10 MILITARY SCIENCES. 



protect the thighs and abdomen. On pi. 2, Jigs. 3-8, 10, and 16, show 

 various kinds of cuirasses. The cuirass was usually of ox-leather, gaily 

 painted and studded, plated or bound with metal. Sometimes, though 

 dnly with the heavy cavalry, they were wholly of metal plate ; but usually 

 were merely set with scales (Jig. 7) ; or the front-piece only (Jig. 5) was a 

 plate of metal. Frequently only the front-piece, the half-mail, was worn ; 

 particularly by the mercenaries, who were thereby deterred from flight, and 

 by the light troops, for ease of motion. Later the cuirass was m^ude of linen, 

 doubled with a thick -quilted wadding. To this cuirass belonged a breast- 

 plate of thin iron, lined with wadding, and worn close to the body under the 

 cuirass; and a tabard without sleeves, worn also under the cuirass; often 

 arm-pieces were added, which then extended from the shoulder over half 

 the upper part of the arm (Jigs. 16 and 17). The Amazons, from the Black 

 Sea, wore complete woven mail (Jig. 2), and leggings set with scales. With 

 the cuirass belonged also the greaves, or leg-pieces, of which pL 3, Jig. 5, 

 shows, in the upper figure, the inside ; and in the lower, the outside. These 

 protected the shin-bone, and frequently the knee also from injury ; were 

 made of hammered metal plate, and fastened by two straps on the back of 

 the leg (pL2,Jigs.4 and 10); these greaves were usually ornamented; they 

 were made also of thick woollen stuff sometimes, and then were closed 

 behind (Jigs. 3, 6, 9, and 17). Soldiers wore usually on their feet soles of 

 thick leather, sandals, which were fastened with straps around the instep 

 and ankle; the cavalry wore a kind of boot (pi. 2, Jigs. 12 and 13) with 

 falling tops. Lastly, we have to mention the shield. This was usually of 

 willow wicker-work, covered with leather or metal plate, or else entirely of 

 ox-leather ; but always the verge, at least, was plated. The shields were 

 often showily decorated, and painted with lively colors ; sometimes they had 

 peculiar emblems, a species of blazonry; they were usually of curved form, 

 and had always two handles on the inner side, by means of which they were 

 carried on the left arm (fig. 3). In the centre of the shield was generally 

 an elevation, a point, the boss of the shield, partly to strengthen it there and 

 make a protection from assault, and partly that arrows might glance from it 

 more easily. The shield was large or small, according to the character of 

 the troops. The heavy armed troops had large and long shields, covering 

 the whole body. PL 3, Jigs. 1 and 6 show rude shields, in front and side 

 view ; Jig. 7 shows the inside. The light armed troops and the cavalry had 

 small, round, Argolic shields (Jig. 8). The shields shown in Jigs. 1 and 8 

 were used by the Thebans. 



The army organization of the Greeks is rather complicated, but very 

 systematic in arrangement. The first division is the hekatontarchy, a 

 body of one hundred men, which separated into four files (lochos), consist- 

 ing each of twenty-four men and a lochagos. Each file was again divided 

 into two decades, and each decade into two pempades, under the decadarchs 

 and pempadarchs, who stood in the ranks. Ten such hekatontarchies made 

 a chiliarchy, commanded by a chiliarch, under whom two pentacosiarchs, 

 chiefs of five hundred, and five syntagmatarchs, chiefs of two hundred, 

 commanded. Two chiliarchies had again an especial commander, the 

 486 



