07-07-2016, 09:31 PM
(07-06-2016, 12:31 PM)Dan Howard Wrote: They were turned on a lathe, reinforced across the grain on the front with thin wooden laths, and reinforced on the back with leather.
(07-07-2016, 08:48 PM)M. Val. Naso Wrote:(07-07-2016, 06:02 PM)rocktupac Wrote:(07-06-2016, 12:31 PM)Dan Howard Wrote: They were turned on a lathe, reinforced across the grain on the front with thin wooden laths, and reinforced on the back with leather.
(07-06-2016, 11:53 PM)Dan Howard Wrote: A good place to start would be the Greek name for shield maker, "torneutoluraspidopêgos". It roughly translates as "one who makes lyres and shields by turning".
Ok, where to go next? What ancient text is this name sourced from? Is there anything from the ancient sources at all that mentions anything about this?
Aristophanes, The Birds (line 491)
Thank you! That was helpful. According to the Greek from LSJ (and used in many English translations), the term used by Aristophanes translates to "lyre-turner and shield-maker." Even the word following 'aspis' simply means "to make fast," "to be solid," "to fasten together/construct/build," "to make solid/stiff/hard." So to me, and seemingly everyone else, this isn't an example of shields being 'turned'. This is pretty flimsy evidence for any method of construction for an aspis.
Any other help would be appreciated!
Scott B.
