Dart.

This is coolbert:

It is reputed that during his military career Alexander of Macedon [The Great] was wounded, at one time or another, but every weapon known to man.

All weapons, to include the DART!

The dart, a weapon greatly resembling an arrow, but thrown by HAND. Weighted at the head for extra striking power, carried by the infantryman or peltist.

"Darts are missile weapons, designed to fly such that a sharp, often weighted point will strike first. They can be distinguished from javelins by fletching (i.e., feathers on the tail) and a shaft that is shorter and/or more flexible, and from arrows by the fact that they are not of the right length to use with a normal bow."

Flung at the enemy by HAND, the troop quite often employing some sort of device to gain a mechanical advantage. Devices to include:

* The atlatl. [throwing stick]
* Rope.
* Sling. [Greek version]

"The kestrosphendone, or kestros, was a sling-launched dart, invented in 168 BC for the Third Macedonian War, probably similar to hand-thrown darts of the period. Casting one (according to surviving records) requires a specially designed sling with two unequal loops"

Darts individually or even in bundles often flung at enemy troops with siege machines of some sort.

[it should be noted that the use of some sort of mechanical device of whatever type to gain an advantage when throwing a dart results in a remarkable and even awesome performance that has to be seen to be believed! Even the most modest of darts becomes a deadly weapon that can inflict great damage and kill]

The Roman infantryman in many cases carried darts [plumbata] as an ordinary part of his arsenal, mass produced weaponry with a pretty good potential for wounding and killing the enemy!

"the plumbata, was weighted with lead. In some legions, five of these were carried inside each soldier's shield; reconstructions show a range of 70 m (77 yd) or more when thrown overhand"

Weighted with lead. For increased striking power. Where ever the Roman legions marched, great was the desire to find a source of lead. For smelting into weights [glandes] either flung by sling-men [peltists] or incorporated into the design of a plumbata. Plumb in Latin meaning LEAD!

See here at the web site: "How to ... Make a Late Roman Plumbata" describing the fabrication of a plumbata, a re-creation that can be thrown, with deadly force. NOT a toy!

coolbert.