What was Leonidas shield made of?

(find out more about Leonidas…) The shield, aspis in Greek, was carried by Greek infantry (hoplites) of various periods and is often referred to as a hoplon. A hoplon shield was a deeply dished shield made of wood. Some shields had a thin sheet of bronze on the outer face, often just around the rim.

How much did a Spartan shield weigh?

The aspis measured at least 0.9 metres (2 ft 11 in) in diameter and weighed about 7.3 kilograms (16 lb), and it was about 25–38 millimetres (0.98–1.50 in) thick. This large shield was made possible partly by its shape, which allowed it to be supported comfortably on the shoulder.

What does the Spartan shield symbol mean?

Ancient Spartans decorated their shields with Lambda, the Greek capital letter “L” as a symbol for Lacedaemon, the ancient Hellenic word for the Spartan City-State. The Lambda on the shield is illustrative of the light shining down on the field.

Were Spartan shields painted?

The shield was made of wood, often with bronze accents. Each hoplite would paint an emblem of his choice on the shield. The exception were Spartans, who all painted the Greek letter Lambda (Λ) for their homeland of Lacedaemonia on their shields.

Is the sword from 300 real?

High Carbon Steel Spartan Swords Spartan Warrior Swords for sale are 34 ½ inches in all. These Swords are inspired by the real sword carried by King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae. The heat forged 26 inch sharpened blade is tempered from solid carbon steel and is almost ½ of an inch thick.

Why can Spartan lose his shield?

For Sparta the shield was sacred, losing your weapon in battle was nothing, but losing your shield was a punishable offense due to it being a possible weak point in a Phalanx.

What did Spartans paint on their shields?

Classical period. The letter lambda (Λ), standing for Laconia or Lacedaemon, which was painted on the Spartans’ shields, was first adopted in 420s BC and quickly became a widely known Spartan symbol.

Why do Spartan shields have lambda?

It is an “L”, and it stood for Lacedaemonia, which is the region in which the city of Sparta is situated, making up the lower part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula.