Mykale, a naval battle?

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

I think what Paul is talking about is the guard sticking into the man's wrist if the sword was held properly.
You are right Paul,on the artistic lisense,but you also have to admit that many of the example we quote as typically wrong,are also the exceptions. The real problem is not what the exceptions have to tell -we may never know if they refer to real exception on the real world or f they're just mistakes- but what does the commodity have to tell.
A far as Greek depictions of Persians are concerned,i would propose a possible different method.
How much did Persian dress change from early 5th to 4th century? There is a vast change on the depiction style of persians in these two centuries. And although the greeks massively came in contact with Persian soldiers in the decades 290-270, i'm sure that greeks had much better idea what real Persians looked like in the fourth century than in the early fifth. Be it because of longer time of contact with them,or because Persians were more into greek things in thar period.
Khairete
Giannis