Armor
Posted by MRL on Dec 31st 2006
Spartan ArmorTheir shields consisted of wood and leather with the face completely covered in a thin sheet of stressed bronze (881004), which was enough to strengthen the shield, but did not add so much weight as to make it useless. Each shield was round and
approx 36 - 38 according to some unearthed examples. Legend says that a warrior was given his shield by his mother and instructed to come back with it or on it. The shield was considered th...
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Ancient Greece - The Hoplite
Posted by MRL on Dec 31st 2006
A hoplites most important piece of equipment, and what gave the hoplite its name, is the hoplon, the shield (881004). The shield was made of overlapping planks of wood covered in leather, with the face of the shield covered completely in a thin sheet of bronze. This gave it incredible strength while at the same time not making it so heavy that it became unusable. Each shield was round and approximately 36 to 38 in diameter. Worn on the left arm,...
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Battle of Thermopylae
Posted by MRL on Dec 31st 2006
Taking place during the Persian-Greek Wars around 480 BC, there is probably no better known battle from the era. Thanks to fanciful re-tellings, especially lately from many sources including books like Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire and Frank Miller's 300 it seems any student of militaria knows Leonidas and Xerxes very well indeed. As usual, the gruesome reality was not romantic at all. That said, it was just as heroic.
Thermopylae wa...
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