DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1021#0261
210 THE MYCENAEAN AGE
This is anything but the Homeric picture, which has little
room for aught hut bronze-mailed heroes at close quarters
with the spear. But the Homeric picture is not
with Ho- always consistent with itself. Now and again
through the glamor of brazen mail we get glimpses
of an older and simpler habit. Thus the only man-at-arms
expressly introduced as a Mycenaean — " Periphetes of My-
kenae, the dear son of Kopreus, who was wont to go on
the errands of Eurystheus to the mighty Herakles" —
hears the huge Mycenaean shield, and it costs him his life.
" 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 — thereon he stumbled and
fell back," 1 whereupon Hector hastens to transfix him with
his spear. And Hector's own shield is likewise Tto^yjvexyjg,
as we are informed, not by an epithet but by action.2 " So
saying Hector of the glancing helm departed, and the black
hide beat on either side against his ankles and his neck,
even the rim that ran uttermost about his bossed shield."
With such a shield, as already observed, there could be
little use for a coat-of-mail, and less for metal greaves —
unless it were to protect the shins from the thumping of
the shield rim rather than the enemies' fire. And Reichel
has pretty clearly shown that the " greaves " were not of
metal and formed no part of the defensive armor proper;
and, further and still more important, that the breastplate
of bronze is an anachronism in the poems and occurs mainly
in late accretions.3
- 2 Very much as we see the foremost lion-hunter on the inlaid dagger (Fig.
89). — Iliad, xv. 645 f.
2 Iliad, vi. 116 f.
8 "He points out that in any ease the use of a breastplate is never ascribed
consistently to any important hero ; those who have it one moment are the next
moment without it. No breastplate is ever mentioned in the Odyssey [though
This is anything but the Homeric picture, which has little
room for aught hut bronze-mailed heroes at close quarters
with the spear. But the Homeric picture is not
with Ho- always consistent with itself. Now and again
through the glamor of brazen mail we get glimpses
of an older and simpler habit. Thus the only man-at-arms
expressly introduced as a Mycenaean — " Periphetes of My-
kenae, the dear son of Kopreus, who was wont to go on
the errands of Eurystheus to the mighty Herakles" —
hears the huge Mycenaean shield, and it costs him his life.
" 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 — thereon he stumbled and
fell back," 1 whereupon Hector hastens to transfix him with
his spear. And Hector's own shield is likewise Tto^yjvexyjg,
as we are informed, not by an epithet but by action.2 " So
saying Hector of the glancing helm departed, and the black
hide beat on either side against his ankles and his neck,
even the rim that ran uttermost about his bossed shield."
With such a shield, as already observed, there could be
little use for a coat-of-mail, and less for metal greaves —
unless it were to protect the shins from the thumping of
the shield rim rather than the enemies' fire. And Reichel
has pretty clearly shown that the " greaves " were not of
metal and formed no part of the defensive armor proper;
and, further and still more important, that the breastplate
of bronze is an anachronism in the poems and occurs mainly
in late accretions.3
- 2 Very much as we see the foremost lion-hunter on the inlaid dagger (Fig.
89). — Iliad, xv. 645 f.
2 Iliad, vi. 116 f.
8 "He points out that in any ease the use of a breastplate is never ascribed
consistently to any important hero ; those who have it one moment are the next
moment without it. No breastplate is ever mentioned in the Odyssey [though