User:Agricultor

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[edit] Hoplon

The hoplon (from Greek ὅπλον; plural ὅπλα) was the large round shield carried by the Ancient Greek hoplite. Usually it was called ASPIS. More generally, ὅπλον means tool.

[edit] Construction

Special double grip, which consisted of a porpax and an antilabe. Approximately 3 feet diameter.

The shield (ἀσπίς) could slip off the hoplite's arm.[1]

Sometimes they were thrown away.[2]

[edit] Weight

Sixteen pounds (ca. # kilograms) ockquote>

[edit] The shield in Greek literature

[edit] Lyric poetry

Archilochos (ca. 650 BC)

ἀσπίδι μὲν Σαΐων τις ἀγάλλεται, ἣν περὶ θάμνῳ

ἔντος ἀμώμητον κάλλιπον οὐκ ἐθέλων·

αὐτὸς δ᾽ ἐξέφυγον θανάτου τέλος· ἀσπὶς ἐκείνη

ἐρρέτω· ἐξαῦθις κτήσομαι οὐ κακίω.

Translation here

2

3

4

According to Plutarch, Archilochos was banned from his home town Sparta because of this poem, as it made clear that the poet considered it “better to throw away (one's) weapons than to die”. [3]



[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 4.12.1.
  2. ^ Thuc. 7.45.2
  3. ^ Plutarch, Moralia (Instituta laconica) 239b.

[edit] Sources

V.D. Hanson, Western way of war

[edit] Further reading