Naked Greeks

Did Greek Hoplites ever fight naked?

There are plenty of depictions on vases that suggest they did.

Most people believe this to be an artistic convention rather than a depiction of reality. Although a case could be made that if helmet and shield are protecting your vital bits, a cut or thrust elsewhere could press dirty clothing into a wound, increasing the chance of infection. If you are not wearing clothes then this would be less of a risk. If you were used to doing athletics naked (as the Ancient Greeks were) then perhaps it would not seem quite so bizarre to you to fight naked, albeit with armour.

Newline Designs have a 20mm naked hoplite figure and I decide to paint a unit for Alala!. Even if naked hoplites were only an artistic convention by the Ancient Greeks — if they thought it prefectly normal to depict nude hoplites then I can do so too. It also makes for a quick and easy unit to paint up!

From the front, facing the enemy, these men do not look quite so vulnerable.

I have depicted them as Thebans with the club of Hercules on their shields. Apparently the Boetians (Thebes being their greatest city), were even more into glorifying male nudity than  others.

Also recently off the painting table is a unit of more conventionally dressed citizen hoplites.

I painted a couple of shields with the A symbol (rear rank), intending to use them as Athenians but I think they could happily serve as hoplites from any city if need be.