Macedonian shield with Vergina Sun

Ancient Greek hoplite Macedonian shield bearing the Sun of Vergina, the emblem of the Macedonian Empire. (more on Macedonian Art of War…)

The shield, aspis in Greek, was carried by Greek infantry (hoplites) of various periods and is often referred to as a hoplon.

A hoplon shield was a deeply dished shield made of wood. Some shields had a thin sheet of bronze on the outer face, often just around the rim. In some periods, the convention was to decorate the aspis; in others, it was usually left plain.

The shield comes with a marble stand and it is not a full sized shield.