Greek Equipment and Tactics Flashcards
Cuirass?
- Breastplate
- Made of solid bronze or layers of linen with bronze scales
Cuirass benefits?
Protected chest from attack
Cuirass downsides?
- Ended at the waist, leaving groin and thighs exposed
- Not very flexible, which could make free movement outside of Phalanx difficult
- Very heavy
What are Greaves?
Shin armour
Bronze
Greaves benefits and downsides?
- Protected shins from enemy projectiles
- Gave legs some protection
- Thighs were left undefended
Helmet positives?
- Protected head from projectiles and from handheld weapons
- Horsehair plumes may have been to intimidate enemy
Shield positives?
- Would lock together to form a wall in the phalanx, making a good defence
- Sometimes had a leather curtain at the bottom to give some protection to thighs
Spear benefits?
- Kept infantry and cavalry at a distance
- Butt on the end of the spear balanced it and made it less tiring to hold- it could also be used offensively
- Butt helped spear to be stuck in the ground, angled upwards, if there was a cavalry attack
What were the downsides of the Phalanx?
- Lacked mobility and manoeuvrability
- Sides and back were not well-defended
What would hoplites do in battle?
Fight in Phalanx formation
What would lightly armoured soldiers do in battle?
- Harass enemy with projectiles
- Close-quartes fighting
- Block enemy advance
- Hold high or uneven ground
What would cavalry do in battle?
- Attack flank and rear of enemy Phalanx
- Frighten Hoplite soldiers and encourage them to break formation
- Target supply caravans
- Scout ahead when marching on campaign
How were Corinthian helmets beneficial for soldiers?
- Cheek plates offered more protection than just to the top of the head
- Made of metal so would be more resistant
How could Corinthian helmets have hindered soldiers?
- Cheek plates would have obstructed peripheral view
- Heavy material
What were the characteristics of an Athenian Trireme?
- Long and thin
- Battering ram on front
- Low to the water with good stability
What was a hypozomata?
- Two cables running front-to-back on the ship
- It kept tension in the Trireme, helping the ship to withstand the strain of rapid rowing and turns as well as being knocked around
- This reinforcement also meant that ships could be longer and narrower, further enhancing speed and manoeuvrability
What was a typical crew on an Athenian Trireme?
- 170 rowers
-Roughly 30 others:
Hoplite soldiers
Archers
Steersman
Quartermaster
Piper
Trierarch
What was boarding?
- Involved a ship sailing alongside an enemy ship, close enough for soldiers to jump from their deck to the enemy’s
- Once on board, they’d fight
What were the pros and cons of boarding?
- You’d get a new ship
- If you have to look after a new ship for the rest of the battle, your forces are more spread out, leaving you vulnerable
- Its quite a long process, so you’re left vulnerable for longer
What was ramming?
- Sailing directly into the side of the enemy’s ship to create holes in their hull or break it apart
What were the pros and cons of ramming?
- You could cleave the opponent’s ship in half if you sailed fast enough
- Ships that rammed wouldn’t have much infantry so they could move faster, making them more vulnerable if they were boarded
- If you didn’t cleave the ship, you’d have to stop and turn around, making you more vulnerable
What was the Diekplous manoeuvre?
- Your ships would sail past opponents ships in a straight line before turning to ram from the side
Why was the Diekplous manoeuvre not successful?
- Enemies quickly developed defensive tactics against it
- Such as through the Hedgehog-Counter formation
What was the Hedgehog-Counter-Formation?
- Fleet retreated into a tight circle with the prows of their ships facing outwards, which prevented the Greek navy from infiltrating its opponents squadron
What was the Periplous manoeuvre?
Ships would sail round the entire enemy line before turning to ram from the side
What was shearing and why was it effective?
- Using bronze battering ram to break off then enemy’s oars
- Could injure or eve kill rowers, and the ship would have to spend time rearranging their remaining oars and rowers
