The Spartans used his Aspis in the simulations to great effect, protecting himself from the deadly projectile attacks of the Ninja and the crushing blows of the Samurai's kanabo, while also using it offensively to bash and throw around both opponents. In Sparta, a routing soldier most likely was disgraced and executed for cowardliness. These two facts gave birth to the phrase "Come back with your shield or on it." which Spartan women told their husbands when they left for battle. In the event of a retreat, the shield would usually be the first thing discarded. Vital to maintaining the effectiveness of the Greek phalanx, the left third of the shield would protect the right flank of the man to the holder's left, hence why losing it was considered to be a disgrace.Īfter the battle, the aspis was often used as a stretcher to carry the dead and wounded from the battlefield. Its large size covered a large portion of the holder's body and its weight (24 lbs in the show) allowed it to deliver crushing blows. In Greek warfare, the aspis was the most important piece of equipment of the hoplite (heavy infantry). Athenians stopped this practice after the Battle of Delium 424BC Athenian Hoplites became confused by the lack of unity among the shield icons, causing confusion and friendly fire (arguably the first recorded incidence of friendly fire in warfare). It was common for hoplites to draw beasts mythical animals on the shields. The Athenians normally had their own unique painting for each individual. (In Greek, the Spartans were known as "Laodiceans.") Thebian Hoplites had a club as their national icon. The shield was usually decorated with an emblem the lambda (a Greek letter equivalent to L) being the most well-known, was for Spartan hoplites. A cloth would sometimes be placed on the shield to absorb arrows that attempted to strike under the shield. The shield had a strap in the middle of the shield and a handle at the right edge. The shield was made of several layers of wood covered in a layer of bronze with a layer of leather in between, to absorb shock.
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