Hoplite Slings

[Onasander]

I recently had to carry a bunch of 4x4s over a miles, and from this experience, I couldn't help but wonder about those old hoplite soldiers weilding extreamly long spears, if pointed horizontally, even if rested on you buddy's shoulder infront of you, your own sholders, back, and calves are going to be hurting after a while. I'm pretty certain they must of had slings just as modern armies do for rifles, I remember Macheivalli complaining trying hoplite stances out, but finding it very uncomfortable..... I'm sure he could of managed it if it was properly slung.

[Tobias]

Hmm, that is a rather interesting thought. I would agree that some sort of sling was used when marching; perhaps they had their spears strapped their backs or shields in some way. Surely, unless they were marching actually into battle, they would not march holding the spears horizontally, or at least horizontally unsupported.

[Onasander]

I think even in battle you can duke it out even with a sling. It would make targeting so much easier, especially if your doing it one handed. Think about it, a sling loaded right under your armpit, hanging with some slack will be supported so much the better by the whole of your upperbody. You can either fight face foreward or easily turn your right sideforeward (but not left, the base would dig into the back and deny that direction of movement).

 

Using a sling makes perfect sense, you wouldn't need hulk arms, can better target your opponent, weild your shield a lot easier since your not continously weighing it down with your spear and the three-four spears behind you (I can guarantee this is what happened more often than not, no matter how much their commanders would disapprove of it) as well as turning it vertical for regular marching.

 

I see absolutely no reason why they wouldn't of had slings. I can see why they wouldn't mention it, it's not manly to write about such unheroic measures (many US army and Australian military schools refuse the right to trainees to use slings).

[Tobias]

Certainly i see your point. A sling in and out of battle would be the most convenient way. But surely a hoplite would do a lot of training without a sling? Say, for example, that in battle , a soldier's sling was broken, either by the force of an impact of charge or by a sword or spear thrust from his enemy? If the soldier was not used to handling the spear without a sling, this may result in the death of the soldier.

[Onasander]

I'm sure if it's peacetime and thier new recruits, ya, the cherries went without slings, and after the drills, if they didn't perform to standard, got raped by thier seniors. But in actual combat, sling, slings, slings, and more slings. Thier slings had slings. I suspect the sling was the reason the romans tended to get the better of the hoplites, it obstructed thier local slashing movements when thier spears failed to keep the Romans away.