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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dykstrav" data-source="post: 5324672" data-attributes="member: 40522">I don't know the historicity of it, but I once heard a neat story about some Greek hoplites and their shields.Many hoplites would adorn their shields with motifs of animals or mythological creatures, usually one they personally identified with or sought to emulate. Supposedly, one hoplite painted a tiny housefly in the very center of his shield. When asked about it, he responded that he was going to get so close to the enemy in combat that they'd plainly be able to see the housefly image--a statement about his bravery.His allies noticed that when he engaged the enemy, their gazes would inevitably be drawn to the tiny housefly image. From a distance, his shield looked blank, but up close, the tiny image compelled them to draw their gaze to it and figure out what it was. In that split-second reflexive distraction, he'd stab them in the neck.</blockquote>