Ancient Greeks - Hoplites

Luton Culture - Museums

IntentionsThis slide show is designed to support and help you develop classroom work after your class has visited Wardown Park Museum and experienced the Hoplites workshop

Most images within this presentation are all available to use in the classroom via our E2BN gallery http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery748-e2bn.html

Hoplite•A hoplite was a citizen-soldier of the Ancient Greek city-states. Hoplites were primarily armed as spear-men and fought together in formation.

•The word "hoplite" derives from "hoplon”, the type of the shield used by the troops.

•A hoplite was primarily a free citizen who was usually •A hoplite was primarily a free citizen who was usually individually responsible for buying his armour and weapons.

•In most Greek city-states, citizens received a basic military training, serving in the army for a certain amount of time.

•Spartans were renowned for their life-long combat training and almost legendary military skills. Their greatest enemies, the Athenians, were exempted from service only after the 60th year of their lives.

Hoplon - Shield• Wood (limewood/willow) & leather• Bronze faced on edges (very fine, ½ mm)• Shiny and intimidating, but not good protection• Soldiers personalised their shields with their own

designs• Fighting cockerel – aggressive/fights for territory• Dish shape. Gets deeper over time• Dish shape. Gets deeper over time• Agave grip – revolutionizes warfare. Putting an arm

through the centre hold and gripping the strap allows more control

• Mainly defensive• Makes close combat possible (phalanx formation)• Not 100% sure how they fought in formation• To loose shield was a disgrace – helps to protect

everyone in the line.

Hoplon - Shield

Cranimi - Helmet• Bronze. Beaten by hand from a single

sheet.

• Corinthian style – most popular and common style.

• Ear cut away slots – later model (5th century BC).

• Horsehair crest – gave height and looks • Horsehair crest – gave height and looks intimidating

• Padded cap inside to make comfortable

• Helmet lined with leather/felt – reduced noise and controlled temperature.

• Cranial ridge – later addition. Gives more space and air circulation.

• Very uncomfortable and heavy. Worn as little as necessary.

Cranimi - Helmet

Linothorax – Body Armour• Leather and linen in layers created rigid protection.

Good defence against swords etc.

• Ties onto body and offers shoulder protection.

• Armour came to Greece in the 6th century BC via Egypt.

• Painted surface reflects the heat.

• Bronze scales down the sides provide extra protection.

• Intimidating colours such as, red, white and black

• Sun clasp in centre of chest

• Octopus and tsunami imagery invokes Poseidon, the god of the Sea and Earthquakes

Greaves – Leg Protectors

• Made from a single sheet of bronze

• Spring fit• Protected leg• Protected leg

Soldiers wearinggreaves on ancientpottery

Dory - Spear• Principle weapon• Sharp at both ends• Driven into the torso or head• Twisted and pulled out to ensure

maximum damage• 9 foot length (2.7 metres)• 9 foot length (2.7 metres)

• Butt spike at the bottom end• Rests on ground to enable soldier

to relax• Can be used to inflict wounds if the

sharp end is broken • Known as the lizard killer

Xiphos - Sword

• Straight blade double edged• For stabbing and smashing rather than slicing• Need 4 or 5 feet to swing it (1.5 m)• Bronze hilt• Iron blade – very expensive• Case hardened (packed in charcoal and bone) and put in furnace to make it

stronger• Sword was a secondary weapon and expensive to pay for own training• Had leather scabbard

Greek Warfare• Heavy infantryman = Hoplite.• Armour was expensive. Bought what you could afford to protect you. Some bits

more vital than others.• Min value = 30 drachma = 1 month’s wages. • The set of armour used in this presentation and the education session is high end

(but not top of the range). It was bought by the individual, not the state.• Greece was made up of 100s of city states. All required military service for men • Greece was made up of 100s of city states. All required military service for men

from 18-40 years old (60 in Sparta).• City states divided into tribes (like election constituencies), these then divided into

brotherhoods (like wards).

City

Tribe

Brotherhood

Training for Greek Warfare

Year 1• Athletic skills• Build up stamina

Year 2• Weapons, formations (basic phalanx

formation)• Sword training – payed for by self if you

wanted to learn it

At the end of summer of the year a boy turned 18, you started training at the local centre. “Gymnasiarcos” was the head trainer. Trained there for two years.

• Pyrrhic dance – chief war dance - in full armour

• Move in armour and avoid blows from enemy

• Hoplite race – in breastplate and shield. Inter-tribal competitions. Included in Olympics in 520BC

• Hoplon race – race with shield and armour the distance an arrow would travel 440yds (400m)

• Sword training – payed for by self if you wanted to learn it

• Took Ephebic Oath – swear oath to the state

• Sent as guards on patrol duty (e.g. at acropolis) to experience army. Had buddies to look after them

• Once finished training, called up when required by state. Had an ordinary day job until called up (except in Sparta)

• Spartans had whole different ideology towards warfare. They trained 8-18 year olds, then males in army for all adult life. Trained to kill – very extreme mentality

The Greek Soldiers Oath – Ephebic Oath

I will not bring dishonour on my sacred arms nor will I abandon my comrade wherever I shall be stationed.

I will defend the rights of gods and men and will not leave my country smaller, when I die, but greater and better, so far as I am able by myself and with the help of all.

I will respect the rulers of the time duly and the existing ordinances duly and all others which may be established in the future. And if anyone seeks to destroy the ordinances I will oppose him so far as I am able by myself and with the help of all.

I will honour the cults of my fathers. Witnesses to this shall be the gods Agraulus, Hestia, Enyo, Enyalius, Ares, Athena the Warrior, Zeus, Thallo, Auxo, Hegemone, Heracles, and the boundaries of my native land, wheat, barley, vines, olive-trees, fig-trees...

Greek Tactics• The hoplite phalanx of the Archaic and

Classical periods in Greece (approx. 750-350 BCE) was a formation in which the hoplites would line up in ranks in close order.

• The hoplites would lock their shields together, and the first few ranks of soldiers would project their spears out over the first rank of shields.

• The opposing sides would collide viciously, possibly terrifying many of the hoplites of the front row.

• The battle would then rely on the valour of the men in the front line; whilst those in the rear maintained forward pressure on the front ranks with their shields.

rank of shields.

• The phalanx therefore presented a shield wall and a mass of spear points to the enemy, making frontal assaults much more difficult. It also allowed a higher proportion of the soldiers to be actively engaged in combat at a given time (rather than just those in the front rank).

• When advancing towards an enemy, the phalanx would break into a run that was sufficient enough to create momentum but not too much as to lose cohesion.

• When in combat, the whole formation would consistently press forward trying to break the enemy formation; thus when two phalanx formations engaged, the struggle essentially became a pushing match, in which, as a rule, the deeper phalanx would almost always win, with few recorded exceptions.