Dory (spear)

The dory or doru (/ˈdɒruː/; Greek: δόρυ) was the chief spear of hoplites (heavy infantry) in Ancient Greece.

[1] The spear used by the Persian army under Darius I and Xerxes in their respective campaigns during the Greco-Persian Wars was shorter than that of their Greek opponents.

Should not be confused with Dorydrepanon (δορυδρέπανον, from δόρυ (Dory) + δρέπανον (Sickle)) which was a kind of Halberd[2] and was used for cutting off halyards in sea-fights and for pulling down battlements in sieges.

and had a handle with a diameter of 5 cm (2 in) made of wood, either cornel or ash weighing 0.91 to 1.81 kg (2.0 to 4.0 lb).

[8] 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.

Hoplite with spear in an arming scene on the tondo of an Attic red-figure kylix (490–470 BC
In the genre scene of Achilles and Ajax playing dice, here with Athena presiding, the heroes often hold two spears ( Attic black-figure hydria , ca. 510 BCE BC)