The ''hasta pura'' or ''hasta donatica'' was a

decoration Decoration may refer to: * Decorative arts * A house painter and decorator's craft * An act or object intended to increase the beauty of a person, room, etc. * An award that is a token of recognition to the recipient intended for wearing Othe ...

for merit, awarded in Ancient Rome. The Roman sources do not concur about the precise character of the decoration. Some call it a decoration for valour, others mention that it had been awarded to civilians. The '' hasta'' was a thrusting weapon that was not thrown as were the later ''

pilum The ''pilum'' (; plural ''pila'') was a javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It was generally about long overall, consisting of an iron shank about in diameter and long with a pyramidal head, attached to a wooden shaft ...

'', ''

verutum The ''verutum'', plural ''veruta'' ( la, spit), was a short javelin used in the Roman army. This javelin was used by the ''velites'' for skirmishing purposes, unlike the heavier ''pilum'', which was used by the ''hastati'' and ''principes'' for ...

'' and '' lancea''. A ''hasta pura'' was a spear made "without iron" and was in the earliest times the reward of a soldier the first time that he conquered in battle. Later it came to be awarded to a soldier who had struck down an enemy in a sally or skirmish. Tacitus records a ''hasta pura'' being given as a decoration, bestowed upon a soldier for saving the life of a fellow-citizen: A civil servant called

Tiberius Claudius Balbilus Tiberius Claudius Balbillus Modestus (AD 3-79), more commonly known as Tiberius Claudius Balbilus, was a distinguished Ancient Roman scholar, politician and a court astrologer to the Roman emperors Claudius, Nero, and Vespasian.Holden, ''A History ...

was awarded the ''hasta pura'' and perhaps also the '' corona aurea'' by emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus and Antonia Minor ...

during the

triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

to celebrate the conquest of Britain in AD 44. As a friend and part of the Emperor’s retinue, it seems likely that his awards, as much as his military rank, were honorary. The ''hasta pura'' was also recorded as being given to the ''

primus pilus The ''primus pilus'' or ''primipilus'' was the senior centurion of the first cohort in a Roman legion, a formation of five double-strength centuries of 160 men, was called the ''primus pilus''; he was a career soldier and advisor to the le ...

'' when he had completed his period of service. Also, such a gift is sometimes recorded in funereal inscriptions. Some have taken "without iron" to mean that the ''hasta pura'' had no head at all. The main evidence in support of this conjecture is that representations on some coins show a blunt spear. However, other coins clearly show a sharp spearhead and those that do not may be explained by poorly made coins or poorly drawn representations of them in publications. The ''hasta pura'' is mentioned in the second part of the ''Claudius'' novels by

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celt ...

. Graves calls the decoration an "arrow without a head", and refers to its award to Balbilus.See Claudius the God and his Wife Messalina. London: Arthur Barker, 1934; New York: Smith & Haas, 1935.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hasta Pura (Military Decoration) Military awards and decorations of ancient Rome