The Cestrosphendon DartWhat was it?A deadly dart designed to be launched from a sling — not thrown by hand! The Cestrosphendon (or kestros) was a small, iron-tipped projectile with a wooden shaft and fletching for stability, kind of like a tiny javelin-meets-arrow.
Who used it?It first appeared in Macedonian armies under Philip V (3rd century BCE) and was likely used during the Macedonian Wars against Rome. Some sources say it was used to punch through armor at a distance where arrows or slingstones fell short.
Why it's cool:- Designed for slingers — not archers!
- Required a specialized sling to hurl it with high velocity
- Combined range, speed, and armor-piercing power
While it didn't become a widespread weapon, it's an incredible example of ancient battlefield innovation.
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4s4lyksQ7mKLEVgCrXFxjVDc4vERvnqYRl3GCsSYRreWkXzd1bSM7Z-JZn5ETyIczlsp75qfCHfM8cV3LvCR7l8AowSNg-wQiaqH8Afq51wyeYsa0TmfglTaun0B-62lKn1eg5z9vnv8LCddPQlj_Ji6bGBbbeZ9qOq-_pOtK4ZfC81Pz-zJg6gJJ6ggZ)
Ever heard of it before? Not me!
New one on me, too. Let me see if I can convert some Macedonian slingers to Cestrosphendonophori!?
There is a nice video on YouTube, I find
https://youtu.be/r5PWq3XqGGw?feature=shared
Blimey...a new one on me too.
We've actually had conversations on it before (https://soa.org.uk/sm/index.php?topic=1664.msg18648#msg18648) and Björn Floderus actually commissioned figures armed with it in 28mm.
Well spotted sir
I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me!
:P
I wonder how long it will be before Tod Cutler features them on his YouTube Channel!
Xyston make these in 15mm. See:
https://shop.ancient-modern.co.uk/anc20297---sphendonatai-with-kestrosphendone-3814-p.asp
Peter
Do any rules cater for them?
Oh no....I am not looking at my pile! ;D
Quote from: Keraunos on Aug 31, 2025, 12:46 AMDo any rules cater for them?
Were they common enough or spectacularly effective enough to need catering for?
...but it is easy enough to incorporate them in one's favourite ruleset. Simply add a new tactical factor/combat result - "Using Cestrosphendon Dart +10 & all opposition removed from table".
Even better than arming one's troops with chainsaw or maxim gun!
;D
Exactly Nick. There is also the risk of the "flaming pig effect", where a military curiosity becomes a wargamer's must have because of a rule writer's completism.
Do people field many staff slingers any more? I suspect they were briefly fashionable before flaming pigs
There is nothing new under the sun. I wrote an article on 'belosphendone' which appeared in Slingshot 312 (May-June 2017) and which also discussed the 'cestrosphendone'. That in turn arose from a forum discussion presumably about that time, though the search feature for some reason doesn't want to find it for me.
The entirety of the evidence for 'cestrosphendone' is one passage of Livy:
Livy 42.65: "They suffered mainly from the cestrosphendone, a novel kind of weapon invented during the war [with Perseus]. It consisted of a pointed iron head two palms long, fastened to a shaft made of pinewood, nine inches long and as thick as a man's finger. Round the shaft three feathers were fastened as in the case of arrows, and the sling was held by two thongs, one shorter than the other. When the missile was poised in the centre of the sling, the slinger whirled it round with great force and it flew out like a leaden bullet."
Though the passage of Polybius that Livy was paraphrasing is itself known from the Souda:
Polybius 27.11 "The kestros was a novel invention, made during the war with Perseus. This weapon consisted of an iron bolt two palms long, half of which was spike, and half a tube for the reception of the wooden shaft which was fixed into the tube, and measured a span in length and a finger-breadth in diameter. At the middle point of the shaft three wooden "plumes" were morticed in. The sling had thongs of unequal length, and on the leather between them the missile was loosely set. When the sling was being swung round, with the two thongs taut, the missile kept its place; but when the slinger let go one of the thongs, it flew from the leather like a leaden bullet, and was projected from the sling with such force as to inflict a very grievous wound upon any one whom it hit."
QuoteSome sources say it was used to punch through armor at a distance where arrows or slingstones fell short.
Which sources are these? To my knowledge the passages above are the only ones that exist. (Assuming 'sources' = 'ancient texts'.)
QuoteWere they common enough or spectacularly effective enough to need catering for?
No, absolutely not! They should be consigned, along with staff slings and 'belly bows', to the back of the drawer labelled "wargamers' history (do not open)". They existed, yes. They aren't worth making special rules for, no.
Quote from: RichT on Aug 31, 2025, 04:19 PMThat in turn arose from a forum discussion presumably about that time, though the search feature for some reason doesn't want to find it for me.
You participated in a discussion about
belosphendone in 2016, in which you mention the
cestrophendonehttps://soa.org.uk/sm/index.php?topic=2396.msg27431#msg27431
Much of this seems to be debate with Patrick about how fiery the former weapon was.
Ah there it is, thanks Anthony.
Talking of the "flaming pig effect", I was amused to read Richard Nelson's editorial in Slingshot 60 (or 59 depending which numbering is used), July 1975:
"I recently mischievously reminded a member of the WRG that there were several well-attested references to the use of pigs to disorganise elephants. In one case (a sure fire stratagem!) the pigs were coated with blazing pitch. Suppose that this amendment were introduced, what would be the result? Anyone whose army includes elephants would become used to seeing opponents turn up with an armoured stye plus supporting troops including swineherds armed with Kontos and rhomphaia. Fierce arguments would rage over the realism of classifying pigs as 'C' class since they are domestic animals. The figure manufacturers would produce in response ot popular demand a 25mm flaming sow. And so on...
A good set of Wargame Rules is one which reproduces as simply and concisely as possible the historical characteristics of a period of Warfare. In doing so it cannot reproduce in detail every recorded facet of ancient warfare. To do so means running the risk of having such facets taken out of context to the distortion of that historical reality which it is sought to reproduce."
Wise words, sadly ignored...
Incidentally, this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvbcElk0vT4
seems a bit simpler and more plausible than the one linked above and is based on a lot of research and practice.
Be still my beating heart :)