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Greek Slingers - Printable Version

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Greek Slingers - Anonymous - 04-05-2005

Hi folks,<br>
I'm trying to gather up as many pictures of Greek slingers available. I'm a professional illustrator/designer and I'm working on a few things about the ancient slinger. I've been slinging for years and hand braid my own slings. I also melt lead and make my own sling bullets. I'll also take any literary sources, but I think I've covered all my bases on that point! If any of you guys are from Greece, I would love to hear any modern day sling stories!<br>
Thanks,<br>
Johnny <p></p><i></i>

Re: Greek Slingers - Anonymous - 04-05-2005

I can't offer you any tips for your research, but perhaps you can help me with mine! I'm interested in slinging and would like to make my own bullets. Do you use a clay mould, and then break it, or what? I've seen pictures of bullets, but no scale was given; can you tell me how large they should be and how much they should weigh? I hear sling stones as large as tennis balls have been found; do you know anything of this?<br>
<br>
Paul <p></p><i></i>

Re: Greek Slingers - Anonymous - 04-05-2005

You can make a wooden mold like this:www.larp.com/legioxx/bullets.jpg<br>
Just melt the lead in a tin can(one that has no seem on the bottom) in an outside grille. Just put in the charcoal and set the can on top of the hot coals, it will melt. I usually make my sling bullets about the size of my thumb. Try different sizes. The Belearic slingers used stones that weighed about 1 pound, about the size of a tennis ball. Check out this site:www.slinging.org/<br>
<br>
Johnny <p></p><i></i>

Greek Slingers - Anonymous - 04-05-2005

Gentlemen.<br>
I think you might find the following likn usefull:<br>
www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/nikol...sling.html <p></p><i></i>

Re: Greek Slingers - Nectanebo - 09-15-2005

Is there a particular region of Ancient Greece that was famous for its slingers in the same way that Crete was famous for its Archers?

Thanks Smile

Re: Greek Slingers - hoplite14gr - 09-15-2005

Quote:Is there a particular region of Ancient Greece that was famous for its slingers in the same way that Crete was famous for its Archers?

Thanks Smile

But the sunny isaland of Rhodes of cource!!
Rodian slingers mentioned by Xenophon using sling bullets of lead sise of a fist. Recorded even serving in early roman armies
Not so famous but not less seadly the Aenianes of central Greece.
Professor Theocharis found in Seklo-Thessaly clay covered sling stones capable of grenade-like effect but thesse are neolithic era.
Kind regards
Stefanos

Re: Greek Slingers - Nectanebo - 09-15-2005

Quote:
Nectanebo:1jhqyci7 Wrote:Is there a particular region of Ancient Greece that was famous for its slingers in the same way that Crete was famous for its Archers?

Thanks Smile

But the sunny isaland of Rhodes of cource!!
Rodian slingers mentioned by Xenophon using sling bullets of lead sise of a fist. Recorded even serving in early roman armies
Not so famous but not less seadly the Aenianes of central Greece.
Professor Theocharis found in Seklo-Thessaly clay covered sling stones capable of grenade-like effect but thesse are neolithic era.
Kind regards
Stefanos

Thanks for the prompt reply. Is there any record of Rhodian slingers among Xenophon's 10,000 Then?

Re: Greek Slingers - hoplite14gr - 09-15-2005

The first 100 were brought by Klerachos the Lakedemonian when Cyrous army was to advance agianst his royal brother and Rodian and Aenianes psiloi were converted as slinger because they volonteered for this service after the battle of Kounaxa. Their number was doubled to 200.
Though predominatly slingers they also carried "pelta" or buckler shields, long daggers and possibly javelines. They were not reluctant to engage hand to hand against enemy light troops or other loose formed infantry.
It is not unlikely that they icreased their protection by currind the "spolas" or perizoma and possibly wearing captured or aquired helmets.
Possibly they engaded light elements with stone missles and cavalry or armored troops with lead bulets that if score a direct hit could have a mace-like effect on armor.
Remember Mardonios was killed in Platea by the slinger Arimnistos with a lead bullet on his head!
Kind regards
Stefanos

Re: Greek Slingers - hoplite14gr - 01-07-2006

Well I want opinions from poeple with slinging experience.

Clay missle is the issue. Please read the following linkc and please tell me your opinion or mention you experince with clay missle and their possible frag effect.
http://s8.invisionfree.com/Bronze_Age_C ... =296&st=15



Kind regards
Stefanos

Re: Greek Slingers - Arthes - 01-07-2006

Another page that may be of interest....[url:3iao9fzv]http://www.ncl.ac.uk/shefton-museum/arms/greekarms.html[/url]
and [url:3iao9fzv]http://www.1timothy4-13.com/files/facts/art03.html[/url]
A paragraph from the last page does bring to mind warriors holding a certain part of their anatomy.....:lol: Rounded stones were regularly used as common kitchen pounders and grinders for grinding grain and vegetables, crushing nuts, and even smashing bone marrow and roots in food preparation
regards
Arthes

Re: Greek Slingers - hoplite14gr - 01-07-2006

Good links. Thanks Cristina.
Still not what I was looking for about the clay missles shtering and their spilnders wrecking havoc. So has any slinger tried it?
Kind regards

Re: Greek Slingers - Anonymous - 01-07-2006

It's interesting to note the claim that sling stones might penetrate armour. I seem to recall a case of a sling-stone (or lead shot?) which had emebedded itself so deeply in the victim that the flesh had closed over behind it.

Do you not think that the move to lead shot of standardised shape and size might be indicative of a desire to concentrate on the penetrative effect of the missile?

Re: Greek Slingers - hoplite14gr - 01-08-2006

It is a possibility. Also the lead shot might have a "mace like" effect, ckracking bones under armor.
The clay shot would if shatered upon a shild at a center of a block formation might have nasty effects on the men infront of the pointof impact
Well any decent slinger worth his salt would of cource try lead shots but sharp clay splinters at the neck, or thighs would possibly hinter the troops.
The idea is not so much to kill them but to dissrupt them.
I am trying to gind out if some body has tried clay shots and has seen any fragmentation.
Kind regards

re - Johnny Shumate - 01-09-2006

I'm an experienced slinger. I usually make my own ammo by pouring thinned down concrete into egg shaped molds. I can hit milk jugs at 15-20 yards fairly easily. When I just want to work on technique without straining my shoulder, I'll take a tennis ball and sling at a target next to my house. In the warm months, I'll go down to the creek and sling at various targets. Whenever a stone hits a rock slab, the stone is usually blown into several fragments. Anyone nearby would be cut, or worse, lose an eye..!
Johnny

re - Johnny Shumate - 01-09-2006

My sling and "stone"...
[Image: sling2.jpg]