RE: Naked shield-push variants?

From: Mikko Rintasaari <mikrin_at_...>
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 17:31:01 +0300 (EEST)

<snip: Nick's musing>
> This is sport, not war. Look at some Greek vases for inspiration. IIRC,
> some poor Greeks would fight as hoplites with Big Shields but not much
> armour underneath... can't recall a reference right now.

It seems that the 'heavy' bronze hoplite armor was the sign of an officer, and the officers led from the front. So a Phalanx is really armored in shining bronze from head to toe (ok, some bit's seem to have been rare) in the front rank or first two ranks. The ordinary men had leather or linen cuirasses, or sometimes apparently trusted only their helmets and big shields.

Incidentally the hoplite armor seems to have been hammered really thin, about one millimeter or less in thickness. That kept it reasonably light to carry, but didn't actually offer better protection than good leather or linen armor.

[Source: Archaiologia on Archaic Greek Body Armor, by Eero Jarva. 1995 University of Oulu]

An excellent source there btw,

        -Adept