Attacks by Hoplite infantry formations presented a dangerous battlefield situation for the ancient Persians. In situations where the Persians were relying on their light infantry, it became a challenge to defeat the hoplite heavy infantry attacks. One method was to establish an aray of archers some distance from a hopelite formation. Far enough away to prevent a spear attack, but close enough for Archery arrows. With their light cavalry, the Persians would attack each flank of the hoplite formation. The cavalry attacks would force the hoplite formation to stop its march and defend each side of their formation. This allowed the large Persian archery force to shower the immobilized and distracted hopelites. The combined counter offensive of the Persians, the archers and the light cavalry would defeat the hoplite army.
A hoplite was a citizen-soldier of the Ancient Greek city-states.
hoplites
An ancient Greek foot soldier was called a hoplite.
The hoplite shield, or aspis, was used by ancient Greek hoplites, foot soldiers, primarily for protection in battle. It was made of wood covered with bronze and was held by a central handgrip and forearm strap. The shield was essential for creating the phalanx formation, a military tactic that provided protection and cohesion for the soldiers.
A shield used but the Spartans
If you mean an ancient Greek soldier he was known as a Hopalite
you wont tell me
It was the hoplite phalanx. However, the Romans then abandoned it because it was too rigid.
Many ancient generals were successful with the phalanx miltary formation as this formation was in widespread use in the Mediterranean for several centuries. The phalanx was a tight square formation with the infantrymen were tightly packed in 8 or more lines. It was part of the hoplite military "revolution" which started in Greece in the 7th cntury BC and spread around the Mediterranean. The hoplite was first heavy infantryman in history. He wore a bronze armour and helmet and used a bronze round shield and sword. The many wars between the Greek states were fought using the Phalanx. In Italy the Phalanx was adopted by the Etruscans and the Romans. The Romans abandoned the phalanx when they were defeated by the Samntes in 321 BC and adopted the manipular formation of the Samnites.The three most famous generals in the period of the phalanx formation were Greek: Pericles, Pyrrhus and Alexander the Great.
The hoplite revolution refers to a significant shift in ancient Greek warfare around the 7th century BCE, characterized by the emergence of the hoplite soldier, who fought in a phalanx formation. This transition marked a move away from aristocratic cavalry and individualistic combat to a mass infantry system where citizen-soldiers, equipped with heavy armor and shields, played a pivotal role. The revolution democratized military service, allowing a broader segment of society to participate in warfare and influence political power, ultimately contributing to the rise of city-states like Athens and Sparta. This shift laid the groundwork for the development of democratic ideals in ancient Greece.
The hoplite revolution theory posits that the rise of the hoplite soldier in ancient Greece transformed military and social structures. This shift occurred around the 7th century BCE, as the emergence of heavily armed infantrymen, or hoplites, who fought in a phalanx formation, changed the dynamics of warfare. The theory suggests that this new military class, composed of citizen-soldiers, contributed to the development of more democratic political systems as they demanded greater political rights in exchange for their service. This marked a significant departure from aristocratic warfare dominated by cavalry and elite warriors.
In the sixth century BC the Romans adopted the hoplite formation of the Greeks. In the 4th century BC they abandoned it and replaced with the manipular formation of the Samnites. In 107 BC they abandoned this as well and developed their own formation.