05-20-2010, 10:26 PM
I see, thanks much for the clarification, I definitely had it wrong! Your drawing makes a lot more sense than my badly mistaken idea of the concept. Yet I wonder if the men on the far sides of the chevron (against the flank barriers) wouldn't be terribly exposed to a line marching in straight across the opening. Each would be facing at least two men (assuming no help from behind: the one immediately in front and that fellow's companion next in line). This would seem to yield unfavorable 1-2 odds in both cases, with a hoplite on the far left having his right (unshielded) side exposed to attack should he turn more face-on (as would probably be necessary) against the enemy's flank man. Should the two guys go down at the sides, then the flank barriers would be lost and those next along the chevron on either end would be facing 1-3 odds (front plus left and right, again with added risk from an exposed 'shieldless' side). And, while I certainly agree that it would be suicide to march into the center of this array, a straight battle line that held good order would avoid this, engaging only at the sides and then wheeling at some point around one or both flanks (these having been progressively pruned from each tip) in either a single or double envelopment. All the same, I'm still not sure that I've got the true dynamics of your creative array correct as yet and definitely will have to ponder it some more. -Very best regards
It\'s only by appreciating accurate accounts of real combat past and present that we can begin to approach the Greek hoplite\'s hard-won awareness of war\'s potential merits and ultimate limitations.
- Fred Eugene Ray (aka "Old Husker")
- Fred Eugene Ray (aka "Old Husker")
