11-21-2008, 07:58 PM
Paul (Scipio) I think (gosh, I hope I have this right) that ALL the rims go "over" the edge from front to back--or are held on with tacks. Either way, they'd stabilize the edge. Possibly not against massive crushing forces, but I'll stand by the comment about duct tape--any rim at all will have some stabilizing effect.
I'm trying to avoid the Othismos part of this debate...
Either way, though, the rim itself will help deflect blows that might otherwise, by shear luck (bad pun there) catch between two strakes and split the shield in the older, multi-strake construction. In the newer "turned bowl" construction (I realize that only I seem to believe this, and expect no mercy from any of you!) splitting the shield becomes much more difficult, but a bronze rim will still help the edge last longer.
And just to clarify (inviting critique) I think that the early aspis was made like a boat--with strakes that were locked together the way ancient ships were planked, and then the rim, face, bronze decoration and/or some internal ropes all helped support the "hull" of the shield.
Then there was some kind of technological change, and shields were (possibly) turned from laid-up blocks of wood--and they became larger and deeper, the internal fittings became decorative because the stresses on the outer edge were totally different. The tech change may even have been driven by societal change--the need for more aspides...
Hey, I'm just rattling on, here, and I accept that these contentions are "edgy." But I have to say that the aspis is a remarkable, fairly high-tech and labor intensive device.
I'm trying to avoid the Othismos part of this debate...
Either way, though, the rim itself will help deflect blows that might otherwise, by shear luck (bad pun there) catch between two strakes and split the shield in the older, multi-strake construction. In the newer "turned bowl" construction (I realize that only I seem to believe this, and expect no mercy from any of you!) splitting the shield becomes much more difficult, but a bronze rim will still help the edge last longer.
And just to clarify (inviting critique) I think that the early aspis was made like a boat--with strakes that were locked together the way ancient ships were planked, and then the rim, face, bronze decoration and/or some internal ropes all helped support the "hull" of the shield.
Then there was some kind of technological change, and shields were (possibly) turned from laid-up blocks of wood--and they became larger and deeper, the internal fittings became decorative because the stresses on the outer edge were totally different. The tech change may even have been driven by societal change--the need for more aspides...
Hey, I'm just rattling on, here, and I accept that these contentions are "edgy." But I have to say that the aspis is a remarkable, fairly high-tech and labor intensive device.
Qui plus fait, miex vault.
