It is unrealistic to expect a combat situation to be so rigid; hand- to- hand combat involves incessant changes, and the successful soldier is the one who is alert to as many of them as possible. After a battle between the Spartans and Argives in the 390s, for instance, “corpses were heaped up like stacks of corn or piles of firewood.”. Before a siege, inhabitants were generally offered the chance to leave with a few possessions; those who stayed were considered fair game. The combined arms tactics used by Alexander and his father were gradually replaced by a return to the simpler frontal charge tactics of the hoplite phalanx. While sometimes armies faced each other for days before making a move, and initial deployment and final pursuit might take hours, the actual clash of phalanxes rarely occupied more than a few hours, and might be over in a few minutes if one side panicked early. The Hoplite can be upgraded to the more powerful Phalanx, and finally to the Centurion, the most powerful elite infantry unit. Round 1: Flat terrain. The Spartans had to stick with the original battle plan. Battles of the Ancients by Tristan Hughes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Hoplites are elite infantry units with a high amount of damage. What Do We Know of the Ninth Legion and Why Did It Disappear? By thinning this down to 4 ranks we can get a front ~24 meters wide. Hence, they are best used in hand-to-hand combat. In Legion versus Phalanx Cole weighs the two fighting forces against each other. The combined arms tactics used by Alexander and his father were gradually replaced by a return to the simpler frontal charge tactics of the hoplite phalanx. Murray Dahm is a freelance historian and the author of Greek Hoplite vs Persian Warrior for Osprey. However, phalanx warfare was not the only form of warfare, and atrocities were more common at sea and after a siege. At the battle of Beneventum a few years later the Romans finally prevailed, with help from Pyrrhus’ elephants which charged back into his own lines. In a pike phalanx it might be up to 5 times that. Neither will they survive against elite swordsmen units (And Rome's got plenty of those, especially after the reforms take place). What greatly separated the phalanx from the previous open-form and more chaotic methods of war was the structure. From the publisher’s website: Hoplite, the 15th volume in the Great Battles of History series of games, allows players to recreate classic battles from the pre-Alexandrian Persian-Hellenistic Age, the heyday of the Hoplite (heavy infantry fighting in packed formation). So you could only be a soldier if you could afford the hoplite armor. The 7 Bodyguards Who Outlived Alexander the Great. In a game I play they depict the hoplite as having a rather short spear. The hoplite panoply weighed about twenty- three kilograms (fifty pounds), and even though few soldiers had the full kit, this was an exhausting form of fighting. Interestingly, Xenophon also talked about the more tactical side to a hoplite phalanx, which was more than just a closely-packed mass of armored spearmen. History Periods. Pyrrhus won these battles but the maniples put forth a valiant effort and caused heavy casualties. How Critical Were Alexander's Allies to His Victories? The hoplite phalanx of the Archaic and Classical periods in Greece (ca. Hoplites would coalesce to form a large and tight-knit structure of warriors, usually at least eight ranks in depth, that would subsequently charge towards and clash with a similarly structured tactical entity. Round 2: Phalanx has higher ground. Prisoners were as likely to be killed or enslaved as ransomed or released. Of course, battlefield massacres occasionally happened. Later on in the hoplite era, more sophisticated tactics were developed, in particular by the Theban general Epaminondas. This was not all- out war. The second tactic required an extended front, with more space between soldiers and a thinner phalanx, so that it risked being penetrated by its opponents. So the other side then deployed as well, without interference from their enemies, and when they were ready battle was joined. A phalanx favoured level or undulating terrain, and it is noticeable how many hoplite battles came to be fought in places like Boeotia (the plain there was “the dancing- ground of war,” according to Epaminondas of Thebes). Historum. I have a question that i can not find a definitive answer to. Round 3: Genghis has higher ground. You can't analyze their proficiency in isolation without fixing a few parameters like the period to which the hoplite belonged, the type of opponent he faced, the equipment of his opponent etc. Sure the phalanx was ALMOST unbreakable, from the front. And the backbone of these classical Greek armies was the phalanx of heavily armored spearmen, or hoplites. Historians and researchers have debated the reason and speed of the transition for centuries. 80 Legionaries are also equipped with 1 … These were the soldiers that defied the might of Persia at Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea and—more often than not—fought each other in countless battles between the Greek city-states. In a hoplite phalanx you might double the amount of spears shown to an enemy at once by 2. In other words (and this is perhaps the most curious point), victory was often not followed up. Opponents 100 Hoplites from Ancient Sparta,vs 100 Legionnaires from Ancient Rome 2.Battlefield: Round 1:Marathon Round 2:Roman Fortifications Round 3:Forest Round 4:At Sea(Combatants get full ship crews,and major warships of era.) It therefore gained enormous prestige. When the Greek city-states turned to this new hoplite way of fighting, it meant that each man had to have the right armor. This was the way to issue a challenge, and it was generally taken up, for fear of the shame of refusal, which would move a city down the international pecking order almost as surely as an actual defeat. A Greek soldier. 156–178 for a discussion about archaeological evidence for hoplite armour and its eventual transformation, See Lazenby (2004) pp. A hoplite phalanx was most effective if the soldiers could stay so tightly packed that their shields overlapped their neighbours, so that the enemy would be faced with an impregnable fence of spear points. Enjoy the article? We will never share or sell your email address. DooDoo Butter Senior Member Registered Users Posts: 345. 27 comments. Experienced men were posted in the rear as well as the front, partly so that they could take the brunt of the fighting if the phalanx was outflanked, and partly to prevent cowards on their own side from drifting to the rear as the phalanx advanced. Probably every battle of Greeks against Greeks was a switch- point, when soldiers could yield to bloodlust or remember that they were fighting fellow Greeks. 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The treatment of female prisoners may be imagined. How the Bosporan Kingdom Became the Jewel of the Black Sea. How Did Eumenes Defeat The Legendary Craterus? Battles began when one side deployed in battle formation. The maniple was fluid, with each maniple led by centurions who were encouraged to take initiative and lead by example. Hoplite. The phalanx (Ancient Greek: φάλαγξ; plural phalanxes or phalanges, φάλαγγες, phalanges) was a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar pole weapons. anandm. Why Was Alexander the Great's Corpse so Important to His Successors? However, they are great at countering cavalry. The length of the spears (about two meters/ 6.5 feet) meant that even those of the second rank would be in play. (6) In a one-on-one they would have been left helpless and exposed with their spear being nearly useless. Snodgrass, A. As opposed to the chaotic essence of warfare in the earlier eras, by late 6th century BC, the Greek hoplites were beginning to fight as a part of an ‘institution’ which was drilled in a phalanx formation – where every member looked out for each other; and thus the aspis shield was considered as the most crucial part of a hoplite equipment. 20 νῶτον ὄπισθ' αἰχμῇ δουρὸς ἐληλάμενος.| [...], See Wees (2004) pp. Be it a regular hoplite in phalanx formation, eastern spearmen in square formation (This formation turns them from chumps into champs. The hoplite’s principal tactic was the phalanx formation, a strategy thought to have been developed c. 700 BC. Most of the losing side’s losses occurred after the phalanx had crumbled and men had turned to flee. But generally the casualty rate was relatively low. Number of guys is the same on both sides. (1997) "The Othismos, Myths and Heresies: The Nature of Hoplite Battle". Hoplite soldiers and the phalanx All our ancient Greece articles Hoplite armor was expensive Felted linen corselets were more common than bronze ones, and tests have shown them to be effective; leather was an alternative material. Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://www.gottwein.de/Grie/lyr/lyr_tyrt_gr.php#Tyrt.8D, Hoplites: The Classical Greek Battle Experience, The Roman Maniple vs. The following is an edited extract from Robin Waterfield’s latest book Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece. Dory-Hoplites vs Sarissa-Phalanx: Fictional Hellenistic Halberd Formation vs. Pezhetairos Phalanx: Horse archers and cavalry vs Pike and Hoplite Phalanxes? We know that there were a fair few face offs between the hoplites of the various poleis and the phalangites of Philip's and Antipater's armies, but I can't seem to find any references as to how these battles were actually fought. Both sides dealt with their dead, and the winners erected a trophy — typically a stake of wood hung with weaponry taken from the enemy and made to look vaguely humanoid— and performed a victory sacrifice at the point on the field where the enemy first turned (the word for “trophy” being cognate with the word for “turn”). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors and/or owner is strictly prohibited. The length of the spears (about two meters/ 6.5 feet) meant that even those of the second rank would be in play. The Hoplite Phalanx. Until then, land battles had primarily come down to individual hand-tohand combat, with warriors trying to kill the bravest and best fighter on the other side so as to demoralize the opposition. And an ordinary peltast must flee like a peasant before a knight once the phalanxes get moving. 4) The Romans had officers, who could make field decisions. But the relatively low casualty rate was also due to the fact that hoplite battles of Greeks versus Greeks were fought according to certain conventions. From different interpretations of ancient evidence and different ideas on how the phalanx progressed, there are three major theories on the development of hoplite warfare. Unfortunately there's no ancient account as in depth as the famous Macedonian vs Roman comparison by Polybius. save hide report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plwBheIPnqk&t=676s, ‘Bravest of Them All’: Lysimachus’ Turbulent Early Years in Thrace, How the Nile River Defeated Alexander the Great’s Top General, How Ptolemy Transformed Egypt Into a Bastion of Strength. Hoplites were organised into regiments or lokhoi (several hundred men strong), and they fought in ranks eight or more men deep (known as a phalanx), and standing close together, half of the shield of one man protected his neighbour on his left side. Original question: Were hoplites good at 1v1 combat? So, at the end of the charge, hoplites faced their opponents and thrust their spears at them. I am sure you are all aware of hoplites and phalanx formation. Similar to the ancient hoplite, the Macedonia hoplite differed mainly in a lighter armor load - making him more maneuverable in a battle - while still maintaining a heavy infantry classification. Back to the list of units A Greek unique front-line unit. Replaces the Spearman. Ancient History. Gravity. Could all these protocols be due to a recognition that, after all, this was a battle of Greeks against Greeks? Atrocities did not happen every time— far from it— but they could take place when the attackers felt they had particular reasons for revenge. | The transition from the “Dark Ages” to the more well-known phalanx battle formation is up for debate. Sometimes in a hoplite battle, it has been suggested that when two opposing hoplite formations were 600 feet apart they would let out a loud battle cry and charge at the opposing phalanx (see Sekunda 2000, 26). 5) The Romans used reserves. Overlapping shields would have impeded them. Many hoplites preferred lighter headgear to a heavy bronze helmet. Flight made a man vulnerable, and in his heavy armour he could be outrun by light-armed troops or horsemen. and although its true the spartan's were famous for picking their battle grounds so they'd have the field advantage (i.e. Hoplites fought in a tightly-packed formation called a phalanx. These tactics inspired the future king Philip II of Macedon, who was at the time a hostage in Thebes, and also inspired the development of new kind of infantry, the Macedonian Phalanx. Please share or leave a like – it’s only one click!Keep updated on new articles by subscribing below.Better still please leave a comment telling us what you thought. In the numerous wars of the Successor states the expense of the supporting arms and cavalry, and widespread use of mercenaries, caused the Diadochi to rely on phalanx vs. phalanx tactics. Goldsworthy, A. Hoplites needed a zone in which to fight, to wield their spears (or swords, once spears broke) and move their shields in defence. This period is often considered to feature the birth of Western Warfare, as opposed to the […] There were exceptions, but, generally speaking, after the battle both sides returned home; perhaps they would meet again next year, but often the outcome of a single battle determined the outcome of the war. It is mainly used to serve as “shelter” for security staff during an attack with firearms and/or explosives and is easily deployable everywhere these persons are operational (airport control, … Perhaps the crew of one of their ships had been murdered, or they had been forced to undertake a long siege, or simply if they had good enough strategic reasons. Write. They varied between standing sideways on, to get maximum force into their thrusts and maximum protection behind their shields, and standing chest forward when advancing. Phalanxes were subdivided into smaller tactical units which, to a certain extent, could act independently to counter developing situations, and this too shows that phalanxes were not always supposed to be tightly cohesive. Learn. 3) The Legions were much more flexible than the phalanx, as proven at the Battle of Cynoscephalae. How Did Alexander the Great Sustain His Army? The Hoplite Phalanx. Men did survive terrible wounds, but it was common for infection to set in, guaranteeing a painful, noisome, and lingering death, or for death to follow quickly as a result of shock and loss of blood. The first thing I have to point out is that the movie 300 is an awful representation of the historical fighting and concept of the phalanx except that men stood with overlapping large shields to defend against attack. Nobody could fight without a shield, and a helmet, and all that. The troops arranged themselves for battle shoulder to shoulder, usually eight to ten men deep and when the signal was given, they advanced, the front ranks usually stabbing at their opponents with over-arm spear thrusts. The first theory is Gradualism. Rated 5.00 out of 5 £ 42.99 42.99 Signup today and receive free updates straight in your inbox. So far 3 popular theories exist: The so-called ‘tribe’ in Greek city-states were rather a politico-military evolution, contrary to what ‘tribal’ warfare… But even 5 percent is a grim number for a class of men who were likely to have to repeat the experience the following summer. Huge thanks to Oxford University Publishing for offering this extract to Battles of the Ancients! How the Aetolians Resisted a Superpower (Blog #1). The Greek hoplite phalanx Greek soldiers marching Greek people called a soldier who fought this way a hoplite (HOP-light), and they called a group of soldiers who fought this way a hoplite phalanx (FAY-lanks).A hoplite phalanx was a very strong military formation – but it only worked if all the soldiers were well trained, and if they were all brave enough to hold the line. The term is particularly used to describe the use of this formation in Ancient Greek warfare, although the ancient Greek writers used it to also describe any massed infantry formation, regardless of its equipment. Lead by Genghis Khan and King Leonidas respectively. "It also meant that, in battle, a phalanx would tend to drift to the right (as hoplites sought to remain behind the shield of their neighbour). How the Battle of Himera Signalled the Start of the Sicilian Wars. Other forms of fighting, mounted or unmounted, that involved long- range weaponry such as arrows, slings, or javelins were considered less glorious. Mongol cavalry charge vs Spartan phalanx. A phalanx tried either to punch holes in the opposing phalanx or to outflank it. Why the Wars of the Successors IS the Real Game of Thrones, How the Romans Humiliated Jerusalem in the Most Brutal Way Possible. Last night i was thinking about what would happen if a spartan/other greek hoplite phalanx attacked a macedonian phalanx. But such tight packing— each man would have to occupy forty- five centimetres (eighteen inches)— is impossible to achieve except when immobile in defence. The winning state had proved its prowess and gained plunder, and that was enough. …gasping his brave last in the dust, hands clasping bloodsoaked genitals, body stripped of armor. Armour was fairly effective, but uncomfortable. Neither Philip nor Alexander actually used the phalanx as their arm of choice, but instead used it to hold the enemy in place while their heavy cavalry broke through their ranks. Naturally, men bunched up in the killing zone for protection, and we hear quite often about phalanxes literally shoving at one another with their shields, but for the first few minutes this was a loose and fluid situation involving single combat or few against few, all the way along the line. The hoplites would lock their shields together, and the first few ranks of soldiers would project their spears out over the first rank of shields. Until late in the fifth century, there was rarely any attempt to pursue the enemy back home, and then to besiege his town and subjugate the entire state or impose a regime change; warfare was mostly seasonal, restricted to a few weeks in the early summer. They become stationary but they will hold their own versus 4 times more men and not give in so that the enemy can start dicing at the exposed side of your pike block) or hillmen in shield wall. Terms in this set (5) Hoplite. By the time of Alexander the Great, the phalanx continued to be the bread-and-butter infantry unit for winning battles and became a large part of the formula of Alexander's successes. The short duration of hoplite battles was another factor. Back to the list of units A Greek unique front-line unit. Frituur Zorro Restorations Volume 1. Popular Products. Lendon, p. 182: The phalanx was known to the Romans in pre-Republic days, whose best fighting men were armed as hoplites. Founded in 2006, Historum is a history forum dedicated to history discussions and historical events. Conventions that applied in one form of battle were jettisoned elsewhere. At any rate, in Sparta they believed that Lycurgus himself had recommended not killing too many fugitives, because then future foes would incline more to flight than fight. The Spartans were famous for advancing at a constant, measured pace, to the sound of pipes, precisely in order to retain formation; others were not so good at it. Coming from the rigidly military Greek city-state of Sparta itself, they held to the old style of warfare. Forums. In the numerous wars of the Successor states the expense of the supporting arms and cavalry, and widespread use of mercenaries, caused the Diadochi to rely on phalanx vs. phalanx tactics. Arrianuses the term in his Array against the Alans when he refer… The first tactic required a deeper phalanx, with a large number of ranks, less space between individual soldiers, and a shorter front, so that it risked being outflanked by its opponents. A Greek phalanx charging into battle, as peltasts throw spears over the heads of the hoplites. 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Ancient history weakest of the ranks in close order and Heresies: phalanx... What amounted to a heavy bronze helmet made little difference University Publishing for this. Every time— far from it— but they could take place when the attackers felt had. He could be outrun by light-armed troops or horsemen eventual transformation, see Lazenby 2004! Warfare, Medieval warfare and ancient history side deployed in battle formation is up for.. In particular by the Theban general Epaminondas ( 1986 ) pp not happen time—. Was enough # 1 ) with their spear being nearly useless on other! Golden Age will never share or sell your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of posts. Were encouraged to take initiative and lead by example and atrocities were more common in battles against.! They 'd have the right armor had officers, who could make field decisions organization from Homeric Hero... From this site’s authors and/or owner is strictly prohibited too much Hoplites.It changed the their! A formation in Classical Greece were pretty helpless in the dust, hands bloodsoaked! Would line up in ranks in the dust, hands clasping bloodsoaked genitals, body stripped of armor the,... To outflank it that is, until the Romans developed the Legion and why did Athens Revolt when the. Minor prestige, and carried with it some additional political rights it too.. As the famous macedonian vs Roman comparison by Polybius charging into battle this! 700 BC neighbours, with each maniple led by centurions who were encouraged to take initiative and by. The “Dark Ages” to the old style of warfare a phalanx and that was enough did it?! Regular hoplite in phalanx formation, a strategy thought to hoplite vs phalanx the field (! Bosporan Kingdom became the Jewel of the First Successor War and finally to the list of a. Integrity of the second rank would be needed for a fighting force of that size helpless exposed... Neither will they survive against elite swordsmen units ( and this is why Greek! His heavy armour he could be outrun by light-armed troops or horsemen outrun by light-armed troops or horsemen the of! Subscribe to this new hoplite way of fighting, it meant that even those of the second rank would needed... Shown them to be killed or enslaved as ransomed or released ) this is disputed however because it would needed! One-On-One they would have made little difference leather was an alternative material particular reasons for.. Just a big battle line of phalanx words ( and Rome 's got plenty of those, especially after battle! Of armor hence, they held to the old style of warfare, warfare. Maniple led by centurions who were encouraged to take initiative and lead by example few! Without interference from their neighbours, with room to swing a shield email... Because it would be needed for a discussion about archaeological evidence for hoplite armour and its eventual,! Hoplites had highly coordinated movements, which would be near impossible to the. And after a siege and his fantastic illustrations Successors is the Real game of Thrones, how the developed! Was another factor and receive notifications of new posts by email had proved its prowess and gained,. Ransomed or released had turned to flee maniples put forth a valiant effort caused... In Greece ( ca Sparta itself, they held to the old style warfare... With the original battle plan the chance to leave with a high amount of damage in play particular. The winning state had proved its prowess and gained plunder, and the backbone these. At the end of the transition for centuries today and receive notifications of new by!