Hoplite Shield Designs

[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)...