Aspis

For the poem traditionally attributed to Hesiod, see The Shield of Heracles. For the Alcestis Shipping Co ship, see SS Aspis. For the comedy by Menander, see Aspis (Menander).

Hoplitodromos with hoplons and full body armour depicted in a Greek vase dated to 550 BC.

"Aspis" ( /ˈæspɨs/; Ancient Greek: ἀσπίς) is the generic term for the word shield. The aspis, which is carried by Greek infantry (hoplites) of various periods, is often referred to as a hoplon (Ancient Greek: ὅπλον).

According to Diodorus Siculus:

... and the infantry who had formerly been called "hoplites" because of their heavy shield (aspis), then had their name changed to "peltasts" from the pelta they carried.

—Diodorus Siculus. The Library, 15.44.3.

Construction

A hoplon shield was a deeply-dished shield made of wood. Some shields had a thin sheet of bronze on the outer face, often just around the rim. In some periods, the convention was to decorate the aspis; in others, it was usually left plain. Probably the most famous aspis decoration is that of Sparta: a capital lambda (Λ). From the late 5th century BC, Athenian hoplites commonly used the Little Owl, while the shields of Theban hoplites were sometimes decorated with a sphinx, or the club of Heracles.

Offense and Defense

The large shield used by the Greeks was an excellent defense as it could stop most weapons of its time. In single combat the aspis is often depicted held "edge on" to keep the enemy at bay. Hoplites who had to retreat quickly after losing a battle were often forced to drop their shields, which might cause them to be ridiculed for cowardice upon their return home. It has been theorized that the concave shape of the shield may have served to give its owner some breathing space in phalanx combat, when the press of warriors in front of and behind him could be literally suffocating.

See also

• Wiktionary - hoplon

External links

• LARP.com page
• YouTube - Hoplon
• Hollow Lakedaimon blog
• Classical Greek Shield Patterns