Bucklers?

[Anonymous]

Reading the classics you come across many references to the wearing of "Bucklers" I belive this must be the plate that was strung across the front and/or back as light armour by so many ancient fighters.<br>
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any opinions?<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Actually, a buckler is a type of shield. Very small (maybe three times the size of your fist?) and round. <p></p><i></i>

[aitor iriarte]

Do you refer to the classics themselves or to their translations?<br>
You know that translator=traitor and that is almost always true when they deal with technical or military matters that they don't understand.<br>
Therefore, the question is, what Greek or Latin word was translated as 'buckler'?<br>
<br>
Aitor <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

The latin term for buckler was caetra. Hide covered round shield about 80 cms diameter widely used by the Iberians.<br>
I know of two greek words to describe shields: aspis --the round shield, and thureos (which means door in greek) --the long scutum type shield used by the Gauls and the Romans. <p></p><i></i>

[Matthew Amt]

Avete!<br>
Beware of translations, particularly older ones!! "Buckler" is just being used to mean "shield", with no technical commentary intended on the actual form of the item. Likewise, you'll see things like "coat of mail" or "breastplate" when the original word simply meant "body armor".<br>
<br>
My favorite is the episode from the siege of Alesia, where Caesar's men rally when they see him riding across the plain towards them--they recognize him by the distinctive cloak he wears. Well, some c. 18th century translator labelled this cloak "scarlet", a word which simply meant "bright in color". Nowadays, of course, scarlet is red. You can see where this is going.... (Not to mention that this passage has been used to give red cloaks to ALL Roman soldiers, which of course means that Caesar's wouldn't have been distinctive...)<br>
<br>
Always go to the horse's mouth if you can. The Loeb translations are good for this because the English is on one page and the Latin or Greek on the facing page, so even if you aren't fluent you can usually pick out the original wording and learn a lot.<br>
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Oh, and British books that say "corn" just mean GRAIN, usually wheat, not "maize"!<br>
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Valete,<br>
<br>
Matthew/Quintus <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Matt -<br>
<br>
What is this Loeb translation book you mentioned? That sounds like a fascinating reference to have!<br>
<br>
-ANDY <p></p><i></i>

[aitor iriarte]

He is refering to the Loeb Classical Library (Latin, red series; Greek, green series). It's published by Harvard University Press in London (GB) and Cambridge (Mass, USA).<br>
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Aitor <p></p><i></i>