Panoply

A library. A meadow. A market. A marvellous word.

Panoply has long been one of my favourite words.

It suggests something more than a collection. More than an assortment. More, even, than an array. Panoply is a word for richness, splendour and the pleasure of finding wonderful things gathered together in one place.

Its history is every bit as magnificent as the word itself.

More than two thousand years ago, a Greek panoplia was the complete armour of a hoplite soldier.

• Helmet.

• Breastplate.

• Shield.

• Spear.

• Sword.

• Greaves.

Every piece had its place. Only together did they become a panoplia. Over time, the armour disappeared. The magnificence remained.

Today we reach for panoply whenever ordinary words feel too small. A library filled with books, stretching from floor to ceiling. A meadow alive with wildflowers. A table laden with food for people you love.

I think that’s why the word has endured. Human beings have always delighted in abundance - not simply in having enough, but in the beauty of many wonderful things brought together.

A shelf of books; a garden in bloom; a market bursting with colour.

What panoply has taken your breath away?

- the word collector, admiring the shelves behind the counter.