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Why are Ancient Greeks fighting
which consisted of a shame culture, as opposed to a cooperative society, which consisted of a fear culture. [Secondary motives to fight were the fear of death, nationalism (the ideology that “we are better than everyone else”), comradery, and protecting the family and home.]
WHO IS FIGHTING?
In the scene on the vase, the Greek, who is obviously superior, is fighting an Amazon, a Persian. Whether they were feared or admired, Amazons have been seen in two different lights, as a purely mythological phenomenon, or as a combination of this type of phenomenon and marked archaeological evidence.
The Amazons were fierce warrior women. From the day they were born they were raised to be warriors. Although accounts as to the culture and rulership of the Amazons remain sketchy, some sources will mention that there were two Amazon queens, one who ruled over domestic affairs and who ruled over battle and warfare.
It is said that female children in the Amazon tribes had their left breast cut off so that it would be easier for them to use a bow, which was one of their main weapons. Other weapons included the librys (a double-edged axe) and a crescent-shaped shield.
The Greeks, on the other hand, consisted of hoplites. Hoplites were infantrymen who wore metal body armor, and they made up the primary strike force of the citizen militias that defended the Greek city-states in the period before navies became important. Men marched into combat “shoulder to shoulder in a rectangular formation called a phalanx. Staying in line and working as part of the group was the secret to successful phalanx tactics (Martin).” Greeks had fought in these formations for many years, but until the 8th century B.C., aristocrats were one of the only group of people that could afford hoplite equipment. The primary armor of a hoplite consisted of a shield, greaves, a helmet, a breastplate, and a spear. The shield was the most important armor. Its shape was round, concave and made out of wood. Three feet was the average diameter of the shield, measuring 1.5 inched in thickness. The concave shape of the shield suggests that it was used for pushing in a forward direction. Since it was designed to be held in the left arm, the right side of the body was left vulnerable. The hoplite therefore had to rely upon the fighter to his right to protect him. It was therefore important that the hoplites fought in the phalanx formation so each fighter would be able to protect their fellow fighter on the right.
Greaves were sheets of bronze (worn on the shins and calves) that extended from the kneecap to the ankle. They were worn very tight with the aid of straps, so they easily stayed on the wearer. The thickness of the bronze was very small, so they did not weigh much, unlike the other armor.
The helmet was probable [next page]