Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks

242 Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks
Hoplites arming, fifth century b.c.e. Courtesy akg-images, London: Peter
Connolly.
in diameter and designed to cover half the body. It had a double
grip and could be rested against the right shoulder, because it
was concave on the inside. It was intended to protect not only its
bearer but also in part the man standing to his left. For this reason,
hoplite armies showed a tendency to drift to the right while they
were advancing, as each hoplite sought protection on his exposed
side from the shield of his companion standing on his right. Like
Homeric heroes, hoplites wore helmets, corselets, and greaves made
of bronze to a thickness of about half an inch. The principal weapon
of attack was the thrusting spear, which was about eight feet in
length and tipped with iron. As the unit advanced, the spears held
by the hoplites standing in the first five ranks all projected beyond
the front line. If a spear broke, it could be turned around, since the
reverse end possessed an iron spike. Hoplites also carried a short
sword, which they could use if they lost their spear or if they had
no room to jab with their spear.
Hoplite gear, though essentially uniform, is likely to have been
highly individual in appearance. Because there was no government
issue until the end of the Classical Period, hoplites were presumably
at liberty to request from their armorer whatever minor modifications
to the basic design they desired. Alcibiades, ever eager to
court controversy, decorated his shield with the unwarlike device