The shield. Shields were usually large and round enough to cover a soldiers entire upper body. It was the most important part of overall equipment because it was the primary defense. It was usually made of wood with a bronze frame and later an entire bronze coating.. The cuirass. two bronze disks were tied on either shoulder and formatted a shield for the upper body. Hips were also protected by bronze shields but they were fastened a little loose to allow free movement. Although it was heavy and stored tons of heat, it was used for over 200 years. They later replaced it with a lighter model. The helmet. Helmets were made out of one piece and usually covered the entire head. The only part on the face that was free were the eyes, a little bit of the nose, and mouth. The only disadvantage of these helmets were that you had very limited hearing. The helmet was primarily a psychological defense as solders felt more secure with it, this performed better due to increase in confidence.

spartan shield

cuirass

spartan helmet