Encourage him to decorate the front of the shield with images, symbols, or patterns that represent his personality.Using the string as a compass, have him draw a large circle on the poster board.Push the tack through the center of the poster board.Have your child tie one end of the string around the tack or pushpin and tie the other end around a pencil.12"-14" piece of string (depending on how big you want your shield to be).1" x 8" piece of cardboard (for a handle).Piece of poster board, cardboard, or foam core.I am currently a student in the MA program in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at Brandeis University. I graduated with high distinction from Indiana University Bloomington in May 2022 with a BA in history and classical studies (Ancient Greek and Latin languages), with departmental honors in history. Some of my main historical interests include ancient religion, mythology, and folklore gender and sexuality ethnicity and interactions between Greek cultures and cultures they viewed as foreign. Hello! I am an aspiring historian mainly interested in ancient Greek cultural and social history. At best, what Diodoros says here may be considered a folk etymology. Indeed, the word that Diodoros himself uses to refer to a hoplite’s shield is ἀσπίς, not ὅπλον. What Diodoros says here, however, is clearly wrong, considering how the word ὅπλον is actually used in Classical Greek.
Back of a hoplite shield trial#
After a trial of the new shield its easy manipulation secured its adoption, and the infantry who had formerly been called ‘hoplites’ because of their heavy shield, then had their name changed to ‘peltasts’ from the light pelta they carried.”
Back of a hoplite shield free#
“For instance, the Greeks were using shields which were large and consequently difficult to handle these he discarded and made small oval ones of moderate size, thus successfully achieving both objects, to furnish the body with adequate cover and to enable the user of the small shield, on account of its lightness, to be completely free in his movements. 30 BC), who writes in his Library 15.44, as translated by C. Lazenby and Whitehead note in their article that the claim that hoplites took their name from their shield seems to originate from the Greek historian Diodoros Sikeliotes (lived c. 475 BC showing a Greek hoplite with his armor, his spear, and his shield Thus, the word literally means “one who bears equipment.”ĪBOVE: Tondo from an Attic red-figure kylix dated to between c. Lazenby and David Whitehead convincingly argue in their 1996 article “The Myth of the Hoplite’s Hoplon,” the word ὁπλίτης comes not solely from the hoplite’s shield, but rather from his entire panoply, including his armor, his shield, and his spear. The normal Greek word for the kind of large, round, wooden shield that was usually carried by hoplites is actually ἀσπίς ( aspís), which, obviously, sounds nothing like the word ὁπλίτης.Īs J. It can even, in some contexts, be used to refer to a penis. It is often claimed that ὅπλον means “shield,” but it is actually an extremely vague term that literally just means “tool” or “piece of equipment.” This word can be used in Greek to refer to any kind of shield, armor, or weapon, but it can also refer to tools used for other things, like sailing a ship.
The English word hoplite is derived from the Greek first-declension masculine noun ὁπλίτης ( hoplítēs), which is, in turn, derived from the Greek second-declension neuter noun ὅπλον ( hóplon). Unfortunately, despite being widely repeated, this claim is not true.ĪBOVE: Detail of the Chigi Vase, dated to the seventh century BC, depicting Greek hoplite warriors The name ‘hoplite’ comes from their shield which they called the ‘hoplon.’” “The main Greek soldier was the foot soldier called a ‘hoplite.’ Hoplites carried large shields and long spears. Likewise, an article on the website Ducksters titled “Ancient Greece: Soldiers and War” claims: They got their name because the shield that they carried was called a hoplon.” These warriors would carry long shields and spears. “The Greek soldier that was a foot soldier was called a hoplite. For instance, an article on the website History for Kids titled “Ancient Greek Warriors” claims: The assertion that Greek hoplites derive their name from their shields seems to be less common in works written for adults, but it is extremely widespread in works written for children. In reality, the word hoplon refers not only to the hoplite’s shield, but to all his equipment collectively. It is commonly stated that ancient Greek hoplites are named after the kind of large, round, wooden shield they carried, which was supposedly known as a hoplon.
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