Dory ( spear ) The dory or doru - pronounced " " - ( ) is a spear that was the chief armament of hoplite s ( heavy infantry ) in Ancient Greece . The word " dory " is first attested in Homer with the meanings of " wood " and " spear " . Homeric heroes hold two dorys ( Il . 11 , 43 , Od . 1 , 256 ) . In Homer and in classical period the dory was a symbol of military power , possibly more important than the sword , as can be deducted from expressions like " " Troy conquered by dory " " ( Il . 16 , 708 ) and words like " " doryktetos " " ( spear - won ) and " " doryalotos " " ( spear - taken slave ) . The dory was about three metres in length ( ten feet ) and had a handle with a diameter of 5 cm ( two inches ) made of wood , either cornel or ash weighing 1 to 2 kg . The flat leaf - shaped spearhead was composed of iron and its weight was counterbalanced by a bronze butt - spike . Butt - spike . There is speculation as to the purpose of this feature . In addition to its role as a stabilizer , the butt - spike could serve as a secondary weapon . If the shaft of the dory was broken or if the iron point was lost , the remaining portion could still function . Though its combat range would be reduced , the dory ' s complete length would have lessened the chance of a single break rendering it ineffective . If the shaft sustained a break in which a large portion of the shaft was lost , the weapon would be lighter making the hoplite using it more agile and allowing him to thrust and parry more dextrously . While the butt - spike could have been useful in finishing wounded enemy soldiers lying on the ground as the formation advanced over them , it would have had great utility during an active confrontation as well . When the leaf point was being used underhand ( i . e . , spear wielded like a sword ) , a forward spear thrust at the opponents spear arm will most likely be blocked upward by the opponents shield . Continuing the attack , if this blocked thrust is followed by a forward step using the left foot and a shield edge thrust into the face of the enemy ' s shield , the opponent would be knocked back one half step to a full step . This would leave the opponent ' s foot exposed from below the edge of the shield so that it would be perfectly positioned for a butt - spike downward thrust . The exposed toes and / or foot of the enemy under the edge of his shield would be similar to a " lizard peeking from under a rock , " and may have prompted the Hoplite ' s nickname for the butt - spike as " lizard - killer " - Another possible explanation for this is the slang word Ancient Greeks used for penis - " Saurus " , literally , " lizard " and the general ease of attacking an opponents groin region through an upward swing with the butt - spike . The blunt , square shape would prevent the spike from penetrating deeply enough into the foot or ankle to entangle it and would have maximized damage to the bones , ligaments , and tendons of the foot with a minimum of force . Also , using the butt - spike to make any thrust likely to end up in the ground is more desirable than possibly damaging the leaf - blade which has more utility for sweeping cuts as well as thrusting in combat . Another use of the feature might have been that by lodging the butt - spike into the ground a hoplite may have been able to stand the Dory upright when he was not holding it making it more readily at hand should it be needed quickly . Use in the phalanx . The principal advantage of the dory was that it enabled a soldier to keep an enemy at a distance in a pitched battle . Like the xiphos , it was a single - handed weapon , held in the right hand leaving the left free to support the hoplite ' s shield . 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 . The dory ' s length enabled multiple ranks of a formation to engage simultaneously during combat . The dory was not a javelin . Despite its aerodynamic shape , its weight and length would have made it cumbersome and impractical to throw . Because it had evolved for combat between phalanxes , it was constructed so as to be adequate against the defences of Greek infantry , which incorporated bronze in hoplon and helmet construction . Hoplites were generally more heavily armored than infantry of their non - Greek contemporaries .