What did the ancient Greeks wear in battle?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

The Ancient Greeks wore battle helmets that covered their entire neck and head. They also a chest plate and knee braces that covered their heart and legs from potential arrows. They carried a round shield with a spear or sword to attack any hostile enemy that might mean harm. I hope this helps :)

Answer 3

Armour, of course