Search Results

  1. The Greek Shield "To lose one's shield is the basest of crimes," wrote the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus. "Come back with your shield or upon it," says the Spartan mother to her son in another popular anecdote. For over two millennia, the shield was a vital cog in the military armory. Of course, it has never been exalted like the sword or other weapons. But, in ancient times, the shield was viewed as the mark of a warrior, even more so than the weapons he carried. Here, we focus on a G...
  2. The Spartan Warrior Way If you were born a male in Sparta about 2500 years ago, you had no real chance to choose a profession. One profession chose all boys. That profession was the life of a soldier. Unlike Athens, which encouraged the “finer” aspects of life, such as arts and philosophy, the ethos of Sparta revolved around the warrior culture (in other words, the over-the-top machismo that runs through the movie 300 may not be an exaggeration after all). Spartan males started the journey to warriorhood as early as...
  3. Ready to Steampunk this Halloween? One look at men's steampunk costumes and you might be forgiven for being a little gobsmacked if you are experiencing the genre for the first time. What you will see are rivets, brass, watches, and outlandish goggles, among a range of other not-so-conventional stuff. Even the best definitions on steampunk can be murky. As such, the simplest way (if there is any such thing) to describe the genre is that it is fantasy/science fiction that features advanced machinery based on the steam power ...
  4. Medieval Utensils – Knives, Spoons, and Forks A knife was the wallet of the Medieval Age. Pretty much everyone carried one, irrespective of gender or age. It was an extension of the person, used to cut rope and meat and do other tasks. For instance, if you were invited to a meal, the host would not bring out sparkling cutlery. You had to have your knife on you, especially to dig into the meat. Also, the knife came in handy to ward off animals and robbers. You can say knives were not “domesticated” for meal-time use until the Bourbon Dyna...