Hoplites and Phalanxes Flashcards
What was 8th century Greek warfare like?
Fluid and disorganized, and battlefield dominated by a few, comparatively well-armed aristocratic “heroes”
What was the main weapon in the 8th century?
Throwing spear, it limited the amount that tactics could be refined
What led to the glorification of heroes?
Homer, and this idea of individuals fighting (aspects were unreal) as heroes fought for themselves and their own glory
When was the phalanx introduced?
7th century; first heard of in Spartan Tyrtaeus’s poems
Why was the phalanx developed?
Opening of new and old trade routes, beginning of colonial movement led to the spread of wealth in the homeland - a greater number of men could afford helmets, armour, greaves, shield
What was a factor in the decline of individual prowess?
Increasing number of armoured infantry
What did technological innovation show?
Reinforced the growing willingness to co-operate
What technological innovations occurred?
Shields were redesigned from having one single strap/handle in the middle with a shoulder support to having a double-grip: one the middle where the forearm supported (armband), and one at the edge/rim for the hand to grip
What was the downside to the double-grip shield?
Only protected a soldier’s left side, so they would rely on the man to their right to protect their right flank - they would all shift to the right in paranoia
What was the throwing spear abandoned for?
The thrusting spear
When were swords used?
Only in emergencies (spear gets broken or lost in battle)
What was frowned upon after the introduction of the phalanx?
Acts of courage if it meant leaving the line - a man could be killed by the cowardice of those next to him
Who was Aristodemus?
sole survivor of Thermopylae; was seen as a disgrace to his fellow Spartans as he would leave the line and abandoned his fellow sufferer from ophthalmia, Eurytus, to his death
What was the ultimate disgrace for a soldier?
To lose his shield, as it was a soldier’s duty to carry his shield for the sake of the whole line
Where did the word hoplite come from?
Possibly ‘hoplon’ which could mean ‘shield’
When did hoplite-like equipment begin to appear?
Before 700 BCE (metal corslets depicted on Attic vase about 720), actual bronze panoply found in an Argive grave of 710, typical Corinthian helmet had appeared by 685
What was a Corinthian helmet?
It covered the whole head, leaving only the eyes and mouth clear
Where was the first representation of hoplites in a phalanx?
On a proto-Corinthian vase of about 670 (Chigi vase is from 650 or later)
Where did hoplites first appear?
Argos
Who first used the double-grip shield?
The Argives (Argos) (first mainland Greeks)
What is the Battle of Hysiae?
Where hoplites may have first took part, battle where Argos defeated the Spartans for the last time
What sometimes appeared on a hoplites shield?
A blazon, consisting either of the initial letter of their nationality, or a national symbol
How did hoplites battle?
A close-knit formation about 8 deep (sometimes varied)
What is othismos?
Final ‘heave’ where one side bore down on the other; ranks literally crashed together, shield to shield
How did hoplites use their spears?
Typical thrust was over-arm, aiming for the throat and shoulders, over the rim of the shield
What mattered in a phalanx?
Weight and cohesion of the soldiers
How were Spartans so dominant in Ancient Greece?
Rigourous training that young Spartans were subjected to - possibly as early as age of 7, and at least 14, as well as the ability to combine
What was an enomotiai?
A Spartan tactical unit of 35 men
What was a pentekostyes?
A Spartan tactical unit that consisted of 4 enomotiai
What was a lochoi?
A Spartan tactical unit that consisted of 4 pentekostyes
What was a mora?
A Spartan tactical unit, consisting of 32 enomotiai (8 pentekostyes with 160 men, 2 lochoi with 640 men); a full strength mora had 1,280 men
What did Spartan tactical units allow them to do?
Allowed them to assemble a force of any size by varying the number of morai - six in all
What happened when a Spartan king was in the field?
They had 300 Hippeis (‘knights’) who acted as a royal guard and fought on foot
What is the Battle of First Mantinea?
c.418, Sparta vs Athens and Argos + allies in the Peloponnesian War; Sparta won the battle by luring their enemies to fall through the Spartan line
What was the 2nd Messenian War?
669-657, the Messenians revolted against Sparta, but were ultimately defeated
Who was Tyrtaeus?
A Greek Spartan poet who wrote on military themes and first documented the phalanx in his work
Who is Victor Hanson?
An American historian, classical professor and military scholar who wrote on Greek warfare and hoplites
Who was Leonidas?
Spartan king who led Spartans and allies at Thermopylae against the Persians; he died fighting with about 1000 of his soldiers
What is a hoplon?
A convex, circular shield about 3 feet in diameter made of composite wood and bronze
What did light troops use as weapons?
Missile-weapons - archers, javelineers, slingers, even stone-throwers and they played a minor role in archaic and classical Greek warfare
What armour did hoplites have?
Greaves, breastplate, helmet, double-grip shield, and thrusting spear, a sword for emergencies
Who was Thucydides?
One of the first historians, he documented many Greek battles and wars, particularly the Peloponnesian Wars; he recorded the first political and moral analysis of a nation’s war policies
What is the difference between a hoplite and a light troop?
The weapons they used and how they used them
How did the defeat of a nation’s hoplites affect it?
It was a blow to the city state’s social and political fabric, which is why one battle often decided wars
