Hoplite Shield Designs

[hoplite14gr]

Herodotus states 300 epilektoi in Platea.
Usually they were kept to that number on any single campaign.
They were more but not more than300 mumber were sent in action
After the bleeding of the Pelopenesian war, Ifikrates had only 60.
Last mentioned in a carving giving honors to Demetrios the "besieger".

So far we have evidence of the Alpha being used in the shields provided for the hoplitodromy and these were state property, hence they were marked with the Alpha.

Kind regards