Hoplites fighting in Phalanx formation

[Marius_Ursus]

Here's something to consider. It's probably somewhere in between.

Here's my own theory based on what happens in actual combat. Mind you, this is with rifles, but still, war influences the way you see things.

When going into battle, the hoplites stayed in a tightly packed phalanx with their sheilds interlocked and performed thrusting and throwing of spears. As the pitch shifted, and depending on the enemies' reaction, the holite commander would then issue an order, probably similar to, "One step right!" and everyone would spread out and pull out their falcatas and scramasaxes or whatever sidearm they were carrying to continue the fight. If there were troops to cover and recover, another shield wall would come forward or would pass lances and spears forward to continue the fight in a tight formation.

Battle is a very fluid activity, and professional soldiers get a lot...I mean a lot of training in how to maneuver and get into position as an automatic reaction to an order. That's how soldiers stay alive. I fully believe that any phalanx that withstood a charge and remained static, especially as the enemy changes their tactics in the heat of battle, would probably get cut down one way or another.