03-08-2009, 11:44 PM
It is my belief ( for reasons too complex to explain in a brief post) that Greek authors always described depths in 'open' order - 6 feet per man frontage ( which the authors of the Hellenistic manuals call 'normal' order, hence having no special name.) It was this 'open/normal' order in which the Phalanx, pike or spear armed, carried out battlefield manoeuvres . Once within 'charge distance' (100 yards or closer), the formation moved into close order (pyknosis) at 3 feet frontage per man, by means of the rear half of the 16 man file closing up in between the existing ranks, to form a phalanx now 8 deep, with 3 feet frontage per man. I believe this was the normal fighting formation for the Macedonian phalanx, with the sarrisae of the first 5 ranks protruding, and the rear 3 ranks raised. This formation was more than sufficiently deep ( re-enactors experience has shown that a line just 3 ranks deep is extremely difficult to break), and does not 'waste' the fighting strength of the formation in excess, and generally (but not always) useless depth, but is sufficiently deep to replace casualties in the front 5 'fighting' ranks from the 3 behind......
"Synapsismos'/locked shields was just 18 inches frontage per man, and in my view the formation was then just 4 ranks deep, with all 'sarissae'/pikes protruding. This latter was largely a defensive formation that could not manoeuvre, but could shuffle forward/back.
Similarly, an 'average' depth for a Hoplite spear armed phalanx was 8 deep ( though 12 and 16 and even deeper by the Thebans are known, the latter when using 'column' against line) and this too is in 'open' order, so that when 'closed up' into 'pyknosis' the line is just 4 deep, with each man on a 3 foot frontage, as Xenophon famously tells us. The front 3 ranks of Hoplites could use their spears, with a rear rank of 'file closers', again not wasting the 'fighting strength' of the formation.....
In the case of the Hoplite spear armed phalanx, I believe the terms 'pyknosis' /close order and 'synaspismos'/locked shields were synonymous, since on a 3 ft frontage, the 3 foot or slightly larger 'aspides'/shields would be just touching/overlapping.....
"Synapsismos'/locked shields was just 18 inches frontage per man, and in my view the formation was then just 4 ranks deep, with all 'sarissae'/pikes protruding. This latter was largely a defensive formation that could not manoeuvre, but could shuffle forward/back.
Similarly, an 'average' depth for a Hoplite spear armed phalanx was 8 deep ( though 12 and 16 and even deeper by the Thebans are known, the latter when using 'column' against line) and this too is in 'open' order, so that when 'closed up' into 'pyknosis' the line is just 4 deep, with each man on a 3 foot frontage, as Xenophon famously tells us. The front 3 ranks of Hoplites could use their spears, with a rear rank of 'file closers', again not wasting the 'fighting strength' of the formation.....
In the case of the Hoplite spear armed phalanx, I believe the terms 'pyknosis' /close order and 'synaspismos'/locked shields were synonymous, since on a 3 ft frontage, the 3 foot or slightly larger 'aspides'/shields would be just touching/overlapping.....
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
