This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Aspis is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
An aspis (pronounced /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:1
But exposed as he was to many and fierce attacks he nevertheless was not overborne by the numbers of the foe. Though he took two blows on the breastplate, one on the helmet, and three on the shield [hoplon] which he had brought from the temple of Athena, he still did not give in, but borne up by an exaltation of spirit surmounted every danger. - Diodorus Siculus. The Library, 17.21.2.
Contents |
Construction
A hoplon shield was a deeply-dished shield made of wood. Often, particularly later on, it was covered in a thin layer of bronze. 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 the Spartans: a red capital lambda (Λ) - at least, 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 Herakles.
References
- ^ Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989.
See also
External links
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 25 October 2008, at 23:39.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Aspis".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.