02-07-2010, 10:47 PM
Thank you for your comments.
Indeed the mail was very rare in the Hellenistic period with that stele from Sidon being one of the few that actually portray Hellenistic troops clad in mail.
1.5 cubit in length for the sword, this would mean the sword the second one is carrying or the Prodromi kopis, which is one of the largest found close to that in length, if I am not mistaken.
![[Image: PIC_3198-1.jpg]](http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o276/keravnos/Keravnos9/PIC_3198-1.jpg)
Of course the sword could also be a xiphos (not aware of such large xiphos' samples) or an oriental sarmatian like sword. It could very well have been an arabian sword. The time and location, however, seem to indicate that the Ioudaioi Ekatontamachoi must have worn something like this.
As for helmets, I think the most likely candidates would be Sidon helmets (seeing that both those stelai are from Sidon) and Askalon ones.
What would be interesting to ask ourselves is why there are people to this day who consider that they couldn't possibly have been carrying a bronze coated thureos, when enough examples have been found of coated thureos shields in all of Europe. Thureos shields mostly replaced old Aspis shield after the Celtic invasion of S. Greece. Of this there is no doubt. Therefore, why shouldn't some thureoi be bronze coated, given the exact same treatment that an aspis would have gotten? I don't know about the number (8.000 bronze coated thureoi would indeed sound like a lot) but in theory it could definitely be done.
Indeed the mail was very rare in the Hellenistic period with that stele from Sidon being one of the few that actually portray Hellenistic troops clad in mail.
1.5 cubit in length for the sword, this would mean the sword the second one is carrying or the Prodromi kopis, which is one of the largest found close to that in length, if I am not mistaken.
Of course the sword could also be a xiphos (not aware of such large xiphos' samples) or an oriental sarmatian like sword. It could very well have been an arabian sword. The time and location, however, seem to indicate that the Ioudaioi Ekatontamachoi must have worn something like this.
As for helmets, I think the most likely candidates would be Sidon helmets (seeing that both those stelai are from Sidon) and Askalon ones.
What would be interesting to ask ourselves is why there are people to this day who consider that they couldn't possibly have been carrying a bronze coated thureos, when enough examples have been found of coated thureos shields in all of Europe. Thureos shields mostly replaced old Aspis shield after the Celtic invasion of S. Greece. Of this there is no doubt. Therefore, why shouldn't some thureoi be bronze coated, given the exact same treatment that an aspis would have gotten? I don't know about the number (8.000 bronze coated thureoi would indeed sound like a lot) but in theory it could definitely be done.
Kostas Papadopoulos
History fans like myself should keep these wise words in mind
When in doubt about sources, trustworthiness or what the writer of what you read about is really after, I \'d advise Ktesias test after that Münchhausen of ancient Greece.
History fans like myself should keep these wise words in mind
When in doubt about sources, trustworthiness or what the writer of what you read about is really after, I \'d advise Ktesias test after that Münchhausen of ancient Greece.
