Question about aspis/hoplon shield

[Sean Manning]

Thanks Joe!

Paul, do you have any references to secondary literature on an archaic wicker aspis? I know of two references in the primary sources to Greek wicker aspides in the historical period

You should post the primary citations- one of them is probably Xenophon's description of the Athenians making weapons to toss out their occupiers.

A possible wicker precursor is discussed by Blyth and probably Snodgrass.

Thuc. 4.9.1 (Demosthenes prepares to be attacked at Sphacteria): καὶ τοὺς ναύτας ἐξ αὐτῶν ὥπλισεν ἀσπίσι [τε] φαύλαις καὶ οἰσυΐναις ταῖς πολλαῖς· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὅπλα ἐν χωρίῳ ἐρήμῳ πορίσασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα ἐκ λῃστρικῆς Μεσσηνίων τριακοντόρου καὶ κέλητος ἔλαβον, οἳ ἔτυχον παραγενόμενοι “He armed his sailors with shields (aspides), but feeble and mostly of wicker.”

Xen. Hell. 2.4.25 (revolt against the Spartan party in Athens): οἱ δὲ πολλοί τε ἤδη ὄντες καὶ παντοδαποί, ὅπλα ἐποιοῦντο, οἱ μὲν ξύλινα, οἱ δὲ οἰσύινα, καὶ ταῦτα ἐλευκοῦντο. ("Actually, being many and diverse [sc. in social standing], they were making arms (opla), some wood and some wicker, and whitening them.")

The lexicographers seem to have known these two passages and no more. Lucian mentions a οἰσυΐνην ἀσπίδα which is probably what historians of -IV would have called a pelte.