worked well enough for the arabs

>having to lug around such a heavy ass shield that you literally need a designated shield bearer slave to carry it for you on marches.
Maybe there's a reason why hoplite armies didn't exactly control large areas of territory and why the Macedonians became so much more effective once they reduced their gear weight and try to make their marching combat forces less dependent on personal servants

>spartan """""state"""""

>ifunny.co
delet

File: Persian Battle Line.jpg (236KB, 2226x778px) Image search: [Google]

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>>2132841
1) The Persian Army had all sorts of Individuals. With their own gear. Lots of Greeks too btw, both Anatolian Greek Subjects and Mercs.
2) If you come from a homeland which is far too often plagued by horsenegroes twanging bows, you'd want to go light too.

As it is, the original Persian native infantryman is a light infantryman or an archer. Their native formation was a battle fulla archers for god's sake.

>>2132841
WE WUZ SPARTANS AND SHEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIT

>>2133393
Could wicker stop an arrow?

File: burning_of_persepolis.png (256KB, 494x268px) Image search: [Google]

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>>2133383
>Persian "empire"

>>2133483
If it was thick enough and padded around the arm grip/holder thing you could feasably stop an arrow with a wicker shield from even hurting the shieldbearer.

>>2133483
Yes. An arrow will achieve some penetration but it won't go clean through. Could kill you if you were tard pressing your torso against it, but why would you do that?