New hoplite book

[PMBardunias]

Pauls image depicts the situation good.
Yes there was more than othismos like using your spear on the rear rankers.

Thanks Stephanos, and yes, othismos in this crowdlike form is only one small part of hoplite combat. To me, the best feature of othismos in this manner is that in showing there is no benefit to charging directly into the enemy ranks we now have lots of timje for good ol fashioned spear-fencing. Many battles were decided "at spear range". I have a hard time believeing that this meant the single thrust by charging opponents like jousting knights. For most battles there was probably an extended period of spear-fencing before men closed to sword range and laid shield on shield. You can think of hoplite battle as discrete entities that correspond to ranges. Early on the phalanx might have thrown javelins as they closed if the Chigi is not holding onto mythical elements. The dory is a long spear, probably 5' of reach towards the enemy in battle. You could not fight it at that range with a greek sword. Once within range of a greek sword though, the dory is at a disadvantage because its too long. Of course once shield to shield you are limited to sword or even bare hands to attack the man in front of you. If someone starts a thread on doratismos or swordplay I will gladly contribute my thoughts, but I have less to offer there than with othismos, because others have more experience in such combat.

When I first presented this crowd-othismos my concern was to show that the current orthodoxy was wrong in its model of charging into othismos. Thus I showed how a "charge" would have to occur given the physics in order to maximize pushing force. They'd have to stop close to the enemy line and pack in tight, they shuffle forward in a mass. Any long distance destroys the packing needed to impart maximal force. While I think that such a "charge" may well have occurred at times, for the most part there is no need for it. A more fluid transition from spear-fencing, to fighting at sword's length with shield on shield, to crowding and othismos was probably the rule.


On the wedge I am with Fred, a wedge of hoplites is suicidal. Every rank presents in indefensable right flank to its opponents. Devine tried to describe such a wedge in a paper on the "Embolon" at Leuktra, but this was well countered in a following article. This, by the way is why we read of the Theban deep phalanx of 50 ranks exactly twice. It was essentially a gimmick or trick. It relied on superior flank protection in cavalry and light troops and helps if your foe has allies who are essentially willing to stand by and watch him get beat. The Spartans at leuktra were in the middle of attempting to extend their line to envelop the deep phalanx when a quick thinking Pelopidas hit them and probably saved the day. If we can read into Xenophon's description of battle in the Cyropaedia Spartan thought on how to deal with extra-deep phalanxes, then there was already a counter by Mantinea- ending in Epaminondas's death.

All of this was anticipated by the way. The Thebans had been forming at 25 ranks for decades and the allies in the Corinthian was specifically tried to limit her to 16 ranks by treaty because of the threat of the line being enveloped. The 25 rank unit had more success, starting with Delium. I think that Greek Andreia was so focused on not giving ground in combat, that it hampered their ability to be flexible in dealing with this formation that was perhaps almost "cheating". The one time we read of Spartans simply attempting to get out of the way of the formation, as Xenophon advised for the second phase of Coronea, Pelopidas simply turns back on their line after cutting it in two. Then again, as at Coronea, the Thebans could cut through an enemy line and still be too mauled to do more than flee.

By the way, I think battles between such asymetrically deep phalanxes can only be described through a crowd model. Without a push, there really is no valid point to such depth, honorable attempts at attributing it to the efficient moving of troops or morale aside, and without valid crowd mechanics the fact that these were still hotly contested battles, rather than a theban steam-roller, is unexplained.