Hasta (spear)
Weapon used by early Roman legionaries / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The hasta (pl.: hastae) was the spear carried by early Roman legionaries, for which the Roman soldiers known as hastati were named. In later republican times, the hastati were re-armed with pila and gladii, and the hasta was only retained by the triarii.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Hasta_Nordisk_familjebok.jpg/220px-Hasta_Nordisk_familjebok.jpg)
Unlike the pilum, verutum and lancea, the hasta was not thrown, but used for thrusting. It was about 2.4 metres (8 feet) in length, with a shaft generally made from ash, while the head was of iron.
Hasta also referred to a spear that was a gymnastic weapon.[1][2] The hasta prapilata was a spear with its point either covered by a ball or muffled. This type of spear was used by soldiers during training.[3]