Makedonian phalanx shield

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

I agree with Paul MS. As a note,Connolly,with perhaps the most accurate reconstruction of the Pergamos shield and certainly the most accurate reconstruction of a sarissa, passed his wrist through the antilabe so that his hand exceded the edge of the shield. However,i don't remember in his article mentioning that the telamon could actually hold the weight of the sarissa. On the other hand,it would make sence to pass your wrist in the antilabe so that your arm rests on the shield,and the shield being supported by the telamon...Perhaps it required a certain stance of the whole body so that while your arm passed through the porpax,the weight of the system shield-arm-sarissa was carried by the neck stripe.
And i suspect that one can actually try this only with an accurate shield. I have seen only one such,owned by someone from the Spanish group Athenea Promachos. They have a reconstructon of the best preserved shield,the one belonging to king Pharnacus of Pontus.
Khaire
Giannis