Thrown weapons: the cruce, caltrops and reed darts
German cross-missile, caltrops of the Hebrews and Syrians, and a weighted reed dart
The glossary of thrown weapons concludes with the cruce, a cross-shaped German missile said to rank first among deadly arms: hurled among the ranks it never falls in vain, and four or six were carried at the belt. Leonardo then shows three ways of throwing caltrops (triboli), a method he attributes to the Hebrews and Syrians for checking pursuit, and the telico, a reed dart fletched at one split node and weighted with earth at the other, thrown with a cord. The drawings show the cross-weapon with a looping flight-line, star-shaped caltrops and a slender reed dart.
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Cruce, the German cross-missile
The cross-shaped cruce, invented among the Germans, is said to rank first among deadly arms: hurled with or without a cord it never falls in vain, striking with one point or two, or fixing in the ground to harm horses and foot. Four or six were carried at the belt into battle.
Three ways of throwing caltrops (triboli)
Three methods of casting caltrops are shown, attributed to the Hebrews and Syrians. Cast with cords and long thongs among a pursuing enemy, or scattered on withdrawal, they checked the foe's advance.
Telico, a reed dart weighted with earth
The telico, used among the first men, was made from a cane of two nodes: one node split to serve as the arrow's fletching, the other pointed and filled with earth for weight. It was thrown with a cord.