

Note the spike on the right of the photograph: it's a "square" type, big and beautiful example and someone has taken the trouble to add on a big ball of lead, which is quite refined (its shape is not a sphere, but nicely modulated, and it's got fins or stripes, so that this was cast in a mould- cast on the bronze spike ?). Nick Sekunda's recent Osprey on hoplites). (Victor Hanson has very blood-thirsty, pornography-of-violence pages on this).Īll this is well known (e.g. Plutarch, Life of Aristeides, on the death of the Persian cavalry commander at Plataia or Plutarch on the death of Machanidas, killed by Philopoimen), the butt-spike was also used as a secondary weapon. For, as attested by literary sources (e.g. It probably is responsible for round holes surrounded by depressed fractures in skulls, as attested at Chaironeia. The second type ("chair leg) is a tapering cylinder, with a flaring ring just before a long spike.

There are two types of spikes: one is square in section and pyramidal in shape it may be responsible for square holes in armour found at Olympia (if those holes are not left by nails). The spear point is iron, but the butt-spike is bronze (it serves to stick the spear in the ground, so must be rust proof). 2.5 m long spear used by the ancient Greek "kitted out" fighter, the hoplite (the spear and the big shield are the main components of this style of fighting all the rest, helmet, armour, greaves, can be progressively lightened or dropped). These are the spikes that go on the bottom (butt) end of the ca. The picture is from the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the new section on bronzes on the ground floor this particular case no longer exists, because the material was transported to the new Akropolis museum. The other end of the dory was usually spiked so that they could stand the spear in the ground.Here's a selection of ancient Greek butt-spikes. The pointy end of the spear was usually a leaf shape. The Hoplites would hold they dory in one had while holding their hoplon in the other. There were different length’s used ranging from 7 feet up to 25 feet. The main weapon that they used was a spear, which they called a Dory. The helmets used varied over time, getting lighter and simpler as time went on. Those who had lots of money (upper-class) would wear a bronze chest plate. Linothorax was most popular because of it was not too expensive and was very durable.
SPIKED HOPLITE SHIELD SKIN
The hoplites that had a little more money have linothorax, which was armor that was made from stitched fabric reinforced with animal skin or bronze. Some pheasant soldiers could not even afford armor and would simply fight with a hoplon, spear and possibly a helmet. There were many different styles of armor used by the Hoplites, usually ranging between 45-60 pounds. Since armor was so expensive, it was usually passed down through families. In most cases they received basic military training and were responsible for obtaining their own armor for battle.
SPIKED HOPLITE SHIELD FREE
Hoplites were usually free citizens of Greece. It is said that the Hoplites name came from their shield (Hoplon), but others argue that, Hoplites took their name from their arms and armor as a whole. Hoplon was the name of the shield used by the Hoplite worriers. Hoplites were soldiers for ancient Greece.
