[split] Phalanx warfare: use of the spear

[Paullus Scipio]

I just took a look at the data in my book.  A modern razor broadhead from a 30lb bow cuts right through 4mm of leather, pierces, but incompletely penetrates two layers of 8-10mm, and is stopped by 12 mm with no perforation on the inner layer.  For comparison, 6-8mm of twinned linen was incompletely penetrated, and around 4-5mm of linen stopped it cold when treated with kaolin clay.

Just one problem........ancient archers didn't have "modern razor broadheads" so your figures are irrelevant, meaningless and don't apply. If you are going to use 'modern' offensive weapons, then perhaps you ought only to compare them to 'modern' defences, rather than comparing apples with oranges......And kaolin clay impregnated linen is just another completely unevidenced wild theory........

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If you were on a 'losing' side and having to run for your life, even after having discarded your shield, you are as good as dead.......

They are really easy to get out of, literally drop your shield and pull two or three cords and run like hell.

Perhaps, but there are a minimum of 3 fastenings, sometimes more, and as anyone who owns laced shoes can tell you, they have the habit of becoming 'knotted' at the most inconvenient moments, and in the case of a 'spolas', you hardly want 'quick release' type fastenings for it would be mighty embarrassing to have your corselet fall off in action........so not so easy to discard.
There are many, many other disadvantages to having a relatively heavy 'thoraka' - see Xenophon "Anabasis" III.4, the incident with Soteridas for example.........