Book Recommendation: Greek Warfare: Myths and Realities

[Idomeneas]

I would second Stefanos. In 2 weeks you can have blocks of 100+ men able to manuever and jog together. As long the rythm is held by stepping hard the left leg its quite easy. After a couple of months men can hold the rythm themselves. The distance of ranks is usually an arm away.

I suspect that this distand would be sufficient for hoplites also. Judging from my experience if men had a training season each year it would be easy not onl;y for them but for the officers-citizens to manage them. I used to be first surgeant during my military service, of a reinforced company. That means 165 men plus 20 officers and jr officers. Every morning i had to set the ranks for report and parade the men and set tem for inspection. I was just a coscript with no formal experience (im graphic designer) and i had no problem doing that. So i guess the same stands for citizens officers managing the ranks.

If men are trained at least one time a year they can surely perform manouvers and jogging in close ranks. However what i suspect is that they would be able to jog most distance if needed to the enemy but the assault with locked shields would be performed in fast pace. The othismos would be achieved by the mechanical energy that would be transmitted to front lines from the back ones. Basically like moshing in rock concerts :lol: .