the difference between a spear and a javelin
Bronze, Laconian style, third quarter of the 6th century BC. A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the bow and arrow and slingshot, which shoot projectiles from a mechanism.
Answer Wiki. A spear is a versatile weapon, able to be used on foot and mounted on a horse. It is quite flexible in its range it offers. More importantly, in the hands of a good arm, it can be used as a projectile- something similar to a javelin. A lance on the other hand is often a one-time use.