Hoplite from a combat trireme, 480 BC
By 483 BC, Athens became the largest maritime power in Greece as a result of the visionary policy of Themistocles. In September 480 BC, the decisive Salamino naval battle took place. The Persian fleet was defeated and King Xerxes hastened to leave Greece. The Athenians, who made up the bulk of the Greek fleet, navigated off their native shores much better than the Persians. But this was not the main reason for the victory of the Greeks, but the fact that they fought for their native land, for freedom, for their path of development.
The main combat technique of naval battle was ramming, followed by taking the enemy ship on board. For this, large ships were needed that could accommodate a large number of soldiers. The ramming ship, one way or another, was supposed to make contact with the enemy ship, and this was only awaited by the boarding team. In 500-480 BC the main warship of the Greek fleet was a combat trireme (length 38-41m, width 3.5-5m). The crew of the trireme consisted of 200 people, of which 170 were rowers (62 upper-Tranites, 54 middle-Zygites, 54 lower-Talamites) and up to 40 people of the boarding team (10 heavy hoplites, 4 archers and other light warriors). Boarding teams used hooks and swords.
The hoplite equipment consists of a bronze Corinthian helmet with a hair comb, fortified laterally with bronze plates. The shell (linothorax). On the legs are greaves (knemids) and leather sandals. A double-edged sword was sheathed with an ivory mouth and tip. The shield (aspis, hoplon) is decorated with a picture of Meduse Gorgon.
Scale: 1/32 (54 mm)
Materials: tin alloy, steel, acrylic and tempera paints
