CONTUS
CONTUS (
κοντός, from
κεντέω, to prick or pierce) was, as Nonius (p. 555
m., 18.24) expresses it,
hasta longior et
robusta, with a pointed iron at the one end. (
Verg. A. 5.208) It was used for various
purposes, but chiefly as a punt-pole by sailors, who, in shallow water,
thrust it into the ground, and thus pushed on the boat. (
Hom. Od. 9.287; Verg.
l.c. and 6.302. Cf.
κοντωτὰ πλοῖα in
Diod. 19.22.) It also served as a means to
sound the depth of the water. (Festus, s. v.
Perconctatio, p.
214, ed. Müller; Nonius, p. 44 m.; Donat. on Terent.
Hec. 1.2, 2.) At a later period, when the Romans became
acquainted with the huge lances or pikes of some of the northern barbarians,
the word
contus was applied to that kind of
weapon (
Verg. A. 9.510;
Tac. Hist. 1.44,
3.27; Lamprid.
Commod. 13); and the long pikes
peculiar to the Sarmatians were always designated by this name. (
Tac. Hist. 1.79,
Ann. 6.35;
Stat.
Achill. 2.416; Valer. Flacc. 6.162.)
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