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Light infantry troops in V c. BCE
#1
Hi all,<br>
<br>
Let's think about the Persian Wars and the Peloponnese wars way of land fighting: the phalanx.<br>
<br>
While the blunt of the battle was the clash (if it ever happened) of both lines of phalanxes (or the phalanx against the enemy cavalry/sparabara archers/etc troops) there's support for thinking that, even before the later widespread use of peltasts and other light troops, skirmishers were used during the heavy infantry battles, for example the Athenian light troops defeating a Spartan phalanx in the north (I forgot the location, but you surely know which battle I am talking about).<br>
<br>
Is there any information about the disposition of those skirmishers (I guess all javelin throwers, archers and slingers were used) in the line of battle? I know the role they played in the early Roman legion, which was loosely based on the Etruscan phalanx, which was pretty similar to the Greek one, but I haven't been able to find any classical references about this, and I don't have access to books like _Rome and Greece at War_ to check out... (it's on the amazon wishlist, though :-)<br>
<br>
And anyway, either whether the skirmisher were set in the front of the phalanx to harass the enemy first lines or they were separate units by themselves (considering no cavalry, these light troops wouldn't stay close to the cavalry to protect their flanks, like the roman legion did), would they retreat behind the phalanx through the separation of the taxies (plural of taxis, sp?) or encircle it somehow? I surely I wouldn't stay between the phalanxes when they are about to clash...<br>
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Any information, ideas, comments will be greatly appreciated...<br>
<br>
thanks,<br>
david aka Argyros<br>
<br>
PS- I am specifically thinking of a phalanx going against a long line of Persian sparabara archers, behind their big shields, holding the line until their heavy infantry or cavalry is sent against the phalanx. I imagine that the phalanx would be very vulnerable while closing the gap between the armies unless there had skirmishers of their own to try and get those sparabara out of order: a bunch of fierce Thracian peltasts running under the rain of arrows and jumping behind the shields with their javelins and short swords should be a pretty effective way of getting rid of the archers while the phalanx it strolling/trotting against the bad guys... just my thoughts on the subject... thanks! <p></p><i></i>
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#2
Connolly talks of the light infantry, peltasts, archers and skirmishers being used mainly for the flank protection of the main phalanx, from enemy light infantry.<br>
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Greece and Rome at War p. 48. <p></p><i></i>
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#3
It's a long time since I read it, but in The Persian Expedition, Xenophon describes how he used light infantry extensively in addition to hoplites. I don't remember what he says of tactics, but that must surely be an ideal place to look for information.<br>
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Crispvs <p></p><i></i>
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#4
The peltast didn't really emerge until the early 4th century BC and their creation is often attributed to the Athenian general Iphicrates (Xenophon, Hellenica 4:5(11-17), who was said to be the first to arm mercenaries with light armor, light shileds and javelins in the early 4th century. These were the soldiers who defeated the Spartans in the battle in 390BC near Corinth. Their main weapon was their speed and they won their battles by staying out of range of the slower, armored hoplites (Diodorus, 14:91). Before the 4th century the Greeks did use light infantry but they were definietly not high quality or professional. They probably consisted of poorer men, without armor, armed with slings, javelins, etc. who were used to harrass the enemy before battle, but who took no actual part in the battle themselves. They probably went out in front of the phalanx, lobbed a few missles and then went away before the armies had even started advancing. For a good description of this see Hanson, The Western Way of War. These types of soldiers, without any armor, would have been wiped out by Persian archers and therefore probably did not play any kind of major role in the Persian Wars (some scholars have argued that they were not even present at the Battle of Marathon). But this would not have been a problem for the Greek hoplites as the Persian archers which are mentioned probably would not have been able to peirce the shield/armor of a hoplite (if they had them Thermopoylae wouldn't have lasted very long at all!). The hoplites, if they maintained a resonable order in their advance would have been able to weather the storm of arrows fairly easily, even without light infantry support. <p></p><i></i>
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#5
jespa's view seems correct to me.

The only thing i can point out with certainty, is thta from their nature, javeloinmen would have come closer to the enemy than archers/slingers. Archers should have tried to be able to get a direct view of their target. Lastly, slingers might have well showered the enemy from a hilllock or even from behind friendly lines.

I'd try to figure out their position in battle according to their weapons and role.
Antigonos Leonidou
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#6
As I recall, these earlier light missile troops have been called psiloi. I have also seen the suggestion that they were perhaps partly composed of the servants of the hoplites, i.e. the armour-bearers. It seems plausible that such men would have a fistful of javelins and be able to use them at the start of a battle. They would not constitute a formally trained or equipped light infantry, though.

However, in large numbers they were enough to help force the surrender of the Spartans at Sphacteria in 425 BC. Similar forces show up in other battles of the Peloponessian War.
Felix Wang
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#7
In Sesklo (Neolithic citadel)they found clay covered sling stones.
The clay crashes on impact and has "grenade like" effect.
If you gentlemen think that you can maintain tight formation being pelted with this things think again!
Ligh Infantry is depicted from the Bronze age times.
Mycenean armies were combined arms armies.
In the Geometric era formed armies colapsed to warbands or peltast like units. The phalanx reapears on the Archaic period.
In the war about Lilantio pedio there was an agreement to fight without light troops. Both combatants agreed.

Poorer citizens campaigned as ligh troops.
Light infantry occupies bad going, supports friently troops, screens heavier formations. Its job is not to go into pitched battle with cavalry or heavy troops.
Greece is bad going tarrain country and light infantry can wreck havoc.
Demosthenis in Akarnania in the Peloponessian war is a good example.
Athenian light infantry in Mantinea is another.
Pausanias also mentiones that Locrians and Phoceans "emachonto peltastikos". To ancient Greeks this term meant light infantry tactics.

In modern armies not all troops ride tanks or airplains. Comandos are the modern light infantry.

Ligh infantry's main weapon is the terrain not the javelin or bow.
Shall I mention Teutoburger forest?!!

If light troops are so inferior why the hoplites had to convert to ekdromoi to deal with them? Why all successfull armies developed good light infantry formations?
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