Hoplite Shield Designs

[lupus]

thanks!, this comes in handy when i will be painting my hoplite-miniature from Pegaso!

So, you're going to paint a Corinthian Hoplite, right?

Make sure to make the shield-device white ("Pigasus") and the background light-blue... Corinthians used of it...

[hoplite14gr]

Many impressive shiled designs coming from coins are purely speculative.
The bropblem is that there is few designs backed by literature or other evidence.

First row
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a) "Medousa Gorgo",Peloponesian under research. b) Hellenistic.

Second row
--------------
b) Unlikely to be on shield of Naxos. c) "Lion's head", Leontinoi. d) "Bull-satyr", Gelas. e) "Medousa's face" under research

Third row
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a) Hellenistic under reserch. b) "Chimera", Etruscans (probably) NEVER!. c) "Lion's Head", Samos island or Festos Crete. d) under research, e) Never on Shield.

Forth row
-----------
a) "Pegasus", Corinthos. b) "Bull's head, Eubea. c) "Satyr's face", under research. d) "Sphinx", Thebes NEVER! e) "Hercules' club & Dioskouroi's Pilos-helmets", Sparta. Unlikely on shield

Kind regards

[lupus]

Thanks Stefane... ALWAYS A PLEASURE to updating/correcting me...

[paulhadley]

Hi just a quick question from a novice about lakedaimonians
at the time of the Persian wars what shield devices were being used?
is there any evidence for field colors other than the bronze of the shield face?
any guidance on this would be gladly welcome.

[Anonymous]

Ignite Leonidas

That's terrific, Zenodoros!

[lupus]

Ignite Leonidas

That's terrific, Zenodoros!

That's THE MOST ACCURATED miniature about Lacedaimonian Hoplite of 5th century BC, I EVER seen!
VERY ACCURATED indeed!
Although, I think the plume of the helmet is HUGE, comparing with the rest size of the miniature...

But, generally, THIS IS what they suppose to look like, back then... in 480 BC...

NICE job...

Hi just a quick question from a novice about lakedaimonians
at the time of the Persian wars what shield devices were being used?
is there any evidence for field colors other than the bronze of the shield face?
any guidance on this would be gladly welcome.

Generally, all Greek Hoplites used similar "technique" for the shield-devices...
The MOST "classic", was to LEAVE the shield's background as it was (the bronze's color of the metal) and they drew with BLACK (ehm, ALMOST black... more, a VERY-VERY DARK red soil's color, close to black - the SOLID black is a MODERN, printing "invention") the design that pleased them.
An alternative method, was to PAINT the ENTIRE shield background with a color (MOST common & LOGICAL, was a red soil's RED color, white, that "black" that I mention, yellow (although, it's stupid to think that they used yellow - if they like to, they can always LEAVE the bronze as it was; bronze is "yellow"...), blue (not in SO affluence, as the rest)...
Then, they drew the desing, using that "black" or combinations of colors...
A third method, was to paint a small cyrcle in the center of the shield (about the half of the diameter), leaving the rest of the background as it was and drew in that cyrcle the design...

Now... about THE DESIGNS... All hoplites used - LOGICAL! - designs that all warriors in all Times used:
Religion's symbols, tribe's symbols, founder/heroes' symbols, gods' symbols, regions' symbols, aggressive symbols.
As we taking about GREEKS, although the Ancient Greeks were the... ULTIMATE... regionalists with MANY differences, they all remained... GREEKS!
So, they had THE SAME Gods, many city-states had the SAME founder/heroes, the same city-patron saints or the same regions' symbols...

So, you CAN'T say "hey, the Macedonians used the lion...", because lions were everywhere in Ancient Greece's mountains, lion is the symbol of power and royalty... so, you can easily guess HOW many hoplites or cities may used the lion as symbol.
Or, let's say you claiming "hey, Athenians used much the 'Gorgon', the 'Medousa'...", which was a FAMOUS Mythical Beast of the Greeks... Goddess Athina HAD Gorgon's head attached on her shield. Goddess Athena was the city-patrin saint of ATHENS! So, you may easily claim, that Gorgon's head-symbol IS an Athenian one. True, but not quite, as MANY Greek factions' hoplites used the Gorgon's head as symbol on their shields.
And SO goes on, for ALMOST every symbol...

Of course, there are SOME symbols, TOTALY "unique" used from some Greek factions.
For example, SINCE HOMER's "ILIAD", the Argives used SOLID WHITE color to cover COMPLETELY their shields (they were known as "Leukaspis ferontes" or just "Leukaspis"...)
The Hercules' club, completely solo in a shield, used by the Thebans...
The Aeginites, from Aegina island, used the Sea-Turtle a lot...
The Eobeans, used the Bull/Beef's head - their region name MEANING this: "EU-BEA"..."Many-Beefs".
The "Ionian Confederacy", used a lot the "Flat Lion's head" - Samos, generally, the "Bee", "Zeus' Eye", "Lion" - generally, "Griffin"... and many more.

Now... about the LACEDAIMONIANS. The ULTIMATE... MYSTERIOUS Greek faction!
Of course, they used DORIAN symbols... "Ofis" - "Snake" - is the MOST OLD and "universal" symbol of wisdom and "Gea" ("Earth"); so, Ionians or Dorians used A LOT the symbol of the "Snake"... Also, Lacedaimonians used a lot, symbols of their BELOVED Gods and Semi-Gods:
- 'Apollo', god of Music & Sun - THE SUPERIOR God of Dorians...
- 'Artemis', Goddess of hunting & purity, patron of the woods & mountains, protector of the animals and small kidds - Apollo's twin sister, SECOND SUPERIOR God of Dorians...
- 'Zeus', the Father of Gods & People - maybe the ULTIMATE God, but NOT the MOST beloved in Laconia/Lacedaimon...
- 'Dioskouroi - Castor & Pollux', sons of Zeus & Leda, brothers of "Beautiful Helen". Semi-Gods of Light, the embodiment of integrity/honor/bravery/mettle/nobility & virtue. Protectors of mariners & ships. Saviors of mortals - MOST IMPORTANT Gods of the Lacediamonians, as they were SPARTANS aswell...
- 'Dionysus', God of grape & vinery, God of joy, God of Adventure...
- 'Lito' or 'Lato' in Dorics, Goddess, mother of 'Apollo' & 'Artemis'...
- 'Karnos', a local ram-god, god of fertility & harvest...
- 'Eileithya' or 'Eleutho', daughter of Zeus & Hera, protector of the venter (impregnated) women...
- 'Yakinthos', son of King Amykla...

So... from ALL these gods & semi-gods, Lacedaimonians used their "symbols". ONLY Goddess ARTEMIS, had TONES of symbols, like:
Deer, goat, ram, bear, dog, snake, laurel, palm tree, cypress tree, sword, spear, quiver and... many more!
Also, Spartans used many aggressive symbols or symbols that MEANT a lot to them, like the REST Greeks too.
They may use the jackal, the boar, the raven... but there is an interesting report of a Lacedaimonian Hoplite, who used a... fly (insect), in... the actual size of it! When they asked him WHY he used a SO SMALL symbol on his shield, he responded that... "That fly MAYBE is small from distance, but from the VERY CLOSE distance that my enemy will see this fly as his LAST vision, that fly will seems HUGE"!...
They used also religious symbols as designs, for instance the "Dokana"... banner (actually, there was just two simple poles atteched together) of them.

So... I can help you & send you some samples of them, but I think you can SEE SOME here in some images I've posted before some weeks ago...

Generally, there ISN'T a SPECIFIC rule of shield devices, especially for the MOST MYSTERIOUS Greek factions of all, the Lacedaimonians...
The TRICK, the IMPORTANT issue, is the TECHNIQUE of the designs, not the designs themselves...

But... OF COURSE... you can ask for MORE & BETTER suggestions, the expert of the Shield Devices,...

... STEFANOS, of course.

Regards (hope I helped)...

[hoplite14gr]

I would kinldy ask anyone interested on Lakonian shield devices check my earliest posts and my short article. If some one wants professional help and more details sent me P.M.

Kind regards

[lupus]

Sure Stafane, but please, spent some time to write me if the info I'm giving is right or I'm wrong in some parts or maybe in all of it...

Regards.

[Gaius Decius Aquilius]

Stephanos,

As per my PM from a day or two ago, I said I would ask on the forum about shield designs that may be relevant to circa 600 or earlier. I am still open to what I put on my Beoetitan that I am still sanding and chisiling on.
I am also really interested in getting a copy made of the helmet found in Crete that Comerus posted a few weeks back. Any early designs That may be Crete or surrounding area? Still leaning towards the Sphinx of Chios... but all these fashion decisions... what to wear? What to wear! And your shield does make SO a statement about the real You.

LYKAON of somewhwere indeterminate

elsewise:

Ralph Izard

[hoplite14gr]

In P.M. I gave hint about other Mythical creatures.
Arround 600 the warrior fraternities and the military clans started declining.
Pottery of the time shows combination of the city/clan emblem with a personal emblem.
The Doric tribe held Crete firmly at that time.
The Doreans had three sub-tribes each with its own type of "menander decoration" on chiton and shield edge.
The main Cretan cities were Knossos and Lyttos (Lyktos).
The labors Herakles the main Doric hero appear on shield bosses survivng in the Olympia Meuseum.
Kind regards

[lupus]

Dear Stefane, you keep (ONLY me, in this forum!) ignoring to respond & answer questions...
Too pitty, because I approached you very HONORABLY and I'm keeping a kind profil towards to you...
I'm STILL can't find out, why you keep ignoring, ME... only.

Anyway... IF YOU LIKE... I have a question that I need an answer from you, since you study this and making a book about that:

Images about "DOKANA" are rare, not mention NO EXISTING... There is this follow sketch from a Greek writer, Vlasis Rassias:



And there is the classic draw, based on a tomb's relief, from Sparta's museum:



WHICH of these draws are - as much as CAN BE! - accurate?

And... in the last one, we can easily recognize the wooden device, the two snakes ("Dioskouroi"),... but that radial designs left-right, what are they? Just a Greek pattern-design like that? (recumbent)...



And, what about the figure IN THE MIDDLE-TOP??? It looks like a spider or an octopus... What is it?

That's all... I HOPE, you'll answer me... At least, if you don't bothering of answer me, just add a link to check it...

Kind Regards.

[hoplite14gr]

Romilos sorry if igave wrong impression.

The device presented on Mr Rassias page could only be on parade.
Not in battle. It would require two exposed men and Spartans were averse to needless casualties. Chances are at they were painted on the kings bodyguards shield. As for their exact appearence I am still working on it.

The snakes interpretation of Dioskouroi appear in Mr Segundas's work but it is not the only one. I am investigating Zeus Melieichios interpretation but I need more evidence to back it up since I am against simple claims.

The radial devices are odd becuse usually they are asociated with Iones and not Doreans. The image comes from a grave stone and its location and whose might have been is still under investigation.

As for the center figure odss are 50 - 50 between octapus and spider.
I am studing Spartan poets to find a link for the smae reason I mentioned about the snakes

Kind regards

[Mythos_Ruler]

Changing course here...

What kind of design would Xenophon and the men of the 10,000 have emblazoned on their shields?

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Mythos_Ruler,
I sent you a PM two weeks ago about adding your real name to your signature. It's a forum rule, as I informed you. Why haven't you taken any action?

[Peter Raftos]

Team,
Has any one read the book "Sacred Geography of the Ancient Greeks
Astrological Symbolism in Art, Architecture, and Landscape" by Jean Richer and translated from the French into the English by Christine Rhone.

The author calls Sacred Geography of the Ancient Greeks "a long meditation on the forms of religion and art of Greek antiquity" (p. xxi). It is not only a description and analysis of his findings concerning astrological symbolism, but also a narrative of his investigations. (This book is the first of three volumes dealing with astrological/geographical symbology; the other two are currently not available in English. The second discusses the subject in the Mediterranean regions of the Roman Empire, and the third in Christian art from the fourth to eighteenth centuries. The first and third volumes earned the author awards from the Academie Française.) Very often the alignments had predictive ability: if he looked where the lines indicated, he often found something with the expected archeological or mythic connection.

Sacred Geography of the Ancient Greeks has two impressive chapters relating to shields: Chapter 15. Shield Devices. The Commons Origins of Blazons and Monetary Symbols. The Complementarity of Opposites. Plaques from Delphi. Study of Vases and Chapter 16. The Horoscopic Meaning of the Armlets of Shields.

In his studies the author uncovered the existence of many calendars; "Each city and every region of Greece had its own calendar" (p. xxxii). These were of different ages, and derived from seasonal changes, or from stellar, lunar, or solar cycles. They had varying numbers of divisions and began at different times of the year, generally at one of the solstices or equinoxes. Many Greek calendars show evidence of an ancient knowledge of the precession of the equinoxes, the slow process in which the sun seems to move backward through the zodiacal signs relative to the solar year. His main point is that the decoration of everything from shields to vases and temples is not random but constructed using precise rules. The closest thing I can think of resembling this is the Chinese art of Fung Shui !!

A review article of book appears here:
[url:thmlmp13]http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/med/me-sbd2.htm[/url]

If anyone has read it I would be interested in their opinions.