greek infantry warfare Flashcards
When did the large scale change in military tactics and equipment take place?
680-650 BC
Switch to massed heavy infantry
Defence was entrusted to large numbers of middle income class male citizens
What was the inspiration for heavy infantry warfare? When?
700s BC Assyria invading into east Asia Minor;
Uratru was employed Greek mercenary soldiers that witnessed heavy concentrated infantry with:
- bronze helmets
- breastplates
- fighting in dense formation
715-670 BCs;
Greeks took home this concept and it got adapted over these 45 years
What was the old Greek military tactic before heavy infantry warfare?
750 BC
Individual armored aristocrats engaged in haphazard single duels, as illustrated by Homer
Very few heavy infantry - only a few aristocratic champions
Heavy infantry warfare
Based on Assyrian model;
Hoplite tactics
Recruitment and militarizing much of male middle class as armored soldiers;
Polis had to give new training for new set of battlefield tactics
Each man or his family supplied his own armor
Battle of Hysiae
669 BC
Sparta VS Argos;
Argos won
Last spartan defeat for the next 300 years
Hysiae was a town in Argos
Spartans tried invading from the South
Where hoplite warfare emerged into view;
Argos used hoplite tactics
Sparta used haphazard mode of aristocratic warfare
What effect did Argos’’ victory have on the Greek world?
Dreadnought effect
Arms Race effect
Hoplite army became a necessity for every Greek city to defend itself;
with required massive alteration in equipment, organization and training program..
Some cities must have started this implementation before 669 BC;
Corinth and Chalcis
Hoplite tactics
Massed heavy infantry
Organized massing;
- Wall of soldiers
- Moving forward in shoulder to shoulder formation of a phalanx
Phalanx had 6-8 rows with several 100s of men per row
Battle of Mantinea
Battle in Peloponnesian war
418 BC
450 men per row
8 rows deep
= 3600 hoplites on each side at the battle
Hoplite armor
Hoplon (shield);
- bigger than needed for protection of comrade on the left hand side [hoplite had 1/2 protection from his own shield and 1/2 from his comrades in a tight formation]
- 16 pound heavy
- 3ft across
- made of wood, carved or piece-fitted: convex outer, concave inner, with a leather strap at the inside far end to fit to forearm and hand
Body armor;
- bronze helmet
- breastplate
- greaves (shin guards)
Six-eight foot spear;
- for jabbing and NOT throwing
Iron sword;
- sheathed at hip
- for emergency use if spear is broken or lost
- designed like slashing edge
TOTAL WEIGHT 70 POUNDS
Who made up the hoplite contingent of the army?
Middle class and upper class;
because each hoplite supplied his own armor (purchased, or as a family heirloom)
Social innovation was to include middle class as armored infantry whereas in 700s BC it was limited to the aristoi
20% of aristoi + 50% of middle class (minus 10% of lower tier middle class)
= 60% of population represented city’s fighting age citizentry
What was the size of a city’s hoplite contingent?
about 3000-6000 in size;
5000 families with average of 2 males
60% of that would be about 6000 men (high end of documented hoplite armies)
Hoplite armies were not huge because polis were not huge
Other troops like cavalry and light infantry rounded up the numbers
Two biggest hoplite city armies
Battle of Plataea 479 BC;
10,000 Spartan hoplites
during Persian war
Peloponnesian War 431BC;
16,000 Athenian hoplites on campaign
due to Athens huge population
Chigi Vase
Only vase painting that shows two opposing phalanxes about to collide
Wine jug painted in Corinthian polychrome style
From 650BC Corinth
Shows 5-6 hoplites in each battle row, representing those 400-500 in real life
Left hand army were Spartan;
Sparta was known for using flutes on maneuvers and battle
What was the ōthismos? How was the army arranged? How did it play out?
Two armies tried to push each other apart
Lasted 1 hour
Stance;
- First 3 rows advance with spear horizontal over right shoulder and their thumb backward on the spear
- Ranks behind held spears vertical with thumbs forward
- Rear and flanks of phalanx were protected by cavalry and light armed troops
Ōthismos;
1- Two opposing front rows run and march into each other, colliding, locked into place by rows of comrades from behind
2- Second and third rows crowd in, spears leveled, stabbing enemies in opposite front 3 rows
3- Fourth row (cant engage directly) leans shield into back of front comrade and pushes towards the enemy - with the spear as added pressure like a walking cane
4- Fifth row does the same as the fourth, sixth row does the same as row four and 5…. etc
As front rows fell, comrades behind stepped forward and replaced them
After spear is broken or lost, the sword was drawn
How was the army arrange for the ōthismos?
Best troops were assigned to front rows
Second best to rear rows;
- critical for retreat
- push others forward
Worst troops in the middle rows
- locked in and cant run away
