponry in the near future. On the Roman Army Forum a member of one of the British groups posted that his group was doing some tests with various throwing weapons and would publish the results of their experiments later on. That should be an article that I am eagerly awaiting since there are so few hard and reliable data on weapon performance as of yet available.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>
<br>
The <i> Ektaxis</i> of Arrianus seems to suggest that missiles, his <i> kontoi</i> almost certainly referring to <i> pila</i>, could be thrown in the closest order, though it is uncertain how common this was. His first ranks are described as to brace themselves for the attack of the Alani in the densest order and for the ranks behind the first (which was instead to stab their enemies with their <i> kontos</i>) to throw their javelins at the enemies. Since this was to be done at point blank range, one supposes that any decrease in range imposed by lack of space would be negligible in effect. Hopefully there should come available some more information on various formations and their range effects on thrown weaponry in the near future. On the Roman Army Forum a member of one of the British groups posted that his group was doing some tests with various throwing weapons and would publish the results of their experiments later on. That should be an article that I am eagerly awaiting since there are so few hard and reliable data on weapon performance as of yet available.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>
