aspis
- noun
- /ˈæspɪs/
- Archaic
:
aspis
- The ancient soldier carried his aspis, a round shield decorated with intricate designs, into battle.
Examples
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They were unable to fight outside of formation effectively; their Hoplon/aspis shield was not suited for one-on-one combat (was fixed on the forearm).
Blog text (3) -
In classical warfare, the aspis provided the Greek soldier with vital protection from enemy arrows.
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Artwork from the era often depicts warriors brandishing their aspis while charging into combat.
Synonyms
A venomous snake from southern Europe that is smaller than the common adder
A small snake in southern Europe whose bite is dangerous
A group of venomous snakes with small horns found in parts of Europe and Africa
A very poisonous snake with a small horn above each eye from northern Africa and southwestern Asia
A group of venomous snakes in the viper family, like the European adder, found in Europe, Asia, and Africa
Compounds
- Specialized
A group of venomous snakes with small horns found in parts of Europe and Africa
- Specialized
A venomous snake from southern Europe that is smaller than the common adder
Surface Forms
Etymology
Aspis comes from ancient Greek aspis, where it was the name for a dangerous, often venomous snake and it gave English the shorter word asp. So aspis still refers to those deadly snakes, like the ones in stories about Cleopatra or the vipers of southern Europe and North Africa.
