The Spear of Longinus

By Crusader1307

As the Biblical ''Legend'' goes, Longinus was a Roman soldier who - upon orders, thrust his Spear into the side of convicted Roman Seditionist Jesus Christ. From this point, the Spear would be named after Him. Described as being a ''magical weapon'' capable of great power, the Spear was lost soon after and found for Emperor Constantine. The plain, non-flanged spear (at 6 to 8 feet long) - was a staple weapon for the Roman Legions. Only the spearhead would be found. Kept in Jerusalem, the Spearhead would be protected, stolen, lost, recovered, repaired and protected SO many times that it is difficult to determine if the Spearhead is even genuine at all (even during Constantine's time). During The Middle Ages "Spears of Longinus" began to appear all over Europe - finding their way into just about every Royal relic room of every King and Queen). The most recognized version of the Spear was acquired by German Royalty (although highly repaired and added to). Of course The Vatican claims to have the "true" Spearhead as well. Legend further states that any army that carried the Spear of Longinus before them, could NOT be defeated in battle and no evil would befall that Kingdom. Deeper in - Baldwin I (Jerusalem) claimed to bear it before Saladin (that did not go as well as it was thought to). Still, the legend has been a staple of Medieval history for centuries. Most of the Spearhead legends "took off" in the 16th Century (forward).