Homer’s warriors simulated by modern-day commandos
[Andreas Flouris & Marija Markovic]
A gas analyzer measures the energy expenditure of a Special Forces volunteer after an 11-hour combat simulation in an exact replica of the more than 3,000-year-old Dendra armor. The Dendra armor is an example of Mycenaean-era panoply (full-body armor) made of bronze plates uncovered in the village of Dendra in Argolida. Mycenaean armor was intended for war and not ceremonial purposes, according to an interdisciplinary team led by University of Thessaly physiology professor Andreas Flouris. The tales of the exploits of Mycenaean warriors were celebrated in Homer’s epics – The Odyssey recounting the adventurous return home of Odysseus after the legendary Trojan War, which was recounted in The Iliad.
