L. Rawlings, "Alternative Agonies: Hoplite Martial and Combat Experiences beyond the Phalanx", in H. van Wees (ed), War and Violence n Ancient Greece (2000), 233-60, at 240 fig. 1

This is a vase found at Delos. It's from Corinth. It can be dated, stylistically, to ca. 620 BC. It shows four hoplites (heavy infantry). The guy on the left has taken off his helmet, propped up his shield, and is about to sling at the hoplites fighting in the centre !

Evidence that hoplite fighting in the early period was a bit looser than we sometimes think ? (though it could be a myth) And, ost strikingly, and image of a sling in the hands of a heavy infantryman, whose equipment itself marks him as wellt-o-do at the least.

The sling is realistic: long, war-sling length; the man seems to be tensing it before loading and shooting.

Great find by Louis Rawlings.

The lead bullets appear ca. 400 BC, well attested into the C1st. By that period, it probably is more of a special ammo for special troops. As you say, usually light troops are not very well regarded. WHy this hoplite has chosen to sit it out and take potshots with a sling needs thought...

Very interesting find!

One reason why he took off his helmet may be that the crest certainly is an obstacle to an overhead throw. Another one, he probably had a better field of vision without the helmet on.

BTW Rawlings teaches in Cardiff. Your part of the world still ?

The alabastron's surface is very damaged, judging by the 1928 photograph. The drawing may be a bit optimistic. But maybe not: the detail of the sling is really very good. Finney's argument seems a-priori to me.

I got that ("it" = Rawlings' interpretation) -- I was just chiming in.

It would seem just about everybody used slings during sieges and defensive actions. Not liking a weapon and not knowing how to use it are two very different things.

I've mentioned elsewhere that Plato himself is said to recommend the sling as a common hobby due to excercise, but also I imagine a useful skill to have martially speaking both in terms of defense and offense in many situations, sieges included. Vegetius in De Rey Militari also recommends every soldier be proficient in it's use... which seems to have been part of roman basic training... for the above mentioned situations.

I have also heard it said that when Xenophon needed lead slingers to outrange the harassing archers and slingers of the persians he recruited them from his Hoplite ranks... those from the regions most known for their slinging prowess. Which begs the question... did they keep their hoplite status but just slung as well, did they sling while in hoplite gear, or did they drop all the hoplite stuff and just become a sort of sling only unit?

I'm excited to see it in artistic depiction, both vase and verse, with Hoplites though... that's quite an interesting find. Any more examples of this sort of activity in Greek Culture?

I am forever going on about how slinging should be a universal sport in more historical cultures and that every soldier should have his spear, shield, and sidearm (ax, club, sword, etc.) AND slings... cause now you have a well rounded troop with a strong ranged option that can be employed with his shield at little additional cost... I know this was the case for many Celtic, Germanic, Israelite, and other middle eastern cultures... if anyone has more examples of this I'd love to hear about them.