The headword as transmitted is perfect participle, masculine nominative plural, of a)spi/zw, denominative verb from a)spi/s "I shield" (cf. generally alpha 4211). Similar entry -- the glossing participle is bohqh/santes "helping" -- already in Hesychius (eta904), where however Latte regards the headword as an acephalous version of the compound u(perhspiko/tes; he cites the masculine accusative singular u(perhspiko/ta in 3 Maccabees 7.6 LXX.