Tactics, Warfare, Strategies, Weaponry, and Armament of the Greeks

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Imogen Francis
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1 Tactics, Warfare, Strategies, Weaponry, and Armament of the Greeks

2 The Greeks at War

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4 Preview Questions: Describe the full kit/equipment of the hoplite. How could the spirit of group cooperation and fighting in a phalanx affect ordinary society? What political and or social effects might be encouraged or discouraged by regular training and shared risks? What are the weaknesses of being a Hoplite?

5 Armament & Equipment Hoplite Thebes Hoplite Sparta

6 Hoplite (infantry) Note theshield, helmet, spear, breastplate, leg guards

7 Breast and Back Plate What material are these made from? How heavy do they look? Comfort? Effectiveness?

8 Helmets note the 2 different designs Which helmet would you prefer? Why? Do you think these helmets were effective?

9 Greave (Leg Guards) Obviously the hoplites wore two of these. Why were they necessary? What is a possible weakness of the design?

10 Spear Butt This was used partially as a counterweight (spear would be 8-12 feet), to dig into the ground, and if the tip broke they could use it as a secondary spear tip. Quite versatile actually.

11 As well they had short swords (2-3 feet) and perhaps a dagger

12 The Sling (Skirmishers) These bullets would be thrown from a sling by the skirmishers prior to the main engagement Do you think they would have been effective against Hoplite armour?

13 Now imagine several 100 of these coming at you all at once

14 The Greek Phalanx

15 Basic Tactics As you can see they carried their spears in their right hands and their shields in their left Consequently you relied on the guy on your right to protect you with his shield

16 Do you see why you depended on the guy on your right?

17 Classical Greek warfare was the purest form of battle. The antithesis of modern day notions that favor stealth capability or covert guerilla tactics, Greek warfare displayed the honesty of two armies facing each other head on in broad daylight Battles were won and lost depending on the phalanx's ability to hold its formation. Lined shoulder to shoulder with approximately sixty-five pounds of armor, limited vision and hearing, a hoplite's crucial duties required little tactical skill, only to push forward and keep the line together.

18 Phalanx Basics Key to it was maintaining a tight formation and not allowing anyone inside your ranks the best guys were in the front and back rows (guys in front needed to be brave and the ones in back were the pushers) initially the front row would hold their spears underhand and be jabbing at legs and groin, then they would switch grips and use an overhand and try to stab chest, shoulders, face and neck

19 Note the overhand grips

20 once the initial contact was made the back rows literally tried to push the front row through any soft spots in the enemy formation using their shields The emotions and thoughts of an individual soldier at this time are unimaginable. The sights and sounds of battle offer only a glimpse of the battlefield experience. A cacophony of smashing bronze and breaking wood, the shrieks and moans of men, the continuing war cry; one can only imagine the horrible blood and gore at the front lines.

21 Imagine being in the front row of this encounter.

22 Retreating Once the enemy got inside your lines there were 2 options: flee have an organized retreat first was most likely and usually meant many more casualties

23 total annihilation was uncommon in Greek warfare due to limited effectiveness of cavalries. The infantry was not suited to chase down fleeing enemies due to the weight of equipment. At this point in history, not all Greek city-states had cavalries and if they did they were small, therefore the vulnerability of the fleeing enemies was not exploited (Lazenby, The Killing Zone 101). casualty rates amongst hoplites seem relatively low. It might be estimated that a phalanx might lose fifteen per cent of its strength, either through outright killing, death from wounds typically brought on by peritonitis, following a penetration of the gut or in the massacre which followed flight. (Keegan,The History of Warfare 251)

24 So what kept the Greeks in their formations? First the knowledge that retreating would mean more casualties More importantly, the phalanx was organized by tribe, family group and community. Therefore, you were next to your brother, uncle, cousin, best friend, etc. If you retreated or did not maintain formation you were killing someone you knew and loved.

25 Using what you have learned about the weapons and armament of the Greeks: improve the design

Athenian Army. The Army is commanded by the Athenian Polemarch, Perikles, who is an Elected, Reliable and Strong commander.

Athenian Army. The Army is commanded by the Athenian Polemarch, Perikles, who is an Elected, Reliable and Strong commander. Athenian Army My Athenian Army was one of the first I completed and as such has had to suffer fighting through considerable rule changes. It has also undergone several expansion and configuration changes.