Hoplites Outdated?

[Ranika]

Actually, the weight of the Celtic oval shields varies widely depending on the region they come from. The Boii used lighter shields of thinner ply construction that only weighed around 12-13 pounds. Most Gauls used solid oak, they weighed more than that. The Helvetii and others used shields sometimes with metal inserts in them, and heavy rims, those might weigh around 18+ pounds. There is a large error in stating an average weight for a Celtic oval shield, because different regions constructed their shields in a different manner; so, depending on the build of the shields used by the Greeks, and what they based it on, the theuros could vary widely in weight. If it were like the Boii shields (unrimmed, plywood, with a small metal boss and reinforcing metal strip), they would be relatively light. But if they were more like the majority of Gallic shields (solid oak or thick plywood construction with a large metal boss and quarter rims), then they would be a bit heavie.