Othismos true nature

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Paul M, I think there's also another confusion. "Pyknosis" is anoun describing a verb while "Synaspismos" is a noun describing a situation. Pyknosis is the action/movement of betting tighter (pyknos=thick). Synaspismos is a permanent situation when the shields are put together(overlapping) (συν + ασπίς) .The terms are very close,but their connection is that after the picnosis(with the hald rear men coming forward?) you have synaspismos (due to lack of space between the lines).
The spear fighting can't have lasted for long before the othismos started. The people in the videos may be crazy(good for us) but they certainly don't wish to kill. We don't see the phenomenon of the second or third ranks wishing to reach the enemy orderly over the front rankers' shoulders. To achiece this they'd have to push,intentionally or not. And again as I said,I can't imagine the rest 7-15 ranks just waiting the front rankers to get tired to start pushing. Because if thei did so,when the front rankers would have been exhausted,the rear rankers would be still fresh.
The othismos could have been even when all the ranks touched their shields to the front man's back. This alone produced some sort of pressure and certainly prevents the pushing back. This still allows for some spear fighing. Ass the time passed and the anxiety of the rear ranks increased,they'd start pushing really hard. We don't necessarilly have to see the phases as an intended plan,for it wasn't so. I simply thing it happened physically and inevitably with all those tightly packed (a bit drunk) men.
Khairete
Giannis