The sarissa is a type of long spear (about 4–7 metres or 13–23 ft in length) first introduced by Phillip II of Macedonia in Macedonian phalanx formations. It was usually composed of two lengths and was joined by a central bronze tube only before a battle. The tight formation of the phalanx created a "wall of pikes", and the pike was so long that there were fully five rows of them projecting in front of the front rank of men.