Hoplite. Detailed history

Previously during the Heroic and Dark Ages, the armies fought in individual combats spread out across the battlefield. At some time during the eighth to seventh centuries, Greek warfare changed from an individualistic fighting style to a communal model. This new style has been termed the hoplite model or revolution. In Homer’s Iliad, heroes such as Achilles fought individual duels with other leaders, which often decided a particular battle.

The battles allowed individuals to seek glory and lead their men into small-scale battles they were never in the form of a concerted force but rather these exchanges should be seen akin to raids, involving fewer than 1,000 men. As cities grew and the population became more significant after the Dark Ages, the style of warfare also changed. During the Archaic period, this type of fighting continued with aristocratic warriors fighting from a distance, throwing spears and fighting on horseback. The change in warfare from individual to communal also resulted in a change in armor and tactics where the men were armed in similar fashion and fought as a concerted unit.

The term hoplite took its name from the hoplon, a large bronze or leather shield with a bronze blazon. This shield could protect a soldier from arrows and pellets, as well as spears and swords from multiple combatants, as opposed to earlier shields that were usually effective only in individual combat with swords. This shield was augmented by a helmet, which may have ranged from a sophisticated bronze to a simple leather cap. Another style of helmet was usually made of bronze and often had a crest of horsehair or feathers to make it distinctive.

The soldier would have a breastplate made of bronze in two pieces, covering the neck down to the waist. An apron, or mitra, also composed of bronze, was worn near the waist had a semicircular pattern; it probably protected the midsection and groin and was attached to a belt. Also hanging down were thigh pieces that provided protection. The soldier would also wear a greave to protect the tibia bone, which is close to the skin and vulnerable to attack. Shielding this bone prevented wounds that could debilitate the warrior. Finally, there were ankle guards to protect the feet. All total, the weight of well-made bronze pieces would be around seventy pounds.

The two throwing spears of the earlier period were now replaced with the single thrusting spear. With the shield no longer strapped to the body but rather held on the left side, it not only provided more maneuverability, but could also be used as a weapon if needed. The change to metal protected the soldier from the enemy’s onslaught. What was crucial was that the changeover allowed the army to become more systematized and democratic. No longer was warfare confined to the aristocrats; with mass production of armor and weapons, the general citizenry could be equipped.

This allowed the middle class the opportunity to play an important role in the development and protection of the state. No longer was the army confined to the elites; now it could be expanded to the middle class. The early tyrants realized this important change and began to outfit the middle-class citizens who would support them. With this new group at their command, the tyrants could overpower the aristocrats.

On the battlefield, the normal pattern for the hoplites was to mass the soldiers to allow a general pushing match to take place. Both sides usually marched out to a selected battlefield, which was usually flat so as not to give either side any particular advantage. Often, the battlefield was even agreed upon in advance by both cities. The battle was seen as not only a military contest, but a political battle as well. Usually, whoever won the battle would win the war. While cavalry and light infantry, including archers, were used, they were usually not crucial. Typically, the phalanx, as it was called, was rectangular, about eight to ten rows deep, covering an area about a quarter of a mile wide.

The two battle lines would close in upon the other, each one often trying to move in such a way as to have its left side extending farther than the enemy’s right in order to protect it and attack the enemy’s weak side without a shield. The opposing force would often move either to the right to prevent this envelope or to the left to overextend the enemy’s right. This often produced a semicomical situation in which the battle line of one side could exchange its orientation from looking north to looking south, and the other side south to north.

When the two lines came close to each other, the front two rows would use their spears to stab while the remaining lines would hold their spears vertically and push the rows in the front to hold them steady to keep from retreating from the enemy push. At some point, the phalanx would begin its move against the enemy, the othismos, and the front lines would try to push them back. There seems to have been periodic pushes organized en masse to produce bouts of energy to break the enemy line. If the enemy soldiers panicked and broke, they would often flee the battlefield. The cavalry and lightly armed troops would give chase, while the hoplites remained on the battlefield and erected a trophy to signify their victory.

Most Greek cities did not have a professional army. Their citizenry was organized and trained throughout their lifetime, but they did not have the extensive training of Sparta, where the men were constantly trained as professional soldiers. Many states did have a small group of citizen-soldiers who would form a type of professional army, acting as the core for the rest of the citizen army.

The hoplite army allowed each Greek city-state to create a citizen army to defend itself. Having an army composed of nonprofessionals gave citizens access to the government since they voted for policies, such as war or peace, which they directly participated in. This also promoted the idea of community responsibility since they made decisions that directly impacted their own lives. The hoplite army would remain the standard for nearly four hundred years.