Weapon Type
Pikes
Long infantry thrusting weapons.
Pikes
Pole Weapons — Subcategory
Overview
The pike is an extremely long spear — typically 4–7 meters (13–23 feet) — used primarily in massed infantry formations. Its length is its defining tactical property: a wall of pike points projects far beyond the reach of any personal weapon, and a charging horse cannot close to its rider's striking range before meeting the pike heads. The pike was the dominant European infantry weapon from Alexander the Great's sarissa through the mid-17th century, when the musket-and-bayonet system replaced it.
The Macedonian Sarissa
Alexander the Great's father Philip II of Macedon introduced the sarissa — a pike of 5.5–7 meters:
- Required both hands; could not be used with a large shield (a small wicker pelta was used instead)
- In 16-rank phalanx formation, the sarissas of the first five ranks projected beyond the front; ranks 6–16 held their weapons at angles, creating a roof of points that intercepted missiles
- The Macedonian phalanx was nearly invincible frontally — it was flanked and defeated, not broken face-to-face
- Alexander's conquests (334–323 BCE) demonstrated the sarissa phalanx's power from Greece to India
Swiss Pike
The Swiss Confederation revived pike warfare in the 14th–15th centuries:
- Swiss pikemen in dense formations defeated Burgundian heavy cavalry at Grandson, Murten, and Nancy (1476–77), killing Charles the Bold
- Swiss mercenaries became the most sought-after infantry in Europe; the Swiss Guard's ceremonial role at the Vatican reflects this historical reputation
- Pike formations required disciplined drill to maintain formation under attack; the Swiss were masters of this
Spanish Tercio
The tercio — the dominant military formation of the 16th century — combined pike with firearms:
- A square formation of roughly 1,000–3,000 men; pikemen in the center, arquebusiers and musketeers on the corners and flanks
- The pikemen protected the shooters from cavalry; the shooters provided firepower that no pike formation alone could match
- The Spanish tercio dominated European warfare for nearly a century
Pike Specifications
| Period | Name | Length | Handle Material | |--------|------|--------|----------------| | 336 BCE | Sarissa | 5.5–7m | Cornel wood, two pieces | | 14th–16th c. | Swiss pike | 5–6m | Ash | | 16th–17th c. | Military pike | 4–5m | Ash or pine | | 17th c. (late) | Short pike | 3–4m | Ash |
Pike length was progressively reduced as firearms increased: shorter pikes were more maneuverable alongside musketry.
Decline
The pike disappeared from European armies in the late 17th century:
- The socket bayonet (c. 1687) converted every musketeer into a pikeman when needed
- Maintaining separate pike units became unnecessary
- The last large-scale European use of the pike: Thirty Years War (1618–1648)
This article is a stub. Contributions covering specific pike tactics, battles, and formations are welcome.
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Macedonian Sarissa
The sarissa was the great two-handed pike of the Macedonian phalanx, introduced by Philip II around 359 BC and carried by the infantry of Alexander the Great across the Persian Empire. Made of cornel wood, tipped with an iron head and a butt-spike, it was four to six meters long, so that the points of five ranks projected in front of the phalanx. It pinned enemies in place while Alexander's cavalry struck, and it dominated warfare in the Hellenistic world for 150 years until the Roman legions defeated it at Cynoscephalae and Pydna.
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Pike
The pike is the longest infantry weapon ever carried in formation: an ash shaft of 16 to 22 feet tipped with a small steel head, used by dense blocks of foot soldiers to stop cavalry and push through enemy infantry. The Swiss made it decisive in the fifteenth century, the German Landsknechts and Spanish tercios copied them, and for two hundred years the 'pike and shot' formation — pikes protecting musketeers — defined European warfare. The plug and socket bayonet made it obsolete around 1700, when every musket became its own pike.