Description
A hoplite was the most common type of heavily armed foot-soldier in ancient Greece from the 7th to 4th centuries BCE, and most ordinary citizens of Greek city-states with sufficient means were expected to equip and make themselves available for the role when necessary.
The principal weapons of a hoplite infantryman were a long ash wood spear and a short sword. The spear measured on average 2.5 metres (8 ft.) in length and was fitted with a bronze or iron blade and a four-sided end spike. The sword was also of iron with a straight or sometimes curved blade no more than 60 cm in length. No doubt many hoplites also carried a dagger as an extra insurance. Protection was provided by a leather-lined bronze helmet which could vary in design, was often crested, and protected the head, neck, and face. A corselet or breastplate of bronze or leather, bronze greaves to protect the shins, and sometimes arm-guards were also worn. The hoplite carried a large circular shield some 80 cm (30 in.) in diameter and weighing as much as 8 kg. This was made of wood or stiff leather, faced with bronze, and was held with the left arm placed through a central band and gripped via a strap attached to the shield rim. Shields often carried particular designs – the most famous being the inverted V-shape of Spartan hoplites – and emblems – particularly popular was the gorgon from Greek mythology with its association with changing the onlooker into stone. Surviving examples of breastplates and helmets also display engraved decoration. Fully armoured then, the hoplite was required to carry some 20 kg of equipment and so good physical training must have given one side a strong advantage (e.g. the well-trained and professional Spartans). Precisely because all of this equipment amounted to quite an investment, being a hoplite also indicated that the individual had a certain status in wider Greek society.
(Height: ~13 cm)
(Material: Pewter)
