specifics in Spear fighting combat

[PMBardunias]

"the greek phalanx was set in the way that is the normal for the greeks,and with which they can form any desirable depth. In this case they formed 4 deep in close order"

I agree with Giannis. I see no reason to doubt that a standard formation for fighting hoplites was 8 or 12 deep, while a standard formation for frightening Cilician queens is 4 deep :wink:

He ordered the Greeks to form their lines and take their positions just as they were accustomed to do for battle, each general marshalling his own men...So they formed the line four deep, Menon and his troops occupying the right wing, Clearchus and his troops the left, and the other generals the centre........

Xenophon is clearly more interested in the place of the individual units in line than the depth. You are incorrectly linking the 4 ranks to the "positions", in my opinion. Its not "the four ranks they were accoustomed to for battle", it "the position in line that each contingent is accustomed to take, and they were in 4 ranks". Again, no evidence at all for their ever being in 8 ranks.