Sarissa

The sarissa or sarisa was a very long spear or pike, measuring about 5 to 7 meters (16 to 23 feet). It was created by Philip II of Macedon and became an important weapon in his Macedonian phalanxes. This long spear replaced the shorter dory, helping soldiers fight better by reaching further ahead.

After Alexander the Great went on his adventures, the sarissa continued to be widely used. It was a key weapon during the Hellenistic era from the 4th to the 1st centuries BCE. Many Hellenistic armies of the diadochi, who were leaders of Alexander’s former empire, relied on the sarissa in their battles.

Composition and utility

The sarissa was a very long spear used by ancient soldiers. It had a long wooden shaft and a metal tip. Some sarissas may have also had a metal butt at the end.

Historians think the shaft was made from ash wood or cornel wood. The tip’s size is not certain; some believe it was large and leaf-shaped, while others think it was smaller and diamond-shaped. Ancient writers said the sarissa could go through both shields and armor.

The sarissa was famous for its great length, making it hard for enemies to get close to soldiers using it. Different writers gave different lengths, but many think it was about 5 to 7 meters long. Some think it weighed around 5 to 6 kilograms, but others believe it could have been lighter.

Shields

Soldiers using the sarissa often also used a shield. Because the sarissa was so long and heavy, they could only use a smaller shield. Some think the shield was about 60 centimeters, while others think it could have been a bit larger.

Cavalry version

Some cavalry soldiers also used shorter versions of the sarissa. These were probably around 4 to 5 meters long. They might have used these spears in battles, but for scouting, they likely carried smaller weapons instead. Some historians think these cavalry spears were actually a different type called a xyston, which was shorter and had a bigger tip than the infantry sarissa.

Tactics

In ancient battles, armies often had strong foot soldiers called a phalanx in the middle, with horse soldiers on the sides and lighter foot soldiers in front. The foot soldiers in the phalanx used very long spears called sarissas, while the horse soldiers used shorter spears.

When moving, soldiers held their sarissas straight up. When getting ready to fight, they would point the spears forward, but this made it hard to turn. The sarissa was so long that it didn’t add much extra reach when pushing forward—maybe just about half a meter.

Before a big attack, the phalanx would stand in a loose group to move easily. Then, they would tighten up their lines to form a strong wall of spears. Because the spears were so long, even five rows of them would stick out in front of the soldiers. If enemies got past the first row, there were still four more rows to stop them. Soldiers in the back would hold their spears up to help block things like arrows.

The Macedonian phalanx was very hard to beat from the front. One way to defeat them was to flank them, as the Romans did in battles like Cynoscephalae and Thermopylae. Soldiers also carried a sword or dagger as a backup weapon in case they lost their formation or had to fight up close, since the sarissa was not useful in those situations.

History of use

See also: Ancient Macedonian army, Hellenistic armies, Antigonid Macedonian army, Ptolemaic army, and Seleucid army

The sarissa was a very long spear used by soldiers in ancient Macedonia. It was first introduced by Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. Alexander used these long spears in his battles across many lands, including Asia Minor, Persian Egypt, the Persian Empire, and parts of India. The sarissa helped his soldiers win important fights, like at the Battle of Gaugamela.

After Alexander, the sarissa continued to be important in the armies of the countries that formed after his empire. Later, similar long spears were used in battles in Europe during the late medieval and early modern times.