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Phalanx warfare: Closing of the ranks
#77
(01-04-2019, 01:53 PM)Cesco Wrote: I'm resuming this old (but really interesting and exhaustive) post. From what I've read in it, it seems there is a general consensus that a hoplite in close order would have occupied, more or less, 3 feet, while in open order the space would be 6 feet (wich is, by the way, the same spacing many primary sources attribute to roman soldiers as well) and that the measure of the synaspismos given by Aelian and Asklepiodotus, in wich men were arrayed in just 1.5 foot, must be seen as a prerogative of the later macedonian phalanx.

I would like to know if Xenophon, or some other author, gives us the exact space occupied by a man in close or open order in a hoplite phalanx, or if we can just speculate about that.

Thanks in advance.

Sorry to take so long to reply, but I only pop in very irregularly!
The answer to your question is that Xenophon does indeed refer to close order distance for hoplites more than once: e.g."A History of my times (Hellenica)"VII.4.24

Describing a fight between a Spartan column in double file led by Prince Archidamus, attacking a line of Arcadians who were "in close order, shield to shield (suntetagmanoi)"
Shield-to-shield is also described as "sunaspismos" and with aspides being 85-95 cm in diameter, that means each man occupying a roughly 3 foot frontage.
Obviously, they did not use a measuring stick to form their order, hence the use of shields.

Note that "sunaspismos"/locked shields for a Macedonian pike phalanx was a little over a 'cubit', because the 66-75 cm diameter 'peltai' were held at a sloping angle, and the 'sarissaphoroi' stood side on.....
A Macedonian phalanx at 3 foot intervals/close order (or 2 cubits) was described as "pyknosis" and the natural or normal order of 4 cubits (6 feet/open order) had no special name, according to the Hellenistic manuals

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RE: Phalanx warfare: Closing of the ranks - by Paullus Scipio - 03-03-2019, 08:40 AM

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