What is the difference between a Hoplite and a phalanx?

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 against it very difficult.

What does hoplites mean in ancient Greece?

Hoplite, heavily armed ancient Greek foot soldier whose function was to fight in close formation. Until his appearance, probably in the late 8th century bce, individual combat predominated in warfare. Greek vase painting showing a hoplite warrior.

When was the phalanx first used?

In the 16th century, Spanish troops armed with pike and harquebus introduced the first phalanx of the gunpowder age—solid columns of infantry known as battles.

Why is Hoplite important in history?

Hoplite soldiers made up the bulk of ancient Greek armies. In the 8th or 7th century BC, Greek armies adopted the phalanx formation. The formation proved successful in defeating the Persians when employed by the Athenians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC during the First Greco-Persian War.

What did pikemen do in the 17th century?

A modern recreation of a mid-17th century company of pikemen. By that period, pikemen would primarily defend their unit’s musketeers from enemy cavalry. A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear formerly used extensively by infantry.

Where did the hoplite phalanx of ancient Greece come from?

Traditionally, historians date the origin of the hoplite phalanx of ancient Greece to the 8th century BC in Sparta, but this is under revision. It is perhaps more likely that the formation was devised in the 7th century BC after the introduction of the aspis by the city of Argos, which would have made the formation possible.

What kind of armour did the hoplites wear?

The equipment might well be passed down in families, since it would have been expensive to manufacture. The average farmer-peasant hoplite typically wore no armour, carrying only a shield, a spear, and perhaps a helmet plus a secondary weapon.

What kind of weapon did a pikeman use?

This meant that pikemen had to be equipped with an additional, shorter weapon such as a dagger or mace in order to defend themselves should the fighting degenerate into a melee. In general, however, pikemen attempted to avoid such disorganized combat, in which they were at a disadvantage.