Powered By Blogger

Thursday, May 27, 2010

New friends from over the hills and far away...

I'd like to introduce you to my new friends from far away - well far away from Australia:
                                                      Anabasis -
First we have Andrew ( Andrey Lovchikov ) from "Anabasis" a new club in St Petersburg. They have just started a new Live Journal page . Their focus is the Bosporan Greek Kingdoms. From a practical perspective costume and arms will suit their weather pattern. So adaption of Scythian clothing will not go astray. Their difficulty will be to document what they are doing. They have access to their museums and archaeological reports and numismatics but as the literary record is pretty sparse they would love to hear from you if you have new information. The page is in Russian but they are going to add English translations of Russian articles. (I use the Google translator myself.) You can contact Anabasis by leaving a comment on their Live Journal page or by emailing Andrew: anabasisclub@mail.ru
                                                    Sardinian Warrior -
Talk about exotic and eclectic! Sardinian Warrior  is the creation of Alessandro Lessa. You’ll need to switch on your Italian translator – especially if you want to wander off and explore his other blogs and links. The first settlers on Sardinia were the enigmatic Nurag people of the Bronze Age, famous for their beehive live structures that are very like tholos tombs. Not much is known about the Nuraghi except that they did achieve a level of sophistication that included sea trade. Both the Nurag people and the short lived Greek colonies on Sardinia's coast were annexed by Carthage in 537 BC. Lessa is putting together his hoplite kit as we speak but a visit to his blog will take you on a journey through the byways of Sardinia’s extraordinary history.
Ports of Call
Herodotus on the Web is a site by Tim Spalding. It is a guide and web directory to Herodotus of Halicarnassus, the famous Greek historian. On this site you will find over 200 links to resources about Herodotus and his age. These includes texts and translations, books about Herodotus, essays and articles, and so forth. He has attempted (sucessfully in my opinion) to organize these resources well, describe their contents and evaluate their readability and value as scholarship.

Diotima serves as an interdisciplinary resource for anyone interested in patterns of gender around the ancient Mediterranean and as a forum for collaboration among instructors who teach courses about women and gender in the ancient world. This site includes course materials, the beginnings of a systematic and searchable bibliography, and links to many on-line resources, including articles, book reviews, databases, and images. Ross Scaife and Suzanne Bonefas launched this project in early 1995; since that time it has been developed with help and contributions from many quarters.

Perseus Digital Library Project Since planning began in 1985, the Perseus Digital Library Project has explored what happens when libraries move online. Two decades later, as new forms of publication emerge and millions of books become digital, this question is more pressing than ever. Perseus is a practical experiment in which explores possibilities and challenges of digital collections in a networked world. Perseus maintains a web site that showcases collections and services developed as a part of our research efforts over the years. The code for the digital library system and many of the collections that we have developed are now available.

The virtual Museum of Ancient Inventions is a minor subject of the History of Science and Technology at Smith College, a project begun by the students in the course Ancient Inventions, which was offered for the first time in the spring semester of 1997. More inventions will be acquired by the museum each year that the course is offered. Not all are from ancient Hellas but many are.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

How to make the oft debated Tube and Yoke / Linothorax / Spolas / Thingy...

Was it made of linen? Was it glued or quilted? Perhaps it was really leather. What sort of scales were attached - if any. The debate has not been settled yet. There is probably nowhere near enough evidence to make a case either way. However some great new literary and visual material has been unearthed and discussed ad-infinitum on the Roman Army Talk Forum threads - and elsewhere. Just type the word linothorax into their search fields.

As Jason Hoffman, on RAT, has noted there are at least 5 'variations' on Greek Tube-and-Yoke corselets, not counting those of other nations/cultures. There may be more depending on how you wish to classify them – that doesn’t include single or double layers of pteurges nor those with or without scales...

The majority are very like the interpretation of the Tube-and-Yoke pattern on the red figure Achilles amphora in Vatican Museum and shown on the right. These are single-breasted. This can be best be seen in the pattern provided on p.38 of Connolly's "Greek Armies" or p.57 of his "Greece and Rome at War".

A close examination of the vase art will convince you of the great variety utilised. Yes, there are both bespoke and off the shelf suppliers who can provide you with one. Check out the pages of the clubs I have already listed and read as much as you can before you spend your hard earned cash. Whatever your personal theory on construction materials and methods, there is more than enough "how to " instruction for you to actually experiment yourself. Before I show you the places to go for that kind of information have a look at this double breasted version below seen on the vase in the British Museum labelled E60.


How to make the oft debated Tube -and-Yoke / Linothorax / Spolas / Thingy in Linen:
http://www.larp.com/hoplite/linothor.html
http://hetairoi.de/Downloads/ConstrLinothorax.pdf
http://www.uwgb.edu/aldreteg/Linothorax.html
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=16574
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=21876
http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=2630
http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=9132
http://hetairoi.de/linothorax-eng.php

How to make the oft debated Tube -and- Yoke / Linothorax / Spolas / Thingy in Leather:
http://www.lloydianaspects.co.uk/armour/hoplite/hoplcuir.html
Also a leather core with linen skin is suggested here
http://www.4hoplites.com/Linothorax.htm
And here is the addition of ultra blingy scales
http://www.hippeis.com/forum/index.php?topic=99.0
Its construction has become a legitimate subject of academic study. See Prof. Gregory Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay reconstruct a linothorax
http://www.uwgb.edu/aldreteg/Linothorax.html

The Tube -and- Yoke on You Tube no less:
Linothorax reconstruction by Prof. Gregory Aldrete
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gim2ld0X2yA
The Linothorax: Recreated at UWGB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ERSx1o8wwk
Some points about the hoplite cuirass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PuaUR3cFps&feature=related
Another quick point about the hoplite cuirass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg1iPL8eVeE&feature=related

The Tube -and- Yoke elsewhere:
The Achaemenids, Italic peoples, Assyrians, Skythians, Phoenicians, Iberians and others all had some variation it seems.  A rather chunky Anatolian Achaemenid version is to be found on a sarcophagous in the Cannakale Archeology Museum.  African troops in Achaemenid service also wore the Tube -and- Yoke and were portrayed in Greek art. A series of vases called the Negro Alabastrons can be found in museums across the world.One appears in Dr. NIck Sekunda's book, The Persian Army, Osprey Publishing, 1992, p.16-17. I have provided a tiny collage below but search the Beazley Archive youself and you will be pleasantly surprised. These figures are armed with spears, axes, Achaemenid  style bows and bow cases. One carries a pelta with shield apron. Each is a gem and there are scores!


Just when you thought you knew more than the other person about the Tube and Yoke / Linothorax / Spolas / Thingy along comes some more data to analyse:
Keltic tube and yoke cuirass  http://linothorax.blogspot.com/
Kelticos forum  http://www.kelticos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=470
Archeoart forum  http://www.archeoart.org/cuirasses.html#cuirv3
The paper by Andre Rapin, on which this material is based, L'ARMEMENT CELTIQUE EN EUROPE: CHRONOLOGIE DE SON EVOLUTION TECHNOLOGIQUE DU vEA U lERS. AV. J.-C. is available in PDF format here: http://gladius.revistas.csic.es/index.php/gladius/article/download/13/14

 
The Tube -and- Yoke as art:
Over at the Leatherworker.net forum Peter Ellis has made an awesome tooled leather version. You’ll have to register to see the photos but it is a thing of beauty:
http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=8177
Over at the Gallic Chariot blog you can see an example of a Keltic linothorax in all its glory
http://chargaulois.skyrock.com/2756315648-Peinture-du-linothorax.html
A couple of snaps of how they made it
http://chargaulois.skyrock.com/2493446951-Le-linothorax.html
Better still see a bundle at the "Gates of History" website
http://www.portesdelhistoire.com/antique.html

Ports of call:
To find out what the original looked like you will need to review images from the period. The Beazley Archive is one of the best places to start. The original archive of Sir John Beazley, Lincoln Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art from 1925 until 1956 at Oxford University, was purchased for the Faculty of Classics in 1965. On his death in 1970 it was brought to the Cast Gallery Ashmolean Museum. Within a few years the personal archive of material relating to the study of classical archaeology and art was transformed into a research resource for students and scholars. It consisted of photographs, notes, drawings, books and impressions from engraved gems. The photographs of Athenian vases are the largest archive of this class in the world and were the basis of Beazley's life's work.  Since 1970 the entire collection has been enlarged and enhanced through gift and purchase.

A the other end of the resource spectrum is Christie's. They auction ancient art from the dawn of civilization to the Dark Ages, ranging from Western Europe to the Caspian Sea. Much of it from Hellenic realms.  Sales are held four times a year, twice in New York and twice in London. So a  wealth of unique images, many unpublished can be found in their old and new catalogues.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Who are these strange people...



Groups of historical re-enactors, living historians, live action role players, experimental archeologists and others are out there quietly (or not so quietly) pursuing their interests. Let me introduce you to those who I know have some sort of web presence:

300 Spartan Warriors USA
Ancient Battle Society  Brasil
Ares Anax Hellas
Athena Promachos Spain
Athena Promachos France
Enomotoi Hellas
Eridanos Slovakia
Falange Spinete Italy
Figli del Sole - Eliades Kouron Italy
Hetairoi Germany
Koryvantes Hellas
Mare Nostrum Australia
Melbourne Ancient Reenactment Society (MARS) Australia
Phalanx Group United Kingdom  
Spartan and Amazon Warriors USA
Spartan Society United Kingdom
Spartan Warband USA
Spartan World Germany
Spartiatikes Mores Hellas
Taxeis Plataiai Canada
Teuta Spineta Italy
The Ancient Hoplitikon of Melbourne Australia
The Greek Warriors New York, USA
The Hoplite United Kingdom
The Hoplite Association United Kingdom
The Sydney Ancients Australia
Triballi -Thrakoi Austria
Warriors of Greece USA
Western Spartans USA

Ports of call:
Ancient Warfare is the only full color paper magazine dedicated to all aspects of warfare in the Ancient World, from the earliest warfare in the Ancient Near East until the end of the Roman Empire in the west. Their focus lies on the Greek and Roman civilizations.
The True Meaning of Aristotle’s Lantern An ancient etymological mystery solved?