Hoplite - History of the word

[PMBardunias]

If we have a term "Hoplitodromy", wherein the "dromy" is a foot race and the "hoplit-" defines how one must be equipped for the race, then, if the requirement is for helmet, shield, and greaves (is was wasn't it?), this de facto describes a troop-type. It is moot whether they were called "hoplites" yet, since a man with an aspis, helmet and greaves is the definition of hoplite in later usage. It would be more informative if the term described a function, like "Phalangite", rather than the equipement which could be used by men in many different tactical schemes.

For the race to be one where men were expected to compete with helmet, greaves and shield, there must have already been a troop type defined by helmet, greaves and shield. The "Hoplite" as defined by a discrete and expected panoply had to come first and had to have sufficient cache value to make a race of them worth watching and participating in. As I see it the only other alternative is that a race was constructed de novo with helmet, greaves, and aspis picked arbitrarily or taken from a non-dominant troop type, which is unlikely.

It is, I think, thought provoking that the noun “hoplite” is not attested before the time of the Peloponnesian war – a war which is often described as the ”end of an era” for hoplites.

Doesn't it make sense that a special word for "fully equiped men, with helmet and aspis" should arise at a time when troop types that were not armed with either were becoming more common and making a real impact on the battlefield? I think the late appearance of the term speaks to a commonality of "hoplites" in the preceeding period, not the reverse.