Dark ages Armies

[JP Vieira]

Hello
I have seen representations of hoplites of the 7th century BC.
I would like to know what would be the appearance of a Greek warrior of earlier times, from the fall of Mycenaean up to the 9th and 8th century BC.
I know that this period is often designated the dark ages of Greece and there is not much evidences for it, but can anyone please let me know, what could be the different troop types of warriors at this period? I would appreciate all sources (written and pictorial).
Many thanks
Best regards
JP Vieira

[JP Vieira]

Were chariots still used? If so, what type?
Thanks

[Ioannis]

Take a look at my paper "Weapons and Warfare in Early Iron Age Thessaly". It should be a good starting point.

http://www.geocities.com/i_georganas/GE ... _Dec05.pdf

[JP Vieira]

Hello
Ioannis: many thanks for your great help!
Kaliniti
JP Vieira

[hoplite14gr]

Only for incitement for further research:
http://www.dbaol.com/armies/army_17_figure_1.htm
Not to be trusted as accurate.

1150 to 950 B.C mixture of bronze and iron gear.
970 to 750 B.C. Kegel Illyric helms bronze iron shield bosses. Proto corinthian helm

Kind regards

[Dan Howard]

IMO the chariot stopped being used as an archery platform a few generations before the alleged date of the Trojan War. Dark Age chariots were used largely as skirmishing vehicles. They don't start being used for shock tactics until the innovations of Cyrus. Horse archers begin to appear in the 9th century in Assyria.

[hoplite14gr]

Between 800 to 600 B.C. in Greece the chariot was a battle taxi for a spectacular entrance in the battlefield or for manouvering attempts.
Homer describes cating javelins from chariots.

60 chariots are mentioned in the Eretrian order of battle in the Lelandine War but probably were made short work off by Kleomachos Thessalian cavalry.

Kind regards

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

The chariot as well as the horses' equipment in Stefanos' link is a find from Cyprus from the 8th century bc.Some of the other equipment is from Olympia and some of the drawings are copies from the Osprey books illustrations.
Khaire
Giannis

[JP Vieira]

Hello
Thanks for the help.
So, no chariots.
I already knew the website that Stefanos inicated, but I was a little worried about the historical accuracy; it seems that I better not use it as a source.
Besides the great paper from Ioannis, could anyone else provide with other sources; I am most interested in the appearence of the soldier (clothing, hairstiles, etc) and historical bacground of this era.
I have found some things on the internet but I do not about the historical acuracy of them; I need all the help you could provide: many thanks to all
Best regards
JP Vieira

[Ioannis]

Some very basic bibliography for the period:

Crouwel, J. H., (1987), “Chariots in Iron Age Cyprusâ€

[hoplite14gr]

Thanks for the help.
So, no chariots.
JP Vieira

No charging chariots. Chariots transporting warriors yes or chariots behind fighting warriors.

Kind regards

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Was the dark age not a time of heavy infantry starting to come to the fore, fighting in formations that the earlier ie myceanean forces were not up to facing? My memory is a little blurred.

[hoplite14gr]

At each peak and as long as the "palace system" worked the Acheams could field combined arms armies including heavy infantry.
When the sustem collapsed the armies became more irregular and the introduction of the horseman who could terrorise ill-led ill-equiped infantrymen made the aristokratic warriors dominant.
By 800 B.C. if we believe Homer, infantry had reindrocuded the packed formations of spearmen.

Buy 700 B.C. the Argives used the Carian method of porpax instead of telamon for supporting the shield and transfomed massed spearmen into an offensive weapon using rounded heavy shields

Kind regards

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Efcharistos Stefanos!

[Ioannis]

Re: the early phalanx, take a look at:

Storch, R. H. (1998), “The Archaic Greek “Phalanxâ€