![]() Bronze plates reinforced the outside, and leather cushioned the inside.Īlthough the hoplon was quite heavy, weighing up to 30 pounds, its innovative grip facilitated maximum use and mobility. This shield was shaped like a large, shallow, wooden bowl - round, convex and 3-3.5 feet in diameter. The most important piece of armor carried by a hoplite was his shield, or hoplon. Warfare between city-states became somewhat standardized, with short, decisive conflicts that allowed the survivors time to return to their normal lives as farms and tradesmen. Because most hoplites were land owners and farmers with other obligations, military campaigns between Greek city-states were generally limited to the late summer months after harvest. Those over 50 generally stayed behind to guard the city. Between the ages of 20 and 60 he was available to be called up for duty. ![]() In Athens, a young man’s military career began at age 18 with two years of training. A hoplite’s equipment was not provided for him by the city-state he was expected to commission and finance his own. They were middle-and upper-class men able to afford the armor and weaponry necessary for battle. Unlike the warriors composing Sparta’s standing, professional army, Athenian hoplites were true soldier-citizens. During the rise of Greek city-states starting in the eighth century BC, battle tactics changed and the hoplite, rather than the champion, became the primary unit of ancient Greek armies. Conflicts during this era began with duels between champions followed by a general melee, with each warrior fighting as an individual for his own personal glory rather than as part of a disciplined battalion. Greek warfare during the Heroic Age (1600-1100 BC) was often chaotic and undisciplined. These shields, and the methods in which they were used, were instrumental in the function and formation of the phalanx, the primary unit of Greek armies during the Classical period. The term hoplite originates from the Greek word "hoplon," or shield. Hoplites were heavily armored soldier-citizens whose development paralleled that of the ancient Greek city-states they served.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |