“Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks”
- Sir Winston Churchill
I thought I would begin the first blog assignment with a universally recognized warrior from history, The Spartan. Spartans have become part of popular culture; they are used as mascots, such as the Michigan State University Spartans, and Master Chief from the HALO video game series. Spartans are also used as source material for entertainment, such as having television shows and full length feature films dedicated to them.
Entertainment aside, it is true that the Spartans of Ancient Greece were feared combatants, and in this blog, we will be looking at their weapons and armor, from a historical, anthropological, and archaeological view.
According to archaeologists what we think of as “Ancient Greece”, started roughly around 3000 BC. Small caves around the Acropolis rock and the Klepsythra spring show remnants of human use.
Later on, the Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean civilizations emerged about the Aegean Sea and further inland. These communities eventually developed into city-states, such as Athens, now capital of Greece, and Sparta.
These city-states, having different cultural backgrounds, religious views, and threat of invasion from Persia, (I think an article on the Persian Immortal will be a future blog topic) naturally dealt with continual strife and conflict. In order to deal with this conflict, both offensively and defensively, the city-states instituted a standing army of citizen soldiers around the 8th or 7th century BC. They were known as Hoplites.
Spartans were elite Hoplites famed for their lifelong dedication to warfare instead of the Athenian limitation of 60 years. We know their primary function as warriors, and of their equipment through the illustrations left on pottery and stone.
These easily support that the following objects were in fact weapons and not merely tools for farming or construction.
Hoplites derive their name from the iconic shield, the Hoplon, (also known as the Aspis) which was constructed of wood and coated with bronze. The shield served the primary function of protection as well as an unorthodox bludgeoning weapon.
The primary weapon of the Hoplite was the Dory, a spear between 7 to 9 feet in length, it could be held underhand for precision or overhand for power. Construction of the spear sported two points, so that in the event the shaft broke at one end, the other could serve as a stabbing weapon as well.
The secondary weapon of the Hoplite was the Xiphos, a double-edged and pointed sword, considered “short” by the standards of later European swords, this blade was used when the length of the spear was a hindrance.
An alternate sword was the Kopis, usually associated with the Spartans, for it was considered a ruthless hacking weapon, more akin to an axe. Spartans carried this to instill fear of a long, agonizing death in their enemies, who would have preferred to die in one piece.
Further detail on Spartan/Hoplite weapons may be found here:
The armor of the Hoplite varied depending on the wealth or social standing of the wearer. Since each soldier would have to supply his own equipment, there was room for differentiation even amongst the trends.
Most heavy armors were crafted from bronze, and detailed to give the appearance of musculature or indicate rank. However, these were costly to produce, so a variant to plate armor was a “linothorax”, a thick linen armor that was cheaper and easier to make. The lowest form of armor possible was to wear none, which was the practice of the average farmer-peasant who might only be able to acquire a shield and spear.
One of the reasons this equipment was considered extremely effective was that it was made with or of bronze. During the time period of the Grecian city-states, bronze was a superior alloy to most other weapon materials. Which begs the question, how did they learn to use it so quickly and efficiently? The answer is location; Greece was (and to some extent still is) situated on large deposits of copper and tin, and as such, was able to directly craft with the alloy instead of having to trade with other cultures for it.
This site has a map of mineral deposits throughout Europe.
Greece has long been considered by many to be a fascinating study on ancient civilizations and culture. With its easily obtained wealth of sturdy building materials, close proximity to the sea, and sustainable agriculture, it was an industrial powerhouse. It is no wonder that its military strides were just as industrious.
I am considering that the next blog will be about the Samurai of Feudal Japan.
Sources:
300 is a motion picture owned by Warner Brothers, the above image is for promotional purposes.
Acropolis image: http://moreaedesign.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/more-about-the-new-acropolis-museum-athens-greece-draft/
Wikipedia Hoplite page
A finely detailed post on weaponry of the Greek City States. Having studied militaries from past to present as well, I can see why the subject interests you. There are a few points I would like to discuss though.
ReplyDeleteThe handing down of weaponry and armor (discussed in your links) is indeed a vital aspect of ancient military traditions within families. I do wonder however how the matter of loss of said family heirlooms was dealt with when and if a soldier returned from battle. Would the weapons and armor of those who had fallen be collected so that their siblings and future relatives could utilize them still? If not, would the items be considered beyond use again and buried with the dead or kept at the family home? Of course, Spartan families were not exactly kept well intact (look at the wedding ceremony procedures done by the women and the length of time a husband was kept away from his wife). I could see Athenians being of the latter type, preferring to keep relics of war within the home rather than on the field.
Regarding the metal deposits that provided Greek city states with ample material to forge bronze implements for warfare, could one argue that Greek city states, particularly Sparta, showed evidence as being ancient forms of the military-industrial complex? Did warfare dictate what was produced, or vice-verse? The strife between city states could be linked to trade disagreements over the goods each produced, leading to wars between them. Of course, the social hierarchy of society (as you have indicated in the section about armor) would seem to contradict this viewpoint, but it is an interesting theory nevertheless.
I look forward to seeing your future posts. Perhaps you will explore the steppes of Eurasia at some point.
These are very amazing Greek shields and ancient Greek armour.
ReplyDeleteGreat article thanks for sharing. here is another store on which i found replica of spartan sword,
ReplyDeletehttps://swordskingdom.co.uk/spartan-sword
Hello I have a authentic Hoplite Dory sprear I recently found Medal detecting I have been hunting artifacts for 30 years Beautiful spear museum Quality may be for sale.
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