Hand painted replica of the shield of ancient Greece, Spartan Hoplite, used by the hoplites of the city-states of ancient Greece.
It is round and concave in shape and has a cuff (porpax) on its internal face, which allows it to be worn.
The shield is made of hand painted plywood. In the back, it has leather and rope restraints.
Details:
Material: plywood, hand painted
Diameter: about 97cm
Arch: about 11 cm
Material thickness: about 11mm
Weight: about 6 kg.
The shield is both an offensive and defensive weapon: it is used to ward off blows but also to push to break down enemy lines.
The shield is made of wood; allows the hoplite to rest it on his left shoulder to relieve his arm, awaiting shock with the enemy.
This large shield (Diameter: approximately 97 cm) is particular to the Greeks and is one of the tools necessary for the phalanx.
Heavy about 6 kg , it is especially useful in group combat, where each soldier relies on those of his comrades to protect himself. Its effectiveness and resistance in the heart of melee is far superior to that of wicker shields, traditionally used by the Persians and Egyptians. The shield, along with the spear, is the Greek equipment par excellence, so the loss of the shield is considered a terrible act of cowardice, condemnable in most Greek cities. Some classic hoplite shields differ from this model. These are so-called Boeotian type shields, more oval in shape and having two notches on the side. These shields traditionally belong to Archaic times, but it is not impossible that they survived later.