Depictions of Underarm Phalanxes

[PMBardunias]

Aside from the Chigi vase, are there any ancient depictions (Greek or otherwise) of how an underarm phalanx might have looked in battle?

The spears on the chigi are held overhand, so I hope there is not some confusion on terms. I think the underarm grip, thumb toward enemy, was not regularly used when Greek phalanxes clashed, but was used after the collapse of one side. There are some advantages to the underhand grip, but the problems with it are even greater. On the plus side, you gain a bit of over-reach, because you can hold the spear back beyond the balance point if you use the forearm to brace it, and it is easier to pin a man's shield and hold him away pushing through the spear.

But this comes at a sacrifice in striking power. Underarm strikes have been shown in a study by Connolly et al. to be only 20-30% as forceful as overhand strikes. This is huge difference, and but because reenactors do not regularly kill one another, I think the difference has been muted in their experience and the underarm rendered more attractive.

In addition, the overarm strike allows for more target choice laterally. Think of the overarm strike as analogous to a gun in a tank turret, while the underarm strike is like a gun in a sponson on one of those WWI tanks.

I should note that the Connolly study did find the underarm strike slightly more accurate, but I have had the opposite experience and believe I know why. Englishmen don't throw overhand from childhood in their sports to the same extent Americans do. The overhand strike has much in common with the overhand throwing motion, which I think has led to some confusion in differentiating the two on vases. Years ago I played 'catch' with an Australian friend of mine with a child-sized rugby ball. I naturally threw it in an overhand motion, while he could not, and punted it back. If I am at all correct in this, then americans, or ancient greeks who may have trained to strike overhand, would be more accurate than the tests predicted.

If you wish to see the underarm strike in action, you need only rent "300". Of course, I would suggest it is no more accurate than the other elements of history in that film.