Weight and grip of sarissa and shield in macedonian phalanx

[Paralus]

As for your statement that they all simply aspides, what do you mean? Aspis could have such a general meaning that when Asclepiodotus says that this is a shield, he is simply describing it without the baggage of the term pelte, in the same way that an author writing for a general audience might simply call a howitzer a gun, for instance, rather than using a specific term. (He also calls phalangites hoplites, for instance.

Pertinent point and one that should be noted - including your previous reference to the use of "hoplite".

The use of the word "aspis", as with "hoplite", in many sources is often rather utilitarian or "non-technical". Arrian, for example, refers to Macedonian phalangites (when he does so directly) quite often as "hoplites". It appears a utilitarian term for "heavy infantry". I rather suspect that aspis found similar use. The ancient Greeks - as with many modern people - were not that "anal" about their use. It occurs with terms such as "shield bearers" (hypaspitae) where Diodorus describes the "shield bearers" being followed (in the Camels' Fort assault) by the "ladder bearers". As Bosworth argues, the term is descriptive of the action rather than the Silver Shields in contrast to 17.110.1 where Diodorus is clearly refering to the foot guard or hypaspists.