Iphicratean Thureophoroi

[PMBardunias]

I was pondering the nature of Iphicrates reforms (Diodoros 15.44):

"Hence we are told, after he had acquired his long experience of military operations in the Persian War, he devised many improvements in the tools of war, devoting himself especially to the matter of arms.1 For instance, the Greeks were using shields which were large (megalais aspisi) and consequently difficult to handle; these he discarded and made small oval ones (peltas summetrous) of moderate size, thus successfully achieving both objects, to furnish the body with adequate cover and to enable the user of the small shield, on account of its lightness, to be completely free in his movements. After a trial of the new shield its easy manipulation secured its adoption, and the infantry who had formerly been called "hoplites" (hoplitai) because of their heavy shield (aspidon), then had their name changed to "peltasts" (peltastai) from the light pelta they carried. As regards spear (doratos) and sword (xiphous), he made changes in the contrary direction: namely, he increased the length of the spears by half, and made the swords almost twice as long. The actual use of these arms confirmed the initial test and from the success of the experiment won great fame for the inventive genius of the general. He made soldiers' boots that were easy to untie and light and they continue to this day to be called "Iphicratids" after him.2 He also introduced many other useful improvements into warfare, but it would be tedious to write about them"

Usually this troop type is seen as a means of turning peltasts into hoplite-equvalents. They are often portrayed as proto-sarissaphoroi, armed with a "pike" held in a double-handed, underhand fashion that requires a small pelta to free the left hand to aid in supporting.

I have been wondering though. Adding half again to an 8' dory, gives us a 12' spear. Hardly a pike and as seen on another thread here still able to be wielded with a single hand. If the Iphicratid spear does not require two hands, then there is no constraint on the shape of the shield, and more importantly the grip. Now a circular or oval single, central grip shield is quite possible. I lean towards oval since it makes an underhand grip of the spear more efficient and I believe experimentation will show that an underhand grip is best with such a long spear.

Now a guy with an oval, single-grip shield and a spear is what will be called a thureophoroi 100 years later. In between he was probably simply called a "mercenary" or a hoplite or peltast by the author's choice.

If I am right, then Iphicrates did little to inspire sarissaphoroi other than to push a trend towards longer spears. What he did was "invent" thureophoroi, though they would only acquire this name after the barley-corn pommel shield is adopted from a gallic source. They would also reduce the length of their spears over time since their primary opponent was no longer hoplites and they could not match the length of a sarissa.

Just some thoughts of mine, perhaps they have been said before.