light armed hoplites

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

is there any evidence for poorer hoplites that might have worn only a helmet, and carried shield as defence? I see a lot with cuirasses, but have never really seen portrayels of hoplites in combat without body armour, of course I have not taken a close look at that many depictions of greek battles.

[hoplite14gr]

Initially hoplites had to arm themselves. Solon divided the Athenians according to their income and set the "300 mendimoi" to undertake hoplite service. But that depended on their ability to maintain their income
Usually most scholars agree that in the period 410 to 350 B.C. the prolonged wars eroded the middle class so much that at least the rear ranks of the phalanx were composed by poor folk with only shield spear and lucky if they could own a pilos helmet. This is independent of the existence of the "EKDROMOI"- hoplites who left back cuirass and grieves on purpose so they could lighten up and chase light troops off the front of the phalanx.
Phillip II is the one who brought the heavy armed infantry to the light again especially after using the Paggaio gold mines income to provide equipment for the pike men.
Kind regards
Stefanos

[Antigonos]

the ''poorer classes enrolled'' is a popular theory, and doubtlessly a most reasonable one. But lighter hoplites may also be the result of having to fight
a) vs different kind of evil, eld-like peltasts,
b) all over the greek world, including landing ops, something not very usuall in that old fashionned city-state army duels that were arranged to be fought in plains. Mountains, gorges, passes, desert islands were frequently visited during the inter-greek wars after the persian invasion.

Many funerary steles depict soldiers with a helmet (usually a pilos) and a chiton wrapped around the body. Some commented that this might be a ''heroically nude'' pose, but then why do the 'heroes' usually walk around entirely naked? And why do other steles show hoplites in full armour before 450 BC and after 330 BC? Were those generations less heroic? I believe that the stele depictions are accurate: people now used less armour, for whatever reasons. Both socio-financial and tactical reasons may apply.