Greek Military History

1
Greek Military History

• The Rise of Heavy Infantry

2
Pre-History

• Trojan War
• Dorian Invasions

3
Early Military History

• Until about 500 BC, Sparta had been considered
  the head of Greece
• 499 BC
• Athens sends help to Greek city-states in Asia
  Minor that are fighting for independence from the
  Persian Empire
• City-states are defeated by the Persians
• Persia decides to seek revenge on the Greeks

4
Phalanx

• Hoplites would line up in ranks, usually no less
  than four deep, in very close order
• Hoplites would lock their shields together
• First few ranks of soldiers would project their
  spears out over the first rank of shields
• The phalanx was essentially a formation in which
  the hoplites created a mass spear and shield wall
• Effectiveness of the phalanx depended upon how
  well the hoplites could maintain this formation
  while in combat

5
Phalanx

• Survival on the battlefield depended on the
  phalanx maintaining its integrity as a unit
• When nearing the enemy, the phalanx would break
  into a run
• Sufficient enough to create momentum but not too
  much as to lose cohesion
• Both sides would collide viciously, breaking many
  of the spears of the front row
• Battle would then rely on the valor of the men in
  the front line and the rear men to maintain a
  push forward with their shields

6
Phalanx

• Natural tendency during battle would be to drift
  towards the right side
• This is because the individual hoplites carried
  their shields on their left arm, protecting not
  themselves but the soldier to the left
• Battles were won when the exposed right side
  (carrying spears) could overpower the opposing
  army's left side (carrying shields).
• Whole formation would consistently press forward
  trying to break the enemy formation
• The struggle essentially became a pushing match
• The deeper phalanx would almost always win

7
Typical Battle Tactics
8
First Persian Invasion

• 490 BC
• Led by Darius
• Battle of Marathon
• Mainly Athenian force confronts the Persians
• Miltiades
• Athenian commander
• Total victory for the Athenians
• Pheidippides

9
Second Persian Invasion

• Thermopylae
• Fight actually led by Sparta
• Greeks defeated
• Salamis
• Sea battle led by Athens
• Greeks victorious
• Plataea
• Spartan led Greek army victorious

10
Peloponneisan War

• Struggle between Athens and Sparta
• Struggle for supremacy in Ancient Greece
• Other city-states allied with either Athens or
  Sparta
• 431 404 BC
• Final battle
• Siege of Syracuse