09-20-2007, 03:34 PM
I concur with you, David. As a bureaucrat and couch potato I never achieved such untouchable soles but even I'm able to walk 15 to 20 km barefoot (except on some gravel paths with a special kind of sharp and big stones); the biggest problem are the other people who look at you as to a children eating monster from Mars. :lol:
But back to the ancient sources. Stefanos, you are surely right that many statues had painted sandals and boots and perhaps more vase paintings would show shod warriors if only complete. But not nearly all. A lot of pictures exists which cannot be misinterpreted.
And actually the fact that many people were also shown with shoes is an argument for me that those shown without shoes were normally meant to be so. Except we could think of a convention, similar to that of heroic/erotic nudity for warriors. I doubt it but it may be possible.
But back to the ancient sources. Stefanos, you are surely right that many statues had painted sandals and boots and perhaps more vase paintings would show shod warriors if only complete. But not nearly all. A lot of pictures exists which cannot be misinterpreted.
And actually the fact that many people were also shown with shoes is an argument for me that those shown without shoes were normally meant to be so. Except we could think of a convention, similar to that of heroic/erotic nudity for warriors. I doubt it but it may be possible.
Wolfgang Zeiler
