Hoplite spacing and formation

[Sean Manning]

The two are inseperable. If and I again stress if we accept that they pushed en mass, then they had to both overlap right over left AND be squared to the enemy. You cannot push properly, and more importantly cannot survive the pressure, if your chest is resting on both you shield's left-side rim and the left-side rim of your neighbor. Any movement between you and your neighbor would rip up your chest and jam the edge of his shield into you. Your own shield rim had to be flat against your chest. That is overlaps at all is less important, but you can see that once you have your shield flat against your chest the only way to overlap is right over left. A sore arm is the least of your worries when you have asphyxiated due to compression.

Humh, I see. Personally I'm undecided between your drawings C and D.

One picture of an ancient aspis-doru phalanx from the front would solve so many problems here! But then, if we had adequate evidence we'd have to find other things to debate (grin).