Hoplite Shield Designs

[PMBardunias]

I think that most academics have reverted to the assumption that something so widely represented is in fact real

Sorry Christian, I somehow missed this and didn't respond. I am glad to see that the consensus has shifted- gives me something to argue against :wink:

I should be clear. I think the Boeotian shield as often portrayed- basically an aspis with cut-outs on the lateral edges is not a real shield. The earlier Dipylon surely existed and may have lasted longer than generally thought, but there are key differences in the two shields.

The diplyon shield was a single-center grip shield- far more oval than round. The waist of the diplylon arised from pinching in the sides of an oval shield in order to bow the face outward- which strengthens the shield for a variety of reasons.

As shown, the Boeotian does not do this. Often the rim is almost complete, with only a few centimeters gap. Cutting a rim that could so easily connect so weakens the shield that I cannot imagine anyone doing so for a fighting shield. Better to just paint a black stripe that looks like a cut out (could some of these shields be aspises painted with semi-circular patches on the sides to look like Boeotians?) The cut-out itself weakens the shield, but not so much as the cut rim.

Could the Dipylon have existed along side the aspis? Sure, but it was surely a matter of fashion not function. The bearer was conciously using a weakened shield for the sake of appearance. Whenever I doubt that this could happen- I tend to look for functionality in every feature- I remind myself of the Apulio-corinthian helmet and how dumb it is to cut a big "T" in the brow of your helmet!

I am very jaded about vase images, because it is so difficult to know what the artist believed he was portraying and what we think he was. Is there an archaeological find of a Thracian pelta or Persian figure 8 sheild with a Porpax and antilabe for instance? They are very commonly portrayed with such.

The other problem with the Boeotian is that the diplylon shape appears to have had a significant meaning- going way back in the region. It is essentially the same shape as the Labrys or double-bitted axe which had religeos significance to Minoans and Mycenaeans. The shape itself appears in the form of the way men were depicted- broad shouldered and hipped, but wasp-wasted.