Nowadays, when you speak of Spartans, what immediately come to mind is the movie 300 based from Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same title. The Spartans were awesome warriors able to hold off hundreds of thousands of the Persian Empire’s army with just 300 of their own with nothing but shields, spears, swords, and guts.
The Persian army however, was composed of men. How would the Spartan’s weapons fare against a horde of undead?
The Dory
The Spartan Warrior’s spear was called a dory and it was his weapon of choice. About 7 to 9 feet long, the dory was used in tandem with their shields. This was used to great effect in formation with under similarly armed Spartans (one of the reasons why the Spartans have such a fearsome reputation).
While a stabbing action might be effective for human enemies, I don’t see the Spartan dory routine being too effective against zombies. Sure, they may hold them back for a while but since they’re dead already they’re just going to keep standing back up and in greater numbers until they finally overwhelm the defenders.
The Xiphos
While the Spartan Warrior’s main weapon was his dory, they also carried a short sword called a xiphos. In the event that the warrior loses or breaks his spear, he falls back to his sword usually made or iron about 12-18 inches in length. This sword was designed for close quarter combats where a longer sword may become more of a liability than an advantage.
While a short sword will mean that you’re going to have to get up close and personal to dispatch an undead, it’s certainly going to be more effective especially if your main zombie dispatch strategy is decapitation.
The Kopis
The Kopis is another alternative weapon used by the Spartan Warrior. It is a vicious hacking weapon in the form of a thick, curved iron sword capable of inflicting more damage as compared to the dory and the xipos.
When it comes to zombies, more is good and the kopis certainly delivers this.
The Aspis
The aspis (also called a hoplon) was the Spartan Warrior’s shield. Weighing at around 30 pounds, the aspis not only served as a defending tool but also as a weapon. With its heavy weight the aspis can be used to bash an enemy to stun them and then attack using either the dory or one of the short swords. The shield can also be used to kill using its thin edge to decapitate enemies on the ground.
The idea of decapitating a zombie on the ground is a good idea but the aspis cannot be used as the primary weapon in battling the undead (especially if they’re in numbers). It would be more advantageous to have a shield partnered with either a kopis or a xiphos.
