What is the hoplon shield?
An aspis (Ancient Greek: ἀσπίς, plural aspides, ἀσπίδες), sometimes also referred to as an hoplon (Greek: ὅπλον), was the heavy wooden shield used by the infantry in various periods of ancient Greece.
What were the Greek soldiers shields called?
hoplon
The Greek shield of Ancient Greece was called a hoplon or aspis. It was from this word that hoplite (a Greek soldier) is derived. A hoplon was a deeply-dished shield made of wood. Some shields had a thin sheet of bronze on the outer face.
What did Athenians have on their shields?
Beginning in the late 5th century BC, Athenian hoplites, or soldiers, commonly used an owl, the emblem of the goddess Athena, to signify their identity, while the shields of Theban hoplites could be decorated with a sphinx, or the club of Heracles.
What was the hoplon shield made of?
use by hoplites … acquired his name from the hoplon, a convex circular shield, approximately 3 feet (90 cm) in diameter, made of composite wood and bronze. It was carried on the left arm by means of a bronze strap that passed across the forearm and a rope looped around the inner rim with…
What is the difference between hoplon and Aspis?
As nouns the difference between hoplon and aspis is that hoplon is a type of aspis used by greek hoplites while aspis is a type of round shield borne by ancient greek soldiers.
What was the purpose of the hoplon?
Called a hoplon, it had a rounded convex, bowl-like shape and a unique “double grip”. The shape allowed the shield to be rested on the hoplites shoulder and was also useful in providing them the ability to take cover, practically inside of it, when a barrage of missiles rained down upon them.
How did the Greeks make shields?
The Argive shield was made from planks (presumably mostly oak). The rim was flat and generally reinforced with bronze. Sometimes, the entire outer surface was covered by a thin sheet of bronze. The porpax consisted of bronze and was used to reinforce the shield in the centre, where it was very thin.
How heavy was a Spartan shield?
The normal shield of the Spartans was the aspis. It weighed approximately 10 kilograms. It was, however, not very hard to carry, since the Spartans were very well trained, and the grip of the shield was to be held with the forearm and the hand, so that you could use your entire arm’s strength to carry it.
What is Athens shield?
A hoplon shield was a deeply dished shield made of wood. Some shields had a thin sheet of bronze on the outer face, often just around the rim. In some periods, the convention was to decorate the aspis; in others, it was usually left plain.
What is the difference between hoplon and aspis?
Why was the hoplon of shield so important to the man to the right of the shield bearer?
This allowed the hoplite soldier more mobility with the shield, as well as the ability to capitalize on its offensive capabilities and better support the phalanx. The large hoplon shields, designed for pushing ahead, were the most essential equipment for the hoplites.
What is Spartan shield made of?
Description. The shield was made of several layers of wood covered in a layer of bronze with a layer of leather in between, to absorb shock. The shield had a strap in the middle of the shield and a handle at the right edge.
What was the Greek hoplite shield called?
Above all, the one iconic symbol and piece of equipment of the Greek hoplite was the hoplite shield. Called the hoplon in the Classical Age Greece, it has also been regarded as the most distinguishable part of the hoplite (see Ferrill 1985, 101).
Why is it called a hoplon?
The word hoplon did not actually come to mean the peculiar shield associated with hoplites until the end of the 5th century, and even then it was still more often referred to by the more generic name “aspis”. Generally, each hoplite chose his own shield design.
What materials were used to make the Athenian shield?
Made from a combination of materials including iron and bronze, it could be very expensive (as much as the equivalent of a modern car according to some experts). Ancient Greek hoplite Athenian shield , bearing the Owl, the emblem of Athens. The… Ancient Greek hoplite Athenian shield.
What is classical Greek shield pattern collection?
Classical Greek Shield Patterns. This collection is mainly intended to help wargamers painting their Greek armies. These shield patterns have been garnered mostly from books on vases and other items of pottery in museums around the world.