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What did the ancient Greeks wear in battle?
A 'panoply of arms' - helmet, breastplate, shin greaves, a shield, a sword or spear. The principal weapon was the spear, which progressively went from about 6 ft to 21 ft, as the tactics changed. The warrior was known as an hoplite (after the Greek word hopla = panopoly of arms). You got warrior status if you owned one. Otherwise you were light infantry with the job of throwing javelins and rocks or using bows and dispatching fallen enemy.The phalanx changed from a shield wall to a serious mass of men sixteen deep with the long pikes. The first three rows used their pikes, while ranks behind shoved. Two opposing phalanxes would have a shoving match. A phalanx against a not-so-solid opposing infantry horde ran over the top of them.Alexander protected the phalanx's flanks with light infantry and cavalry, and so defeated the Persians who simply could not get their heavy infantry to stand up to them. The Romans finally put an end to the phalanx by running rings around them, exploiting the phalanx's immobility by harrassing with light infantry and cavalry, with their own open-fighting infantry methods to do the final demolition.This end was very predictable. Two hundred years earlier, a Spartan battalion outside Corinth in the 390s BCE was wrecked by Thracian peltasts (light infantry) directed by Athenian general Iphicrates.
How did the Ancient Greeks organize themselves?
HopliteThe hoplite was a small infantryman, the central element of warfare in Ancient Greece. The word hoplite (Greek ὁπλίτης, hoplitēs) derives from hoplon (ὅπλον, plural hopla, ὅπλα) meaning an item of armor or equipment, thus 'hoplite' may approximate to 'armored man'. Hoplites were the citizen-soldiers of the Ancient Greek City-states. They were primarily armed as spear-men and fought in a phalanx. The origins of the hoplite are obscure, and no small matter of contention amongst historians. Traditionally, this has been dated to the 8th century BC, and attributed to Sparta; but more recent views suggest a later date, towards the 7th century BC. Certainly, by approximately 650 BC, as dated by the 'Chigi vase', the 'hoplite revolution' was complete. The major innovation in the development of the hoplite seems to have been the characteristic circular shield (Aspis), roughly 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter, and made of wood faced with bronze. Although very heavy (8-15 kg or 18-33 lb), the design of this shield was such that it could be supported on the shoulder. More importantly, it permitted the formation of a shield-wall by an army, an impenetrable mass of men and shields. Men were also equipped with metal greaves and also a breast plate made of bronze, leather, or stiff cloth. When this was combined with the primary weapon of the hoplite, 2-3 m (6.6-9.8 ft) long spear (the doru), it gave both offensive and defensive capabilities.Regardless of where it developed, the model for the hoplite army evidently quickly spread throughout Greece. The persuasive qualities of the phalanx were probably its relative simplicity (allowing its use by a citizen militia), low fatality rate (important for small city-states), and relatively low cost (enough for each hoplite to provide their own equipment). The Phalanx also became a source of political influence because men had to provide their own equipment in order to be a part of the army.The Hoplite PhalanxThe Hoplite Phalanx of the Archaic and Classical periods in Greece (approx. 750-350 BC) was a formation in which the Hoplites would line up in ranks in close order. 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. The Phalanx therefore presented a shield wall and a mass of spear points to the enemy, making frontal assaults much more difficult. It also allowed a higher proportion of the soldiers to be actively engaged in combat at a given time (rather than just those in the front rank).When advancing towards an enemy, the phalanx would break into a run that was sufficient enough to create momentum but not too much as to lose cohesion. The opposing sides would collide viciously, possibly terrifying many of the hoplites of the front row. The battle would then rely on the valour of the men in the front line; whilst those in the rear maintained forward pressure on the front ranks with their shields. When in combat, the whole formation would consistently press forward trying to break the enemy formation; thus when two phalanx formations engaged, the struggle essentially became a pushing match, in which, as a rule, the deeper phalanx would almost always win, with few recorded exceptions.
How do Spartans go into battle?
The Spartan Hoplite went into battle in a panoply of heavy armour (hopla - Hence the name 'Hoplite') within a tightly knit infantry formation known as a phalanx relying heavily upon their main weapon the sarissa which was a 4 to 7 meter long spear .
What is the greek military class?
The cavalryman who can afford to keep a horse (rare, when farmers' plots are generally at subsistence size). The hoplite or foot soldier who can supply himself with a panoply of arms (hopla = helmet, cuirass, greaves, helmet, shield, spear, sword). The non-propertied class, who are employed as light infantry, marines, seamen or rowers.
Where can someone go to watch videos of Can's?
One can go watch videos about Can's on video watching websites such as YouTube or Veoh. To help one find the videos that one actually needs, one should be more descriptive in their search term.
What is the massive formation of heavily armed Greek foot soldiers?
The were called hoplites (from the word hopla = a panoply - or full set - of arms and armour). They were not a military order, they were mostly just small farmers who turned out to protect their farms and city when needed. They assembled for training each month. The exception was Sparta, where they lived in a mess, trained regularly, but they had serfs to work their farms for them.
What actors and actresses appeared in The Foundling - 2010?
The cast of The Foundling - 2010 includes: Fritz Aardvark Bragpuss as Circus Performer David Bernbaum as Circus Performer Blaze Birge as Trapeze Artist Daniel Blackner as Freak Show Performer Molly Donaldson as Unicorn Baby Zafer Erol as Circus Performer Vanessa Faye Stanley as Freak Show Performer Maria Forster as Circus Performer Hannibal Helmurto as Freak Show Performer Emma Holmes as Circus customer Sven Hopla as Circus Performer Tiffany Ingram as Circus Performer Sabrina Joshua as Circus Performer Helena Lyons as Mother Antonio PopEye as Freak Show Performer Chhaya Shan as Freak Show Performer Helen Statnic as Circus Performer Steven Wulfekuhle as Circus Performer Ioan Zargaioli as Circus Performer
What did the ancient Greeks wear in battle?
A 'panoply of arms' - helmet, breastplate, shin greaves, a shield, a sword or spear. The principal weapon was the spear, which progressively went from about 6 ft to 21 ft, as the tactics changed. The warrior was known as an hoplite (after the Greek word hopla = panopoly of arms). You got warrior status if you owned one. Otherwise you were light infantry with the job of throwing javelins and rocks or using bows and dispatching fallen enemy.The phalanx changed from a shield wall to a serious mass of men sixteen deep with the long pikes. The first three rows used their pikes, while ranks behind shoved. Two opposing phalanxes would have a shoving match. A phalanx against a not-so-solid opposing infantry horde ran over the top of them.Alexander protected the phalanx's flanks with light infantry and cavalry, and so defeated the Persians who simply could not get their heavy infantry to stand up to them. The Romans finally put an end to the phalanx by running rings around them, exploiting the phalanx's immobility by harrassing with light infantry and cavalry, with their own open-fighting infantry methods to do the final demolition.This end was very predictable. Two hundred years earlier, a Spartan battalion outside Corinth in the 390s BCE was wrecked by Thracian peltasts (light infantry) directed by Athenian general Iphicrates.
What was it like to be a greek hoplite?
A Hoplite was a Greek armoured foot soldier (hopla= panoply of arms, ie the primary weapon, the spear, sword, shield, sword, cuirass, shield, greaves and helmet). These armaments were expensive, costing probably as much as a small farm, and were either passed from father to son, or acquired from defeated enemy on the battlefield (hence in the epics the struggles for the armour of the fallen). This type of warrior is first depicted on pottery in the late 8th Century BCE. They were drawn from the farming class (mostly poor small-farmers) who formed the city-state militias to defend their land. The Hoplite was displaced in the 4th Century by the Phalangites (soldiers who formed the phalanx and consequently were less heavily armoured as the phalanx itself was an armoured formation). Also, at this stage, professional soldiers progressively supplanted the militias for those cities and kingdoms which could afford them.
How did the Ancient Greeks organize themselves?
HopliteThe hoplite was a small infantryman, the central element of warfare in Ancient Greece. The word hoplite (Greek ὁπλίτης, hoplitēs) derives from hoplon (ὅπλον, plural hopla, ὅπλα) meaning an item of armor or equipment, thus 'hoplite' may approximate to 'armored man'. Hoplites were the citizen-soldiers of the Ancient Greek City-states. They were primarily armed as spear-men and fought in a phalanx. The origins of the hoplite are obscure, and no small matter of contention amongst historians. Traditionally, this has been dated to the 8th century BC, and attributed to Sparta; but more recent views suggest a later date, towards the 7th century BC. Certainly, by approximately 650 BC, as dated by the 'Chigi vase', the 'hoplite revolution' was complete. The major innovation in the development of the hoplite seems to have been the characteristic circular shield (Aspis), roughly 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter, and made of wood faced with bronze. Although very heavy (8-15 kg or 18-33 lb), the design of this shield was such that it could be supported on the shoulder. More importantly, it permitted the formation of a shield-wall by an army, an impenetrable mass of men and shields. Men were also equipped with metal greaves and also a breast plate made of bronze, leather, or stiff cloth. When this was combined with the primary weapon of the hoplite, 2-3 m (6.6-9.8 ft) long spear (the doru), it gave both offensive and defensive capabilities.Regardless of where it developed, the model for the hoplite army evidently quickly spread throughout Greece. The persuasive qualities of the phalanx were probably its relative simplicity (allowing its use by a citizen militia), low fatality rate (important for small city-states), and relatively low cost (enough for each hoplite to provide their own equipment). The Phalanx also became a source of political influence because men had to provide their own equipment in order to be a part of the army.The Hoplite PhalanxThe Hoplite Phalanx of the Archaic and Classical periods in Greece (approx. 750-350 BC) was a formation in which the Hoplites would line up in ranks in close order. 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. The Phalanx therefore presented a shield wall and a mass of spear points to the enemy, making frontal assaults much more difficult. It also allowed a higher proportion of the soldiers to be actively engaged in combat at a given time (rather than just those in the front rank).When advancing towards an enemy, the phalanx would break into a run that was sufficient enough to create momentum but not too much as to lose cohesion. The opposing sides would collide viciously, possibly terrifying many of the hoplites of the front row. The battle would then rely on the valour of the men in the front line; whilst those in the rear maintained forward pressure on the front ranks with their shields. When in combat, the whole formation would consistently press forward trying to break the enemy formation; thus when two phalanx formations engaged, the struggle essentially became a pushing match, in which, as a rule, the deeper phalanx would almost always win, with few recorded exceptions.
