Aklys
The aklys (Latin aclys, Greek agkulis) was a Roman javelin measuring approximately 2 m (79 in, 6.6 ft) in length, thrown with the aid of a leather strap or amentum, similar to a Swiss arrow. Every soldier was issued at least two. The term also applies to a small mace or club equipped with spikes, attached to one arm of the wielder by a strap of adjustable length to enable the weapon to be retrieved after it had been hurled at an enemy.
Aklys
- Field
- javelin
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wikidata · Q420195 · wikipedia · Aklys
In this article
Popular culture
Its use probably goes back to the Osci tribe of southern Italy. The weapon is also described as a dart and as a throwing stick or boomerang.
The aklys, as a "thonged club", appears in various fantasy games such as Dungeons & Dragons. The aklys appears in a supplement, Unearthed Arcana, as well as Dragon Magazine Vol. 7, No. 2 (August 1982). It was described as "a weighted, shortish club with a stout thong attached to the butt. While it can be used as a hand-held striking weapon, its principal employment is as a missile. Once hurled, the aklys can be retrieved by its thong."
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q420195: Aklys
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Aklys”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
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Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Aklys, revision 1289594801 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Syed Ramsey, Tools of War: History of Weapons in Medieval Times, Vij Books India, 2016,
- 2.Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Sword, 1987, Dover Publications, .
- 3.George Cameron Stone, A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, 1999, Courier Dover Productions. p. 694. .
- 4.Virgilio, Eneida, VII. 730
- 5.Silio Itálico, Púnica, VIII.553
- 6.Valerio Flaco, Argonáuticas, VI.99
- 7.Samuel Ferguson, On the antiquity or the Kiliee or Boomerang, 1838. Transactions, Volumen 19, Parte 1. Royal Irish Academy
- 8.Blair, Claude, Tarassuk, Leonid, eds. (1982). The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms and Weapons. Simon & Schuster. p. 17.
- 9.William Smith, J. Murray, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Volumen 1, 1890
- 10.Dragon Magazine Vol. 7 No. 2, agosto de 1982, Pg. 6
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Militaria
6,095 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Akdal MKA 1919Terminology
- AKDAS AlcorTerminology
- Akeron MPTerminology
- Akhgar (missile)Terminology
- AKMSUTerminology
- akrafenaTerminology
- AKS-74UTerminology
- Al HusseinTerminology
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