From: Clay Luther (clay@cool.khis.com)
Date: Thu 11 Nov 1993 - 08:16:03 EET
I've been reading a bit lately about bronze-age warfare. Here are some of
the tidbits I've gleaned:
On armor: the Minoan-Myceneaen culture started producing heavy bronze "tubes" that the soldier wore as armor. However, during the archaic Greek period, body armor gave way to the large circular shield and linen shirts. It seems the shield actually offered more protection than the body armor (presumably because it was more mobile). The spear become longer and they stopped using it for throwing. [I've never been able to convince my players that a shield offers more protection than body armor...a weakness of game systems, I guess, or perhaps a left-over memory of D&D...]
The phalanx did not "arrive" until the mid-classical period (500BC). Up until then, battles were fought "free-for-all" and relied greatly on the strengths of individuals.
The Persians, who the Greeks defeated at Marathon, wore linen armor and carried wicker shields, spears, and bows. The most elite troops under Xerxes were called the Immortals, and they were "highly feared" by the Greeks. However, Marathon proved the worth of the phalanx. Athens mustered about 10,000 men against the Persian 250,000. The Athenians used phalanx tactics, the Persians just kinda ran across the battlefield, I guess. The Athenians lost 200 men. The Persians lost several thousand and retreated.
Moving westward, the Romans used both the long celtish slashing swords and the short stabbing gladius. Even during the Hellenic period, the Romans were constantly fighting the celts.
Good references are the Oxford History of Hellenic Greece and the History of Arms and Armor.
--
Clay Luther clay@cool.khis.com Macintosh Software Engineer Kodak Health Imaging SystemsEurmal stole the Ten-by-Ten Spear from them and left a blade of grass in its place. When Elmal used it against the Boar, it broke and the Boar wounded him. Orlanth blew his horn, frightening the Boar, and Urox leapt upon its back.
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