Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks

The Public Sphere 241
The warrior arming as he is about to depart for battle is one
of the most popular scenes on both red- and black-figure vases.
All that changes over time is the style of the warrior’s armor and
weapons. It reminds us of a constant and unchanging event in the
daily life of the Greeks, all the more charged with pathos in light
of its repetitiveness.
Somewhat paradoxically, the most passionate denunciation of
the futility of war is uttered by the bellicose Achilles:
A man suffers the same fate whether he holds back or if he goes into battle.
The coward and the brave man are held in equal honor. I have achieved
nothing with all the sufferings I have endured, forever risking my life in
the line of battle. (9.318–22)
Hoplite Warfare
Around 700 b.c.e. , a new style of warfare called hoplite was introduced,
named for the hoplon or round bronze shield with which
soldiers were equipped. The hoplon, which was made of wood
or stiffened leather with a bronze covering, was about three feet
Hektor arms for battle. On the left is his aged father
Priam, on the right the god Apollo. From Homer by Martin
Thorpe (Bristol, U.K.: Bristol Classical Press, 1973).
Reprinted by permission of Duckworth Publishers