The Ancient Greek culture and past were very aptly portrayed. Sometimes the round shields which would be as big as 80 cm or 30 inches in diameter would be cut out into different shapes to make them lighter in weight and yet serve the primary purpose of protection.ĭesigns on the shields of the Ancient Greeks carried out information about the life and influence of the Western world. It was believed that a person who would see the emblem of Gorgon would turn into stone and hence it was used on the shields to distract the enemies. the inverted V-sign, and the Gorgon which came from Greek mythology. Shields have been found in many of the Ancient Greek religious sites and shrines.Īs mentioned earlier, the shields once faced with bronze were painted with different designs of which the most widely used were the Lambda i.e. Apart from battles and warfare, shields also had a significant influence on the religious life of the Ancient Greeks. It would have been impossible to fight in the formation of the Ancient Greeks without the use of shields. Hoplites were the heavy infantry in the Greek army and they always used the shield. They were also known as “Hoplon” and the word hoplite is derived from here. They were generally very large and round and were designed to strike fear in the hearts of their enemies, and also to show allegiance to a certain city-state. The entire armor with chest piece and helmet and arm and leg guards would sometimes weigh as much as 20 kg.Īncient Greeks were very creative in designing their shields. Shields would weigh as much as 8 kg sometimes and the fighter would require great strength and skill to use them as protection. The warrior would carry the Greek shield in his left hand with the help of a central band and grip via a strap on the shield. Shields in Ancient Greece were made mostly of wood and leather and were then faced with bronze. The approximate weight of a Shield was 8 kg. It was decorated with different images such as the Gorgon head depicted in some of them while others contained symbols such as the Lambda, used by the Spartans, or M, used by the Messenians. The shield originated in Ancient Greece and its name was “Aspis shield.” The materials used were wood or wicker, covered over with ox hides, leather, and sometimes even with metals. Their victory in this war would never have been possible without the effective use of their armor. The Ancient Greek armors were very effective in their battles and helped them in winning important battles such as the Persian War. Due to this feature, many other cultures, especially Ancient Italy, adopted them for the benefit of their own armies. Ancient Greek methods of making armor were found to be very effective defensively. Mostly, they were made of bronze which maintained the vision and agility of the soldier. The Ancient Greek soldiers, who were also known as the hoplites were well-known for their heavy armor which came with a distinguished design. It was one of the most important pieces of armor for the warriors of the Ancient Greeks. So it was quite natural that in such battle-enthusiastic states, special importance would be given to the armor and guards of the warriors. In some city-states, like Sparta, which was a military state, it was compulsory for all men to undergo rigorous training and join the army after they crossed the age of 20. This was also a common feature in almost all city-states. It was a natural expectation that surrounded the belief system of the Ancient Greeks. In Ancient Greece, it was mandatory for men to serve the army for at least a minimum period of 18-20 years.
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