11-08-2007, 07:30 AM
The picture is nice but depicted are mainly Lakedaimonians and Leuktra was already 371 BC. :wink:
Unfortunately the pictoral evidence dwindles for the mentioned timeframe. From what can be seen I took the conclusion that hoplite equipment remained more or less the same as in the late 5th c. BC (some changes in style). Perhaps the hoplites started to wear more armour again in the second half of the 4th c., but this is debatable, perhaps they never stopped to wear it. In the 3rd c. the thyreos (oval shield) came into use, certainly with new tactics connected, but aspides were used also after this.
Unfortunately the pictoral evidence dwindles for the mentioned timeframe. From what can be seen I took the conclusion that hoplite equipment remained more or less the same as in the late 5th c. BC (some changes in style). Perhaps the hoplites started to wear more armour again in the second half of the 4th c., but this is debatable, perhaps they never stopped to wear it. In the 3rd c. the thyreos (oval shield) came into use, certainly with new tactics connected, but aspides were used also after this.
Wolfgang Zeiler
