Double hand grips on the aspis

[PMBardunias]

I'm now sure it meant just the grip so if you're usung the word meaning all the system of ropes,you need to define it because it's confusing. The word "antilabe" (αντιλαβή) means other/oposite grip. "Labe" (λαβή) means just grip. Being sure now that the grip was separate from the rest of the rope(being usually thicker and of other matterial,and tied to the bronze fittings). So the rest of the rope is not a "labe",a grip. Thus the word refers only to the grip oposite the porpax and not the whole rope.

I interpret this "grip" simply as a thickened section of the same rope or a sleeve over the rope of the antilabe to better facilitate holding. If it is contiguous then the whole thing can be appropriately called antilabe. Unless people belive me and start calling it a "decorative remnant of a once functional truss" (DROFT), then we have no term for it other than antilabe anyway :wink:

That said,I believe some shields had an antilabe on the left side,too. I''m pretty sure that the positioning and number of the rings were not the same in all shields. We can be sure about that from sculptures(where the paint is still preserved),not only vases.

The rope is sometimes show in small segments, but usually is contigous and runs through 4 to 8 rings. Usually it is shown slack, but sometimes tight and sometimes "hanging" up, defying gravity.

Its is not simply a sling for the shield because it is sometimes shown alongside a sling on the inner face of the shield.

What the purpose of the left antilabe was?
Being easier to carry when marching,by changing arms? The fact that some of them had and others not means that the purpose of the left one was really secondary. My problem with it is not so much that the emblem would be upside down,but that most porpakes were not placed in the middle of the shield,thus you may have had a problem when changing side.

Also the padding/reenforcements seen on some shields, like on the Chigi vase, would be useless. If it is real I don't think it has a military function- perhaps an aid in hanging the shields? I do NOT think it was meant to be held by anyone else, it clearly is meant to be pulled towards the porpax because it is always depicted as bending that way.

I have never seen this second grip referred to in literature- either to show or deny its existance. Has anyone?