Editing Hoplite (section)

=== Body armour ===

[[File:Hoplite armour exhibit at the Corfu Museum closeup.jpg|left|thumb|Hoplite armour exhibit from the [[Archaeological Museum of Corfu]].<!-- Helmets may have been moved to the [[Archaeological Museum of Igoumenitsa]], but [[WP:RS]] is needed to verify.--> Note the gold inserts around the chest area of the iron breastplate at the centre of the exhibit. The helmet on the upper left is a restored version of the [[oxidation|oxidised]] helmet on the right.]]

Each hoplite provided his own equipment. Thus, only those who could afford such weaponry fought as hoplites. As with the [[Roman Republic]]an army it was the middle classes who formed the bulk of the infantry. Equipment was not standardized, although there were doubtless trends in general designs over time, and between city-states. Hoplites had customized [[armour]], the shield was decorated with family or clan emblems, although in later years these were replaced by symbols or monograms of the city states. The equipment might be passed down in families, as it was expensive to manufacture.

The hoplite army consisted of heavy infantrymen. Their armour, also called [[panoply]], was sometimes made of full bronze for those who could afford it, weighing nearly {{convert|32|kg|lb|sigfig=1}}, although linen armor now known as [[linothorax]] was more common since it was cost-effective and provided decent protection. The average farmer-peasant hoplite could not afford any armor and typically carried only a shield, a spear, and perhaps a helmet plus a secondary weapon. The richer upper-class hoplites typically had a bronze [[cuirass]] of either the bell or [[Muscle cuirass|muscled]] variety, a bronze [[helmet]] with cheekplates, as well as [[greave]]s and other [[armour]]. The design of helmets used varied through time. The [[Corinthian helmet]] was at first standardized and was a successful design. Later variants included the [[Chalcidian helmet]], a lightened version of the Corinthian helmet, and the simple [[Pilos]] helmet worn by the later hoplites. Often the helmet was decorated with one, sometimes more horsehair crests, and/or bronze animal horns and ears. Helmets were often painted as well. The [[Thracian helmet]] had a large visor to further increase protection. In later periods, ''[[linothorax]]'' was also used, as it is tougher and cheaper to produce. The linen was {{convert|0.5|cm|in|adj=on}} thick.
[[File:Stele of Aristion.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Stele of Aristion]], heavy-infantryman or hoplite. 510 BC. Top of helmet and pointed beard missing.]]
[[File:Ancient athenian warrior.jpg|thumb|upright|Armour of an ancient Athenian Hoplite]]
By contrast with hoplites, other contemporary infantry (e.g., [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian]]) tended to wear relatively light armour, [[wicker]] shields, and were armed with shorter spears, [[javelin]]s, and [[Bow (weapon)|bows]]. The most famous are the Peltasts, light-armed troops who wore no armour and were armed with a light shield, javelins and a short sword. The Athenian general [[Iphicrates]] developed a new type of armour and arms for his mercenary army, which included light linen armour, smaller shields and longer spears, whilst arming his [[Peltast]]s with larger shields, helmets and a longer spear, thus enabling them to defend themselves more easily against hoplites. With this new type of army he defeated a Spartan army in 392 BC. The arms and armour described above were most common for hoplites.