For the craftspeople who bring history to life – from vases
to swords, horn cups to armour, kitchen knives to jewelry.
Glossary
I am an amateur Greek scholar. My definitions are my own, but
taken from the LSJ or Routeledge’s Handbook of Greek
Mythology or Smith’s Classical Dictionary. On some military
issues I have the temerity to disagree with the received wisdom
on the subject. Also check my website at www.hippeis.com for
more information and some helpful pictures.
Akinakes A Scythian short sword or long knife, also sometimes
carried by Medes and Persians.
Andron The ‘men’s room’ of a proper Greek house – where
men have symposia. Recent research has cast real doubt as
to the sexual exclusivity of the room, but the name sticks.
Apobatai The Chariot Warriors. In many towns, towns that
hadn’t used chariots in warfare for centuries, the Apobatai
were the elite three hundred or so. In Athens, they competed
in special events; in Thebes, they may have been the
forerunners of the Sacred Band.
Archon A city’s senior official or, in some cases, one of three or
four. A magnate.
Aspis The Greek hoplite’s shield (which is not caled a hoplon!).
Aspis The Greek hoplite’s shield (which is not caled a hoplon!).
The aspis is about a yard in diameter, is deeply dished (up to
six inches deep) and should weigh between eight and sixteen
pounds.
Basileus An aristocratic title from a bygone era (at least in 500
BC) that means ‘king’ or ‘lord’.
Bireme A warship rowed by two tiers of oars, as opposed to a
trireme, which has three tiers.
Chiton The standard tunic for most men, made by taking a single
continuous piece of cloth and folding it in half, pinning the
shoulders and open side. Can be made quite fitted by means
of pleating. Often made of very fine quality material – usualy
wool, sometimes linen, especialy in the upper classes. A ful
chiton was ankle length for men and women.
Chitoniskos A smal chiton, usualy just longer than modesty
demanded – or not as long as modern modesty would
demand! Worn by warriors and farmers, often heavily
bloused and very ful by warriors to pad their armour. Usualy
wool.
Chlamys A short cloak made from a rectangle of cloth roughly
60 by 90 inches – could also be worn as a chiton if folded
and pinned a different way. Or slept under as a blanket.
Corslet/Thorax In 500 BC, the best corslets were made of
bronze, mostly of the so-caled ‘bel’ thorax variety. A few
muscle corslets appear at the end of this period, gaining
popularity into the 450s. Another style is the ‘white’ corslet,
seen to appear just as the Persian Wars begin – reenactors
cal this the ‘Tube and Yoke’ corslet, and some people cal it
cal this the ‘Tube and Yoke’ corslet, and some people cal it
(erroneously) the linothorax. Some of them may have been
made of linen – we’l never know – but the likelier material is
Athenian leather, which was often tanned and finished with
alum, thus being bright white. Yet another style was a tube
and yoke of scale, which you can see the author wearing on
his website. A scale corslet would have been the most
expensive of al, and probably provided the best protection.
Daidala Cithaeron, the mountain that towered over Plataea, was
the site of a remarkable fire-festival, the Daidala, which was
celebrated by the Plataeans on the summit of the mountain. In
the usual ceremony, as mounted by the Plataeans in every
seventh year, a wooden idol (daidalon) would be dressed in
bridal robes and dragged on an ox-cart from Plataea to the
top of the mountain, where it would be burned after
appropriate rituals. Or, in the Great Daidala, which were
celebrated every forty-nine years, fourteen daidala from
different Boeotian towns would be burned on a large wooden
pyre heaped with brushwood, together with a cow and a bul
that were sacrificed to Zeus and Hera. This huge pyre on the
mountain top must have provided a most impressive
spectacle; Pausanias remarks that he knew of no other flame
that rose as high or could be seen from so far.
The cultic legend that was offered to account for the festival
ran as folows. When Hera had once quarreled with Zeus, as
she often did, she had withdrawn to her childhood home of
Euboea and had refused every attempt at reconciliation. So Zeus
Euboea and had refused every attempt at reconciliation. So Zeus
sought the advice of the wisest man on earth, Cithaeron (the
eponym of the mountain), who ruled at Plataea in the earliest
times. Cithaeron advised him to make a wooden image of a
woman, to veil it in the manner of a bride, and then to have it
drawn along in an ox-cart after spreading the rumour that he was
planning to marry the nymph Plataea, a daughter of the river god
Asopus. When Hera rushed to the scene and tore away the veils,
she was so relieved to find a wooden effigy rather than the
expected bride that she at last consented to be reconciled with
Zeus. (Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology, pp. 137–8)
Daimon Literaly a spirit, the daimon of combat might be
adrenaline, and the daimon of philosophy might simply be
native inteligence. Suffice it to say that very inteligent men –
like Socrates – believed that godsent spirits could infuse a
man and influence his actions.
Daktyloi Literaly digits or fingers, in common talk ‘inches’ in
the system of measurement. Systems differed from city to
city. I have taken the liberty of using just the Athenian units.
Despoina Lady. A term of formal address.
Diekplous A complex naval tactic about which some debate
remains. In this book, the Diekplous, or through stroke, is
commenced with an attack by the ramming ship’s bow
(picture the two ships approaching bow to bow or head on)
and cathead on the enemy oars. Oars were the most
vulnerable part of a fighting ship, something very difficult to
imagine unless you’ve rowed in a big boat and understand
how lethal your own oars can be – to you! After the attacker
how lethal your own oars can be – to you! After the attacker
crushes the enemy’s oars, he passes, flank to flank, and then
turns when astern, coming up easily (the defender is almost
dead in the water) and ramming the enemy under the stern or
counter as desired.
Doru A spear, about ten feet long, with a bronze butt-spike.
Eleutheria Freedom.
Ephebe A young, free man of property. A young man in training
to be a hoplite. Usualy performing service to his city and, in
ancient terms, at one of the two peaks of male beauty.
Eromenos The ‘beloved’ in a same-sex pair in ancient Greece.
/> Usualy younger, about seventeen. This is a complex, almost
dangerous subject in the modern world – were these pair-
bonds about sex, or chivalric love, or just a ‘brotherhood’ of
warriors? I suspect there were elements of al three. And to
write
about
this
period
without
discussing
the
eromenos/erastes bond would, I fear, be like putting al the
warriors in steel armour instead of bronze . . .
Erastes The ‘lover’ in a same-sex pair bond – the older man, a
tried warrior, twenty-five to thirty years old.
Eudaimonia Literaly ‘wel-spirited’. A feeling of extreme joy.
Exhedra The porch of the women’s quarters – in some cases,
any porch over a farm’s central courtyard.
Helots The ‘race of slaves’ of Ancient Sparta – the conquered
peoples who lived with the Spartiates and did al of their
work so that they could concentrate entirely on making war
and more Spartans.
Hetaira Literaly a ‘female companion’. In ancient Athens, a
Hetaira Literaly a ‘female companion’. In ancient Athens, a
hetaira was a courtesan, a highly skiled woman who
provided sexual companionship as wel as fashion, political
advice and music.
Himation A very large piece of rich, often embroidered wool,
worn as an outer garment by wealthy citizen women or as a
sole garment by older men, especialy those in authority.
Hoplite A Greek upper-class warrior. Possession of a heavy
spear, a helmet and an aspis (see above) and income above
the marginal lowest free class were al required to serve as a
hoplite. Although much is made of the ‘citizen soldier’ of
ancient Greece, it would be fairer to compare hoplites to
medieval knights than to Roman legionnaires or modern
National Guardsmen. Poorer citizens did serve, and
sometimes as hoplites or marines, but in general, the front
ranks were the preserve of upper-class men who could
afford the best training and the essential armour.
Hoplitodromos The hoplite race, or race in armour. Two
stades with an aspis on your shoulder, a helmet and greaves
in the early runs. I’ve run this race in armour. It is no picnic.
Hoplomachia A hoplite contest, or sparring match. Again,
there is enormous debate as to when hoplomachia came into
existence and how much training Greek hoplites received.
One thing that they didn’t do is dril like modern soldiers –
there’s no mention of it in al of Greek literature. However,
they had highly evolved martial arts (see pankration) and it is
almost certain that hoplomachia was a term that referred to
‘the martial art of fighting when fuly equipped as a hoplite’.
Hoplomachos A participant in hoplomachia.
Hypaspist Literaly ‘under the shield’. A squire or military
servant – by the time of Arimnestos, the hypaspist was
usualy a younger man of the same class as the hoplite.
Kithara A stringed instrument of some complexity, with a
holow body as a soundboard.
Kline A couch.
Kopis The heavy, back-curved sabre of the Greeks. Like a
longer, heavier modern kukri or Gurkha knife.
Kore A maiden or daughter.
Kylix A wide, shalow, handled bowl for drinking wine.
Logos Literaly ‘word’. In pre-Socratic Greek philosophy the
word is everything – the power beyond the gods.
Longche A six to seven foot throwing spear, also used for
hunting. A hoplite might carry a pair of longchai, or a single,
longer and heavier doru.
Machaira A heavy sword or long knife.
Maenads The ‘raving ones’ – ecstatic female folowers of
Dionysus.
Mastos A woman’s breast. A mastos cup is shaped like a
woman’s breast with a rattle in the nipple – so when you
drink, you lick the nipple and the rattle shows that you
emptied the cup. I’l leave the rest to imagination . . .
Medimnos A grain measure. Very roughly – 35 to 100 pounds
of grain.
Megaron A style of building with a roofed porch.
Megaron A style of building with a roofed porch.
Navarch An admiral.
Oikia The household – al the family and al the slaves, and
sometimes the animals and the farmland itself.
Opson Whatever spread, dip or accompaniment an ancient
Greek had with bread.
Pais A child.
Palaestra The exercise sands of the gymnasium.
Pankration The military martial art of the ancient Greeks – an
unarmed combat system that bears more than a passing
resemblance to modern MMA techniques, with a series of
carefuly structured blows and domination holds that is, by
modern standards, very advanced. Also the basis of the
Greek sword and spear-based martial arts. Kicking,
punching, wrestling, grappling, on the ground and standing,
were al permitted.
Peplos A short over-fold of cloth that women could wear as a
hood or to cover the breasts.
Phalanx The ful military potential of a town; the actual, formed
body of men before a battle (al of the smaler groups formed
together made a phalanx). In this period, it would be a
mistake to imagine a carefuly driled military machine.
Phylarch A file-leader – an officer commanding the four to
sixteen men standing behind him in the phalanx.
Polemarch The war leader.
Polis The city. The basis of al Greek political thought and
expression, the government that was held to be more
important – a higher god – than any individual or even family.
important – a higher god – than any individual or even family.
To this day, when we talk about politics, we’re talking about
the ‘things of our city’.
Porne A prostitute.
Porpax The bronze or leather band that encloses the forearm on
a Greek aspis.
Psiloi Light infantrymen – usualy slaves or adolescent freemen
who, in this period, were not organised and seldom had any
weapon beyond some rocks to throw.
Pyrrhiche The ‘War Dance’. A line dance in armour done by al
of the warriors, often very complex. There’s reason to
believe that the Pyrrhiche was the method by which the
young were trained in basic martial arts and by which ‘dril’
was inculcated.
Pyxis A box, often circular, turned from wood or made of
metal.
Rhapsode A master-poet, often a performer who told epic
works like the Iliad from memory.
Satrap A Persian ruler of a province of the Persian Empire.
Skeuophoros Literaly a ‘shield carrier’, unlike the hypaspist,
this is a slave or freed man who does camp work and carries
the armour and baggage.
Sparabara The large wicker shield of the Persian and Mede
elite infantry. Also the name of those soldiers.
Spolas Another name for a leather corslet, often used for the
lion skin of Heracles.
Stade A measure of distance. An Athenian stade is about 185
metres.
metres.
Strategos In Athens, the commander of one of the ten military
tribes. Elsewhere, any senior Greek officer – sometimes the
commanding general.
Synaspismos The closest order that hoplites could form – so
close that the shields overlap, hence ‘shield on shield’.
Taxis Any group but, in military terms, a company; I use it for
60 to 300 men.
Thetes The lowest free class – citizens with limited rights.
Thorax See corslet.
Thugater Daughter. Look at the word carefuly and you’l see
the ‘daughter’ in it . . .
Triakonter A smal rowed galey of thirty oars.
Trierarch The captain of a ship – sometimes just the owner or
builder, sometimes the fighting captain.
Zone A belt, often just rope or finely wrought cord, but could be
a heavy bronze kidney belt for war.
General Note on Names and
Personages
This series is set in the very dawn of the so-caled Classical Era,
often measured from the Battle of Marathon (490 BC). Some, if
not most, of the famous names of this era are characters in this
series – and that’s not happenstance. Athens of this period is as
magical, in many ways, as Tolkien’s Gondor, and even the
quickest list of artists, poets, and soldiers of this era reads like a
‘who’s who’ of western civilization. Nor is the author tossing
them together by happenstance – these people were almost al
aristocrats, men (and women) who knew each other wel – and
might be adversaries or friends in need. Names in bold are
historical characters – yes, even Arimnestos – and you can get a
glimpse into their lives by looking at Wikipedia or Britannia
online. For more in-depth information, I recommend Plutarch
and Herodotus, to whom I owe a great deal.
Arimnestos of Plataea may – just may – have been
Herodotus’s source for the events of the Persian Wars. The
careful reader wil note that Herodotus himself – a scribe from
Halicarnassus – appears several times . . .
Halicarnassus – appears several times . . .
Archilogos – Ephesian, son of Hipponax the poet; a typical
Ionian aristocrat, who loves Persian culture and Greek culture
too, who serves his city, not some cause of ‘Greece’ or
‘Helas’, and who finds the rule of the Great King fairer and
more ‘democratic’ than the rule of a Greek tyrant.
Arimnestos – Child of Chalkeotechnes and Euthalia.
Aristagoras – Son of Molpagoras, nephew of Histiaeus.
Marathon Page 1