07-21-2009, 12:52 PM
This thread causes me some some concern, as assumptions are a bad place to start a discussion.
Paul B wrote:
>I'd never seen an obvious aspis held by a handgrip instead of a porpax until I came across this image. Bonn Hydria circe 550 BC. If the date is
>correct, I doubt that an aspis without porpax was in contemporary use. It is interesting though as an example of artistic anachronism (or simple
>mistake). They hoplites are Lapiths fighting centaurs, so perhaps showing "old-style" shields was intentional
There are a couple of interpretations of this image. You immediately assume that the shield is porpaxless because it is gripped by the centre.
However, this is not the only possibility. It is also possible that the shield is being gripped by the porpax, as a number of porpaxes survive that could be gripped. Clearly the painter was aware an aspis could have a porpax, antilabe arrangement, as the third figure is depicted as holding the shield in the more common way.
As to whether this is deliberate anachronism or not is a question that skips important precursor questions:
- Is it possible to fight with a centre gripped aspsis?
- Are there any other sources depicting this usage?
If the answer to those two questions is yes, the possibility that this was a practice as opposed to just art is on the table.
Have fun!
Cole
Paul B wrote:
>I'd never seen an obvious aspis held by a handgrip instead of a porpax until I came across this image. Bonn Hydria circe 550 BC. If the date is
>correct, I doubt that an aspis without porpax was in contemporary use. It is interesting though as an example of artistic anachronism (or simple
>mistake). They hoplites are Lapiths fighting centaurs, so perhaps showing "old-style" shields was intentional
There are a couple of interpretations of this image. You immediately assume that the shield is porpaxless because it is gripped by the centre.
However, this is not the only possibility. It is also possible that the shield is being gripped by the porpax, as a number of porpaxes survive that could be gripped. Clearly the painter was aware an aspis could have a porpax, antilabe arrangement, as the third figure is depicted as holding the shield in the more common way.
As to whether this is deliberate anachronism or not is a question that skips important precursor questions:
- Is it possible to fight with a centre gripped aspsis?
- Are there any other sources depicting this usage?
If the answer to those two questions is yes, the possibility that this was a practice as opposed to just art is on the table.
Have fun!
Cole
Cole
