specifics in Spear fighting combat

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

A bit later he uses again the same form:They're about to cross a river to pass in Armenia.Kheirisophos takes half the army with him and Xenophon stays in the other side of the river against the Karduchs.
"...και αυτός πρώτος Χειρίσοφος στεφανωσάμενος και αποδύς ελάμβανε τα όπλα και τοις άλοις πάσι παρήγγελλε, και τους λοχαγούς εκέλευεν άγειν τους λόχους ορθίους,τους μεν εν αριστερά τους ΄δ'εν δεξιά αυτού."¨

"...and firt Kheirisophos himself,with a wreath on his head,and taking off his clothes he was tacking his arms,and he called everyone to do the same,and the lochagoi he ordered to lead their lochoi one after the other,half of them in his left and half in his right."

Here it's clear that "orthiois" means one after the other,in a marching column,as the place where they were able to cross the river was narrow,everywhere else the river was too deep. So in the previous occasion they charched in a marching column,probably to present a narrower face against the Karduchian missiles,but would probably form the battle line once they were about to come in contact with them. Of cource they knew the Karduchoi never stayed to fight hand to hand.

And just a bit later,when Kheirisophos has safely passed,Xenophon turnes to face the Karduchoi. Here he's about to fight in a plain,and though we're not told of any depth,there is an interesting maneuver described.

"Ξενοφών δε στρέψας προς τους Καρδούχους αντία τα όπλα έθετο, και παρήγγειλε τους λοχαγούς κατ'ενομοτίας ποιήσασθε έκαστον τον εαυτού λόχον,παρ'ασπίδα παραγαγόντας την ενομοτίαν επί φάλαγγος¨και τους μεν λοχαγούς και τους ενωμοτάρχους προς των Καρδούχων ιέναι,ουραγούς δε καταστήσασθε προς του ποταμού.[...] τοις δε παρ'ευτού παρήγγειλεν, επειδάν σφενδόνην εξικνήται και ασπίς ψοφή,παιανίσαντες θειν εις τους πολεμίους,επειδάν δ'αναστρέψωσιν οι πολέμιοι και εκ του ποταμού ο σαλπιγκτής σημήνη το πολεμικόν,αναστρλεψαντας επι δόρυ ηγείσθαι μεν τους ουραγούς,θειν δε πάντας και διαβαίνειν ότι ταχιστα ή έκαστος την τάξιν είχεν,ως μη εμποδίζειν αλλήλους."

"Xenophon turning,oposed the weapons to the Karduchians, and called the lochagoi to form each his lochos by enomotia,leading the enomotiae to the left(par'aspida) to form the phalanx' and the lochagoi and enomotarchs looking to the Kardouchians,the ouragoi staning to the side of the river. [...] he ordered his men,when the sling shots start reaching them and they sound on their shields,singing their paian start running to the enemy,and when the enemy turns and the trumpetere from the river sounds,to turn to the right(epi dory),the ouragoi leading,everybody running to cross the river as quickly as he could,in an order as noone empeding the other."

Khairete
Giannis