Panoply - Encyclopedia

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

PANOPLY, a complete suit of armour. The word represents the Gr. iravoirXia (vas, all, and oirXa, arms), the full armour of a hoplite or heavy-armed soldier, i.e. the shield, breastplate, helmet and greaves, together with the sword and lance. As applied to armour of a later date, " panoply " did not come into use till the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century, and was then used of the complete suits of plate-armour covering the whole body. The figurative use of the word is chiefly due to the phrase i) iravoirXia the whole armour of God " (Eph. vi.