INTRODUCTORY C!H AFTER. 



sliiekl in the sevcntli book of the Iliad ^ shows it to have 

 been covered with seven layers of oxhide, and an outside 

 or eighth layer of brass. The weapon most used was 

 the spear, the sword beiiig merely an auxiliary arm. In 

 the account of the battle in the latter part of the fourth 

 book of the Iliad, the style of fighting is clearly depicted, 

 and one incident in that description illustrates plainly 

 the relative uses of tjie sword and spear. " But him 

 ^tolinn Thoas struck, rushing on with liis spear, and the 

 brass fastened in his lungs : Thoas came near to him, 

 and drew the mighty spear out of his breast, then he 

 unsheathed his sharp sword and with it smote him in 

 the midst of the belly, and took away his life." - 



Again, in the seventh book, in the combat between 

 Ajax and Hector, the struggle began w^th spears, then 

 they threw huge stones with the hand at each other, and 

 at last in close quarters, fought with their swords till 

 stopped by the heralds.^ 



While this kind of struggle w^as going on the 

 charioteers of either party had their chariots near, ready 

 to carry away to the safety of the camp or lines those 

 warriors who became wearied or wounded, or sorely 

 pressed. The warrior retreated, fighting, to the chariot, 

 and after mounting defended the rear of it while the 

 driver urged the horses out of the conflict. The critical 

 moment at which the chief endeavoured to leap upon 

 the chariot was often fatal ; for there are many instances 

 in Homer where death overtook them in the act, as for 

 instance, in the beginning of the fifth book of the Iliad, 

 where Idomeneus killed Phcestus. " Him, just as he 

 was mounting his chariot, spear-famed Idomeneus with 

 his long lance wounded in the right shoulder, he fell 

 from his chariot and hateful darkness seized him." * 



The chariot was simply used for the purpose of rapid 

 conveyance, and there is no evidence in Homer of it 

 being hi itself used as an offensive weapon, nor is^ there 

 any record of horses being mounted and made use of 

 for the saddle. In the fifteenth book of the Iliad, in 

 a simile. Homer refers to a man mounting horses in 

 ' Iliad, vii. 225. '^ Ibid. iv. 527. ^ Ibid. vii. 245. * Ibid. v. 45. 



