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Quote:Here's a new one.... based on Alexandrian era hoplites.
As before, Oil on paper.
Compelling image! Is the artists' work available?
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Mark Hayes
"The men who once dwelled beneath the crags of Mt Helicon, the broad land of Thespiae now boasts of their courage"
Philiades
"So now I meet my doom. Let me at least sell my life dearly and have a not inglorius end, after some feat of arms that shall come to the ears of generations still unborn"
Hektor, the Iliad
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I forgot to compliment the dust!!! Hard to do in my skill level. Very realistic!
Craig Bellofatto
Going to college for Massage Therapy. So reading alot of Latin Terminology
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Nicely done.
If we wanted to capture the split second before synaspismos (locking shileds) he certainly succeed it.
Kind regards
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I made a few more wooden swords. It might interest some to see these swords side by side. In the image below you can see from top to bottom a copy of a large, presumably cavalry, machaira or khopis, a smaller version of the same, a middle eastern khopesh, the same from an Egyptian tomb, and a Roman gladius. To the right is an Etruscan drepanon and below that a Laconian sword.
The method I used was not to measure the actual swords, but to simply size an image of the sword so that the grip was about 3.5", thus even if the total length is innacurate the swords are to scale and presuming that grip length is similar in all of the swords, to scale with eachother as well.
In playing with these, they balance suprisingly well, probably not far from where the actual swords were balanced. I can tell you that the Machairas beg your wrist to snap them forward like one would swing a hatchet. The Etruscan sword I copied from a sword on a sculpture, so it is the most approximate. It is also very weird to use. You can hook with it quite well and slice that way, but you can also snap the wrist and drive the point in like a pick. The Laconian sword is suprising because its just so short! It is also from a sculpted example. Reading the dimensions does not impart the same sense of scale as actually holding one, or hopefully seeing it next to other swords. I can understand why a young Spartan might complain to his mother.
The way things are going, my son will soon have beaten these into unrecognizable planks.
Paul M. Bardunias
MODERATOR: [url:2dqwu8yc]http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=4100[/url]
A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
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A final one for now. This is digital, the previous ones are oils.
I am planning on selling prints of these. If I decide to go ahead with it I will let everyone know.
Stephen May - <a class="postlink" href="http://www.immortalminiatures.com">www.immortalminiatures.com
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That image, my current screen saver, is perhaps the best of Spartans that I have seen. Though I can't quite figure out what the second fellow in the front line from the left is doing. I'd buy one. Who is the artist?
Paul M. Bardunias
MODERATOR: [url:2dqwu8yc]http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=4100[/url]
A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
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Thanks Paul. If you want a higher resolution one let me know.
To be honest, I am unsure what he is doing either :lol:
The artist is Adrian Smith. This is his first historical piece (except a couple of WW2 paintings), although he has been painting fantasy and Sci-Fi for 20 odd years.
He didn't know anything about hoplites before this, so I think he did a great job in reconstructing them.
Stephen May - <a class="postlink" href="http://www.immortalminiatures.com">www.immortalminiatures.com
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I like it. I also captured the moment before synaspismos-except the odd second ranker.
I have advised a number of artists so far.
If Adrian wants to add authenticity in his phalanx P.M me.
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Congratulations to all of you guys that love ancient greece as me!!
This forum is stunning!!
Tenerife_boy
ADaL MP
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Great artwork! Congrats to all
Visit my Website at
[url:n6bls2l1]http://ilustro.webs.com/[/url]
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In fact,the only thing needed is a leather cover on the outer side of the trireme hanging from the deck that covers completely the oarsmen and protects them from missiles and any other threat. Not so pretty but far easier for a painter.
The helmsman wasn't the trierarch. With evidence pointing towards even unarmoured hoplites,he could well have also been unarmoured,like the rest of the sailors. Later ships had a cover for the helmsman,and we can't be sure that in classical triremes there wasn't some soft cover for them too,like for the oarsmen
The bow of the ship would also be protected by a fence covered with leather or fabric,as shown on coins.
Khaire
Giannis
Giannis K. Hoplite
a.k.a.:Giannis Kadoglou
a.k.a.:Thorax