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Phalanx warfare: Closing of the ranks
#51
(09-14-2016, 02:42 PM)JaM Wrote: wait, so practically we are back to what i told in the beginning... that hoplite warfare was all about spear fighting and keeping enemy at bay with his spears...

No, hoplites charged into battle, then stopped at spear range and fought.  Some say this cannot be done and the sides must crash, but we did it easily.

Then they fought for an extended period with spear thrusts overhand. (Did no one actually read my 2011 article?).  This often led to victory as one side broke at spear range.

In prolonged battle, men could move in to fight shield on shield.  This cannot be done with an 8' dory.  Those that say they used the spear to attack the man behind the foe in front of them have never been in a life and death situation. So at this range they had to go to the sword.  Pushing, jostling, occur as part of this combat is all historical battles.  Hoplites took this further and weaponized this crowd-like state to physically push back the opposite taxis rather than simply herd it back like riot police often do to crowds.  Only in the worst crowd riots do police actually push like hoplites did.  See video of the Maidan riots in the Ukraine.  The shape of the aspis and the fact that its form did not change for centuries speaks to the fact that this crowded combat could occur in any given battle.  The rediculously deep ranks we see- ranks with no tactical doctrine to deploy laterally aftet pushing the opposite taxis out if line- also speak of this crowded phase becoming dominant by the 4th c.

Many of you are not arguing with my ideas, but with the orthodoxy of Hanson et al.  They are wrong and I will not defend them.
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RE: Phalanx warfare: Closing of the ranks - by Paul Bardunias - 09-14-2016, 03:04 PM

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