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a question for hoplite renactors or anywho might know
#1
I know the accepted way for a hoplite to hold his spear is over handed.
but it has occured to me that while wearing full panoply, and carrying a sheild, carrying a spear overhanded with just one hand could a little cumbersome
I was wondering if any renactors have had any problems with this and how they delt with it
thanks for any help
Valour is the strength, not of arms and legs,but of the heart and soul
-Lee
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#2
Wellcome Lee.

Please check "othismos true nature" on this thread and more here:
http://z8.invisionfree.com/Bronze_Age_C ... wtopic=477

Hope I helped
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#3
thanks but my question was if it was cumbersome to carry a spear overhanded while running? I agree that they held them overhanded though. I read somewhere on the internet that the spears of hoplite was actullay designed to break on the first couple of thrusts and the "lizard sticker" could then be used in an underhanded thrust. this makes sense to me because when fighting as close as hoplites would, an 8 foot spear would some what unweildly, though I could be wrong
Valour is the strength, not of arms and legs,but of the heart and soul
-Lee
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#4
It doesn't seem that they'd be running very often, not in battle-readiness with spears poised. (Marathon is always the big exception!) Keep in mind that these guys are all essentially "phys ed majors"--physical fitness was an inherent part of their culture, not like us office jockeys.

The spear was certainly not *designed* to break. It naturally did, sometimes, and the buttspike could be used as a weapon, though like the head it could be used overhand or underhand.

Khaire,

Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
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#5
Lee,

You could certainly hold a dory in an underhand grip, but you wouldn't be able to make any thrusts in the low line, because of shields being in the way. Carrying an 8ft spear in an overhand grip is not cumbersome. I tested this by running the Race-in- armour with and without a spear. I expected the spear to add as much as fifteen seconds to my time. It added one. It is our custom, in the Hoplite Association, to carry the spear vertically with the right hand, pointing the index finger down the shaft. You can move quite easily from the carry to the overhand thrusting position, with practice.
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