Table of Contents
Are Spartans and hoplites the same?
Sparta is one of the most famous city-states, along with Athens, which had a unique position in ancient Greece. Contrary to other city states, the free citizens of Sparta served as hoplites their entire lives, training and exercising in peacetime, which gave Sparta a professional standing army.
How good were Spartan hoplites?
Generally yes, the Spartans were the most elite land force in Greece c. 500 BC. They employed heavy armor, the effective hoplite phalanx, and the agoge system transformed them into warriors from the age of 7. However, they never really developed an excellent navy.
What equipment did the hoplites use?
Weapons & Armour The principal weapons of a hoplite infantryman were a long ash wood spear (doru) and a short sword (xiphos). The spear measured on average 2.5 metres (8 ft.) in length and was fitted with a bronze or iron blade and a four-sided end spike (sauroter).
What is a hoplon in Sparta?
An aspis (Ancient Greek: ἀσπίς, plural aspides, ἀσπίδες), sometimes also referred to as a hoplon (Greek: ὅπλον), was the heavy wooden shield used by the infantry in various periods of ancient Greece.
What did Spartan hoplites look like?
Spartan hoplites were often depicted bearing a transverse horsehair crest on their helmet, which was possibly used to identify officers. During the Archaic period, Spartans were armored with flanged bronze cuirasses, leg greaves, and a helmet, often of the Corinthian type.
What is a Spartan phalanx?
The phalanx (Ancient Greek: φάλαγξ; plural phalanxes or phalanges, φάλαγγες, phalanges) was a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar pole weapons.
How many men are in a Spartan phalanx?
During the 7th century bc the Greek city-states adopted a phalanx eight men deep.