07-01-2010, 06:41 AM
Congratulations, Paul B. !! I think you have demonstrated the adage that "an ounce of experimentation is worth a pound of theorising" quite well.
My own reconstruction of pelta and sarissa ( over 30 years ago !! ) was shallow dished, 70 cm diameter, and had a narrow bronze(brass) porpax, backed by a broader felt 'sleeve'. The antilabe ( I made it like the Pydna relief, unlike Connolly's 'wrist strap') was placed right at the rim. It was very comfortable to use and I found I could wield the sarissa with or without using the antilabe quite comfortably. The narrow bronze porpax ring and felt 'sleeve' combination meant I could bend my arm easily and comfortably ( a 'solid' sleeve like yours would be uncomfortable jammed in the elbow crease....) and of course the antilabe could be grasped instantly if reverting to sword/secondary weapon....
....In fact a cross section of what an 'argive aspis' with its rim cut off would be like.... and it would appear that even thus modified, such a shield is not very practical for sarissa use.
It would seem we have explored the theme of the Macedonian shield fairly fully and I apologise to Fred and Paralus for hijacking the thread -this subject really ought to have had a thread of it's own - "The Macedonian Shield" - as we did with similar subjects such as the 'sarissa'.
Perhaps we can now get back to the proper subject - general discussion of the Argead Macedonian Army ?
Quote:All that matters in the absolute diameter and the depth of the shield as well as porpax placement....in other words, forearm length, and the ability to hold the sarissa shaft.
Quote: ....for I could use a 68 cm peltaeI expect you would find you could use a larger pelta, if you used a narrower porpax, or pushed your arm through to the limit, even more with even a slightly offset porpax.
My own reconstruction of pelta and sarissa ( over 30 years ago !! ) was shallow dished, 70 cm diameter, and had a narrow bronze(brass) porpax, backed by a broader felt 'sleeve'. The antilabe ( I made it like the Pydna relief, unlike Connolly's 'wrist strap') was placed right at the rim. It was very comfortable to use and I found I could wield the sarissa with or without using the antilabe quite comfortably. The narrow bronze porpax ring and felt 'sleeve' combination meant I could bend my arm easily and comfortably ( a 'solid' sleeve like yours would be uncomfortable jammed in the elbow crease....) and of course the antilabe could be grasped instantly if reverting to sword/secondary weapon....
Quote:In this last image I decided to try and hold a sarissa with an aspis. I happened to have a very shallow aspis section that had a reduced rim
....In fact a cross section of what an 'argive aspis' with its rim cut off would be like.... and it would appear that even thus modified, such a shield is not very practical for sarissa use.
It would seem we have explored the theme of the Macedonian shield fairly fully and I apologise to Fred and Paralus for hijacking the thread -this subject really ought to have had a thread of it's own - "The Macedonian Shield" - as we did with similar subjects such as the 'sarissa'.
Perhaps we can now get back to the proper subject - general discussion of the Argead Macedonian Army ?
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
