. . . a Phalanx .
It is believed that the Macedonian civilization first used the military formation known as the plalanx. The armies of Alexander the Great used this formation and later on the Greek city states and kingdoms that resulted from the death of Alexander also used the phalanx. Certainly by the early 8th century BC BCE ancient pottery displays the hoplite phalanx. By the 7th century BC BCE it was in use by Greek city states and it was likely spread into the Greek colonies in the southern part of the Italian peninsula. Sometime in 6th century BC BCE it was used by the ancient Roman republic.This often successful formation was also used by Hannibal in the Second Punic War.The early Romans found that the phalanx was slow to move in bad terrain and lacked a certain amount of flexibility. The Roman legion infantry formation made the phalanx obsolete as far as the Romans were concerned.
About 500 to 600 people were in a Phalanx.
A phalanx was a type of Greek squad of soldiers. Each soldier carried a round shield and a spear. The phalanx was a square of soldiers. Phalanxes were extremely vulnerable from attack on the flanks and rear. They were used mostly to break the front of an army. Since each soldier carried roughly fifty extra pounds of weight in armor and weapons, the phalanx moved slowly. They could also not pursue enemy troops if they decided to flee. They walked towards the enemy soldiers and just before impact starting running, giving some momentum to their charge. If a soldier in the front line fell, ones in the back pressed forward and took their place. It was advantageous for a phalanx to attack from high ground, which lent more momentum to a charge. Soldiers were called Hoplite.
This is a 'how long is a piece of string' question - over a period of 1,000 years they changed dramatically.From the 8th Century BCE depicted by Homer, of charioteers fighting in and out of the protection of a shield wall of infantry, it developed into a shield wall of armoured infantry (hoplites) using spears with a few cavalry protecting the flanks and light infantry with bows, javelins and rocks, changing then to the phalanx of massed pikemen with light infantry protection, and then to Alexander's use of a combination of cavalry and phalanx with light infantry covering the gaps between the two.An innovation apperared in the 390s BCE when a Spartan hoplite battalion was defeated outside Corinth by Athen's hired Thracian peltasts (light infantry), though that was partly bad tactics on the part of the Spartans who used their cavalry to protect their flanks rather than to run down the peltasts when they ran from the phalanx. However that led to Alexander's adaption of using cavalry with light infantry to bridge the gap between the cavalry and the flanks of the phalanx.The phalanx was eventually overcome in the early 2nd Century BCE by Roman open-formation fighting and maoeuvering, which nullified the apparently rock-solid human-fortress concept. Attempts to reintroduce chariots against the Romans also failed, as did elephants as the Romans had learnt to handle these from their wars with Carthage.
A massed fighting formation of armoured infantry.
phalanx
. . . a Phalanx .
. . . a Phalanx .
Flat land allowed it to keep close formation and change its frontal direction easily, however that also favoured enemy cavalry, so the phalanx needed its own cavalry support to protect it, and also th stop enemy light infantry from attacking from all sides.
Their battle formation - the phalanx was a massed formation which broke less cohesive ranks. Their spears were twice as long as other Greek spears which added to the phalanx's power.
Ancient Rome had originally fought as part of a phalanx similar to the Greek version. A evolution of change began when the Roams found out at the River Allia, this formation could be subject to an envelope tactic which enabled the attackers to penetrate the Roman flanks. In time the phalanx was therefore discarded into the legion.
Greek soldiers were commonly known as hoplites in ancient Greece. These soldiers were heavily armed infantry soldiers who fought in a phalanx formation. Some well-known Greek warriors include Spartan warriors, known for their disciplined and fearless fighting style.
The Phalanx was a massive formation of heavily armed foot soldiers. This required long hours of drill. Shared training created a strong sense of unity among citizen- soldiers.
It is believed that the Macedonian civilization first used the military formation known as the plalanx. The armies of Alexander the Great used this formation and later on the Greek city states and kingdoms that resulted from the death of Alexander also used the phalanx. Certainly by the early 8th century BC BCE ancient pottery displays the hoplite phalanx. By the 7th century BC BCE it was in use by Greek city states and it was likely spread into the Greek colonies in the southern part of the Italian peninsula. Sometime in 6th century BC BCE it was used by the ancient Roman republic.This often successful formation was also used by Hannibal in the Second Punic War.The early Romans found that the phalanx was slow to move in bad terrain and lacked a certain amount of flexibility. The Roman legion infantry formation made the phalanx obsolete as far as the Romans were concerned.
Usually, battles were fought by phalanxes, formations of men armed with spears lined up to create a wall of spears. One side of either phalanx would be routed(flee) by cavaly or the other phalanx breaking through. google "phalanx formation" In the end after a rout cavaly or light infantry would pursue the enemy and harrass them when they fled.
They were called phalanx, often called greekers.