Posts: 4,029
Threads: 90
Joined: May 2005
Reputation:
0
The first 100 were brought by Klerachos the Lakedemonian when Cyrous army was to advance agianst his royal brother and Rodian and Aenianes psiloi were converted as slinger because they volonteered for this service after the battle of Kounaxa. Their number was doubled to 200.
Though predominatly slingers they also carried "pelta" or buckler shields, long daggers and possibly javelines. They were not reluctant to engage hand to hand against enemy light troops or other loose formed infantry.
It is not unlikely that they icreased their protection by currind the "spolas" or perizoma and possibly wearing captured or aquired helmets.
Possibly they engaded light elements with stone missles and cavalry or armored troops with lead bulets that if score a direct hit could have a mace-like effect on armor.
Remember Mardonios was killed in Platea by the slinger Arimnistos with a lead bullet on his head!
Kind regards
Stefanos
Posts: 1,754
Threads: 216
Joined: Jul 2005
Reputation:
0
Another page that may be of interest....[url:3iao9fzv]http://www.ncl.ac.uk/shefton-museum/arms/greekarms.html[/url]
and [url:3iao9fzv]http://www.1timothy4-13.com/files/facts/art03.html[/url]
A paragraph from the last page does bring to mind warriors holding a certain part of their anatomy.....:lol: Rounded stones were regularly used as common kitchen pounders and grinders for grinding grain and vegetables, crushing nuts, and even smashing bone marrow and roots in food preparation
regards
Arthes
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
Posts: 4,029
Threads: 90
Joined: May 2005
Reputation:
0
Good links. Thanks Cristina.
Still not what I was looking for about the clay missles shtering and their spilnders wrecking havoc. So has any slinger tried it?
Kind regards
It's interesting to note the claim that sling stones might penetrate armour. I seem to recall a case of a sling-stone (or lead shot?) which had emebedded itself so deeply in the victim that the flesh had closed over behind it.
Do you not think that the move to lead shot of standardised shape and size might be indicative of a desire to concentrate on the penetrative effect of the missile?
Posts: 4,029
Threads: 90
Joined: May 2005
Reputation:
0
It is a possibility. Also the lead shot might have a "mace like" effect, ckracking bones under armor.
The clay shot would if shatered upon a shild at a center of a block formation might have nasty effects on the men infront of the pointof impact
Well any decent slinger worth his salt would of cource try lead shots but sharp clay splinters at the neck, or thighs would possibly hinter the troops.
The idea is not so much to kill them but to dissrupt them.
I am trying to gind out if some body has tried clay shots and has seen any fragmentation.
Kind regards
Posts: 444
Threads: 100
Joined: Apr 2005
Reputation:
1
I'm an experienced slinger. I usually make my own ammo by pouring thinned down concrete into egg shaped molds. I can hit milk jugs at 15-20 yards fairly easily. When I just want to work on technique without straining my shoulder, I'll take a tennis ball and sling at a target next to my house. In the warm months, I'll go down to the creek and sling at various targets. Whenever a stone hits a rock slab, the stone is usually blown into several fragments. Anyone nearby would be cut, or worse, lose an eye..!
Johnny
Johnny Shumate
![[Image: sling2.jpg]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/shumate/sling2.jpg)
