![]() ![]() When this occurred, the right wing of the phalanx could turn and attack its opponent in the flank. It was very common for soldiers to shift to the right in an effort to take full advantage of their neighbor's shield and this resulted in a general crowding to the right to the point that the right wing of a phalanx would often end up past the left flank of the opposing formation. This meant that, in a phalanx, a soldier's shield would provide a degree of protection to the man to his left. Because of the way the hoplon was gripped, a good portion of the shield extended past the user's left side. There are surviving examples of hoplon shields that have bronze figures or designs mounted on the front of them, but these were most likely intended for ceremonial or dedication purposes as such decoration would not have survived long on the field of battle. The front of the shield was then covered with bronze and was usually painted. Occasionally, there was also a rectangular reinforcing plate mounted between the strap and the wooden core. They were lined with thin leather, and then the strap through which the arm passed was attached to the back of the shield. The core of a hoplon was constructed of a thin wood which was approximately 0.2 inches thick. The last point is particularly important as these shields weighed around 15.5 pounds. Because of the sharply concave shape of these shields, the inside of the rim could be rested against the warrior's shoulder, which would help both to brace the shield against powerful blows, and take some of the strain off of his arms. This was large enough for the warrior's left arm to slide through up to the forearm, while the hand held the grip located at the edge of the shield. Instead of the single handgrip, it was supported by means of a bronze, or bronze and leather, strap in the center of the back face of the shield, and a leather or cord grip at the edge. The hoplon, like its predecessors, averaged about 31-39 inches in diameter, but unlike the previous type, was made with a wooden core and had a different method of being gripped. These hoplon shields seem to have been derived from a type of short-lived circular shield made entirely of bronze and having a single, centrally-mounted handgrip on the inside. These shields are today often referred to as Argive shields, and, in many ways, they made the Greek phalanx possible. This was called a hoplon, and it gave its name to the Greek soldier, the hoplite. Hopefully, we will be able to illustrate just how important the shield was to the ancient warrior.īeginning in about the seventh century BC, the most common form of Greek shield was a large, deeply concave, circular shield made of wood and bronze. Instead, we have chosen to cover several classic shield designs in use during key periods in history. A myriad of types and styles of shields have been used throughout history, and it would be nearly impossible for us to cover them all here. The intent of this article is to give the shield a bit of increased exposure. The Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus wrote, "To lose one's shield is the basest of crimes," and we have all heard the familiar legend of the Spartan mother telling her son, "Come back with your shield or upon it." In many cultures the shield was the mark of a warrior, even more so than the sword or spear. Everyone, from the lowest peasant to the highest noble, would have used one. For over two-thousand years it was a vital piece of military equipment. This is truly unfortunate, considering the shield's historic role. Stephenson), are welcome additions to this field of study, but these works are in the minority. Books such as Medieval Sword & Shield (Paul Wagner and Stephen Hand), and The Anglo-Saxon Shield (I.P. On the other hand, there is a dearth of new material on the shield. Students of the sword enjoy Web sites, discussion forums and exciting new books dedicated to this most famous of edged weapons. Fine copies of swords, daggers, polearms, and a number of other weapons are being manufactured, and the craft of the modern armourer has also reached new heights of quality and authenticity. Not since the Victorian age has there been such an interest in the arms of the Middle Ages and the renaissance. Here at the dawn of the 21st century we are experiencing a resurgence in the study of ancient arms. The Shield: An Abridged History of its Use and DevelopmentĪn article by Patrick Kelly, Greyson Brown, Sam Barris, Nathan Bell, Bill Grandy, and Alexi Goranov ![]()
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