Hasta (spear)

Hasta is a Latin word meaning spear. Hastae were carried by early Roman Legionaries, in particular they were carried by and gave their name to those Roman soldiers known as Hastati. However, during Republican times, the hastati were re-armed with pila and gladii and the hasta was only retained by the triarii.

Unlike the pilum, verutum or lancea, the hasta was not thrown, but used for thrusting.

A hasta was about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length, with a shaft generally made from ash, while the head was of iron.

A little spear with which a bride's hair was parted into locks.

A spear, as a gymnastic weapon.

The Hasta pura was a spear without iron – presumably without the iron tip that was used in combat, or with the tip made of another material – that was awarded as a military decoration.

A hasta was also used as a sign that would be conventionally understood in Roman culture as announcing an auction. Hence, an auction was called hasta and an auction-room a hastarium.

The Latin word hasta still exists in Portuguese with the exact same meaning, in French with the spelling haste and, having lost the aspiration, is used in Italian and Spanish with spelling asta and may have passed in modified form and/or meaning into other Romance languages such as Albanian (heshtë, "spear").

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