Hoplites at War: A Comprehensive Analysis of Heavy Infantry Combat in the Greek World, 750-100 bceIt has been 2500 years since the Greek heavy infantry known as hoplites dominated the battlefield. Yet they still capture the imagination today, through a wave of successful action films, novels and documentaries. The mass-media popularity of these famed warriors has, however, helped spawn a number of misconceptions about them. Drawing on classical literature, archaeology and the latest data from physical, behavioral and medical science, this study of hoplite equipment, tactics and command seeks to separate modern myths from observable facts. The authors resolve some persistent controversies and advance new theories about the nature of ancient Greek warfare. |
Contents
Preface | 1 |
Introduction | 3 |
I The Tools | 5 |
2 Shields | 24 |
3 Body Armor | 36 |
4 Other Devices | 48 |
II The Men | 61 |
6 Physicality | 73 |
9 The Phalanx in Action | 122 |
10 Special Tactics | 140 |
11 Phalanx Maneuvers | 160 |
12 Use of Terrain | 175 |
Conclusions | 189 |
Chapter Notes | 193 |
| 221 | |
| 229 | |
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Common terms and phrases
action advance Agesilaos Agis allies ancient Argives Argos armor arms army array Arrian aspides aspis Athenians Athens attack Bardunias barrier walls battle battlefield Boeotian bronze campaign cavalry Chaeronea Chap Cleomenes combat command contingent Corinth Corinthian Crimisus defeat defenders Delium deployed deployment depth Diodorus elite enemy enemy’s engagement envelopment Epaminondas epilektoi face field field-works fighting files flank foes force formation front frontage Greece Greek hoplites Greek spearmen grip heavy infantry Hellenica helmet Herodotus hoplite’s hoplites horsemen hypaspists Iphicrates javelineers king later Lechaion Leonidas light-armed lochoi Macedonian maneuver manpower Mantinea mercenaries militia missile move Myronides opposing othismos Pagondas Peloponnesian peltasts percent perhaps Persian phalanx Philip Plataea Plutarch poleis polis Polyaenus pushing Pyrrhus ranks rear retreat right wing sarissa sauroter seems shaft shield side skirmishers soldiers sparabara Spartans spartiates spear tactics terrain th century Theban Thebes Thermopylae Thucydides Timoleon took triremes troops turn victory warfare warriors weapons Xenophon Xerxes