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Achaian far - shooting weapons

• Κουτρούμπας, Δημήτριος Ευθ.

The word οπλον, related to the όπλή or to the verb επω-επομαι, expresses a wild reality in human life through the millenia. The weapon was the necessary instrument for providing food and repulsing dangers especially in older forms of life.By securing order and law in organized societies and states the necessity of weapons has been restricted, although they continue to be an unavoidable evil (Πόλεμος πάντων πατήρ, Si vis pacem, para bellum), which nevertheless has its positive sides.One discernes arms for close fight and far-shooting weapons, defensive (arma) and offensive weapons (tela) etc. An important far-shooting weapon in many ancient peoples was the sling, which was usually a piece of leather or cloth by means of which a bullet was sent against the target from a distance up to 300 meters, according to ancient sources.Famous slingers in the ancient world were the Baliarians, the Cretans, the Rhodians and especially the Achaians, the inhabitans of modern Achaia in Peloponnesus.Regarding the Achaians we examine here a passage of Titus Livius concerning the siege of the town Same of Cephallania in year 189 B.C. after the war against the Aitolians. The consul Marcus Fulvius after landing in Cephallania sent delegates to the towns of the island to demand their surrender to the Romans. Although the fortified town Same, as well as the other cities of the island, had already given hostages, suddenly it decided to resist.So began the Roman siege of Same, which the inhabitans faced succesfully for months. In this difficult situation the Romans fetched one hundred slingers from Aegium, Patrae and Dyme, who were very usefull for the siege due to their great ability and accurary. With the help of the Achaian slingers the Romans captured Same after four months.Livius recognises that the Roman success was greatly due to the ability and great exercise of Achaian slingers and to the perfect Achaian weapon of the sling, which the Roman historian describes.

• History and Archaeology

• Ιστορία, Αρχαία

όπλα, βία

Ανακοίνωση γενομένη στο Β' Τοπικόν Συνέδρων Αχαϊκών Σπουδών (Καλάβρυτα, 25-27 Ιουνίου 1983)