Question about aspis/hoplon shield

[richard robinson]

My Aspis has not a seperate Antilabe and i am sure I have confesed this on RAT before. It does not bother my gripping noticeably. I see the rope all around as a potential means of carrying it between battles as well as a back up handle (should the seperata handle break?) and the thesis that Stephanos is trying to remeber (I am guessing) was that put forward ages ago that the rope served as a stiffener or torsion tool to assist the aspis to maintain its integrity- similar to ropes used in some wooden hulls the original idea ran- it is on rat somewhere. It was a hoopy idea that holds some water....
regards
richard