Egyptian shields

[Duncan Head]

Came across an article on changing position and orientation of Egyptian shield-handles and its possible implications: Nick Wernick, "Ancient Egyptian Shields and their Handles: A Functional Explanation of New Kingdom Developments" (JSSEA 41, 2014-15).

Which ties in slightly to recent threads:

It is worth looking at Euripides Phoenissae to see how men are: protected behind a shield ....

"[1385] he would aim his lance there, eager to outwit him with the point. But both kept such careful outlook through the spy-holes in their shields, that their weapons found nothing to do; while from the onlookers far more than the combatants trickled the sweat caused by terror for their friends."

The reason I ask is because a spy hole in the shield is characteristic of 18th Dynasty Egypt, so it may be less a matter of garbled translation than cultural transfer of the original story.

I don't think so:

For instance, although the shield's 'boss' is usually depicted in the upper third of Egyptian shields, the animal-skin shields of Tutankhamun are embellished with a cartouche located near the centre(46).

(fn.46) The use of the term 'boss' here refers to the circular embellishment on Egyptian shields in tomb scenes. ... Furthermore, it is clear from the artistic and archaeological evidence that this circular feature in depictions was not a hollow 'peep-hole' for the bearer's visibility.

So no Egyptian "spy-holes", which are probably just a misinterpretation of a (decorative? reinforcing?) disk.

[Patrick Waterson]

Unless Wernick is wrong and Euripides correct.

[Duncan Head]

Unless Wernick is wrong and Euripides correct.

But Euripides isn't talking about Egyptian shields.

[Patrick Waterson]

But Euripides isn't talking about Egyptian shields.

Well, he does not seem to be referring to any known type of Greek shield.

Seemingly not considered in Wernick's paper (perhaps understandably as his emphasis is on shield shapes and their corresponding handles) is the thought that a spy hole might be surrounded by a decorative motif, that the apparent 'boss' might in fact be a hole.