206 



i)is(:ovi:in' 



the waist of the eiglit (Fig. A). In this cross-piece was 

 sonietinies hung an axe.' 



This weapon had some advantages. In action 

 a man crouching behind it was completely screened. 

 In retreat it could be slung upon the back as a protection 

 against missiles,' and it was thus carried when not in 

 use. " The black hide beat on either side against his 

 ankles and his neck, even the rim that ran uttermost 

 about his shield." To prevent the rim bruising the legs 

 a kind of shin-pad fastened with a metal garter seems 

 to have been worn. The big shield had also its uses 

 when camping out. Odysseus describes how on a cold 

 night outside Troy they lay in the brushwood under the 

 covering of the large shields buckled round their necks. =" 



The disadvantages, however, of the big shield were 

 great. Its weight was enormous, and Ajax must have 

 needed all his giant strength to wield seven thicknesses 

 of hide stretched upon a frame almost as tall as himself. 

 In battle the weight hung upon the left shoulder, and 

 there are constant references in Homer to the grave 

 discomfort caused by the chafing of the strap. When 

 Ajax was holding off the Trojans from the ships, " his 

 left shoulder was wearied as steadfastly he held up his 

 glittering shield."* 



" On each man's breast," says Agamemnon, " shall 

 the strap of his covering shield be wet with sweat and 

 his hand grow faint about the spear." ^ When there is 

 a lull in the fighting heroes hasten to relieve themselves 

 of this cumbrous weapon. " Now verily did many and 

 noble hosts of his comrades follow with the son of 

 Telamon and bore his shield, when labour and sweat 

 came upon his limbs." ^ 



In action it was easy, as a warrior called Periphetes 

 did, to trip upon the rim with fatal results. " For as 

 he turned back he tripped against the rim of his shield 

 which he was wont to bear, a shield that reached to the 

 feet, a fence against javelins. . . . And Hector spied it 

 and ran up swiftly and stood near him and fixed a 

 spear in his breast." ' There was then some reason 



'E.g. Iltad, xiii. 6ii. Pcisandros having broken his spear 

 " clutched his goodly axe of bronze under his shield." 



" E.g. Iliad, xi. 545. Aja.K " cast behind him his sevenfold 

 shield of bulls hide and gazed in fear upon the throng, like a 

 wild beast, turning this way and that and slowly retreating 

 step by step " 



'O.iyisey, xiv. 472. Contrast the use of the parry shield as 

 a pillow in //ifld, x. 152. 



♦ Iliad, xvi. 106. 

 Ibid., ii. 388. 



* Ibid., xiii. 709. 



' Ibid., XV. 645. Similar scenes are sometimes depicted upon 

 .Myccnajan gems. For an accident with the big shield off the 

 field of battle, see Il:ad, x.xi. 240, the quarrel of Achilles with the 

 river-god Achclous. The water tilled the hollow ol Achilles' 

 great sliield. and. as it was attached round his neck, he was 

 naturally dragged under and would have drowned but for the 

 elm-tree. 



for Hector's implication that the management of his 

 shield was the test of a soldier's skill. 



The two champions are opposite each other. At 

 once the disadvantages of the " tower " shield are 

 apparent. Both men crouching behind are completely 

 covered, but both are hampered foroffensive action by 

 their protection, for they can only see if they raise 

 their head ; and they can use their arms with difficulty 

 except at the price of exposure. " Howbeit," says 

 Hector, " I have no mind to smite thee being such an 

 one as thou art by spying thee unawares ; but rather 

 openly if perchance I may hit thee." A magnificent 

 gesture, but in fact there was little use in manoeuvring 

 for an opening against a warrior of the experience of 

 Ajax ! As a rule the feinting for an opening is a 

 feature of such combats. Either party edged himself 

 forward on tip-toe ready to take advantage of any 

 incautious exposure of his opponent or to dodge his 

 blow. Quick footwork was essential. This is probably 

 the explanation of the recurring Homeric phrase which 

 is usually translated : " Lightly stepped he with his 

 feet, advancing beneath the cover of his shield." 



Reduced to direct attack, Hector attempts to drive 

 his spear through his opponent's defence. Six folds of 

 hide it pierced, but failed to penetrate the seventh ; 

 Ajax in his turn hurled his far-shadowing si>ear. 

 " Through the bright shield passed the violent spear, 

 and through the curiously wrought corslet passed it on 

 and straight forth beside the flank the spear rent his 

 doublet : but he swerved aside and escaped black 

 death." « Nimble footwork enables Hector to dodge 

 the spear-point as it penetrates the shield. 



In the second round Hector again fails to pierce his 

 adversary's defence, and this time Ajax wounds him 

 lightly in the neck. Hector replies, no doubt taking 

 advantage of the opportunity while the spear of Ajax 

 is stuck fast in his (Hector's) shield, by picking up a 

 stone and hurling it at his enemy's shield. He fails 

 to upset him, but Ajax with a yet larger boulder is more 

 successful. " So smote he the buckler and burst it 

 inwards with the rock like unto a millstone and beat 

 down his knees and he was stretched ujxin his back 

 pressed into his shield ; but Apollo straightway raised 

 him up." He had need of divine intervention, for 

 without it he was helpless at his opponent's mercy ; 

 the big stone knocked him over with the shield on top 

 of him like a candle-extinguisher. 



Abandoning shields the two heroes then fell to with 

 swords, when heralds from either side intervene to pre- 

 vent the fight being continued a otitrancc. Ajax 



' Homer has probably made a mistake in giving Hec'or a 

 corslet. The weight of both armour and the big shield would 

 have been insupportable. It is intelligible, too, that a man 

 should dodge the spear-thrust as it penetrates his shield in front 

 of him, but not the most agile could dodge a thrust through bis 

 breastplate 



