Stefanos wrote:
Quote:I our case lets take an example the Beotian Spartoi Clan.
Their shield device is described by Pausanias on the statue of Epameinondas in Arkadia.
This not quite correct. Pausanias describes a
pillar (XI.5-8 ) on his
grave, bearing a shield with a dragon in relief, and stating the dragon meant that Epaminondas belonged 'to the
race of those called the Spartoi' (
not Clan, notice.)
In Greek mythology,
all Thebans came from the Dragon's teeth, sown by Cadmus in the soil, and from which sprang fully armed men. (the 'spartoi' or sown men, from whom the whole Theban race claimed descent) What evidence is there that any particular clan claimed this name as their own? The Dragon and /or' Spartoi'/ sown men merely indicates 'Theban'.
Quote:the clan was powerful and distinguised in Beotia and it members carried the clan emblem instead of the city emblem.
.....what is your evidence for this? Why do you think there was a 'clan' of this name in Thebes, when it was a generic epithet for all Thebans?
In fact at that particular battle (Second Mantinea), we are told that the Thebans
and all their Allies ( and presumably including Epaminondas)
had a Club device painted on their shields.(Xen 'History of my Times' VIII.5.19) for the very reason, identification, that you pointed out....
Since 'snake' shields are not particularly associated with Thebes, and since we are specifically told that ALL the Thebans and their Allies bore 'Club devices', and since the dragon grave device merely indicates Theban, it is unlikely in the extreme that Epaminondas or his family ( whatever they were) ever used such a snake device.......
BTW, Pausanias' word is 'drakonta', and according to the various Greek lexicons this means 'dragon'
only, though 'drakon' can mean a dragon
or giant serpent.
Quote:Attic archaic pottery gives us color indication.
White snake on a black background or red snake on a white background.
...the vases in question usually depict 'The Seven Against Thebes', hence the serpent on white shield is generally thought of as an
Argive emblem......another example shows Herakles and the Argonauts, one of whom has a White shield with a serpent emblem, hence he is sometimes thought to be the Argive Idmon, but this is not certain.......