Hoplite shield world history definition professional#

Most of the freeborn men of a polis were considered as politai or citizens. Yet, by the beginning of the 6th century BCE it was not only the equipment of warfare that was changing, but also the nature of the polis. In order to ensure the succession of power of their throne and exert their own military prowess, tyrants relied upon a trusted cohort of family, friends and political supporters who provided a retinue of well-equipped fighting men. Ĭlosely related to the preeminence of proto-hoplites of the Early Archaic Period the formation of poleis by autocratic tyrants (from the Greek tyrannos meaning ‘ruler’). For instance, artistic representations of archers intermixed with hoplites dated to the late 6th century BCE were found at Athens. The exact point of transitions from warrior to hoplite is unclear, but from the adoption of the hoplite panoply in the late 8th century BCE to the widespread adoption of the phalanx by the 5th century BCE, visible permutations of battle formations did occur. ĭetail section of the Chigi-vase, a Protocorinthian olpe c. , In addition, each of these proto-hoplites carried a thrusting spear and possibly 1-2 lighter javelins. Strong archaeological evidence- as well as the writings of Herodotus would suggest the double-handled hoplon shield was originally of Carian design, replacing the large shield strap ( telamon) commonly associated with earlier Greek shields. Unlike the warriors of the Late Geometric Period, these heavily armed proto-hoplites wore armor fashioned from bronze on their heads, torso and lower legs (in the form of greaves). One of the most striking depictions of these developments appears on the Chigi Vase (dated to c. Sometime around 750-700 BCE we see the adoption of new equipment throughout Greece which successively lead to the implementation of heavily armored spearmen.

Regardless of these forces in opposition, evolution would win out, and the hoplite of the early 7th century BCE would be markedly different warrior than its progeny of the late 4th century BCE. At odds with innovation was a deeply-seeded warrior ethos within Greek society. While the transformation of the hoplitic system was by no means rapid, the cumulative effect of incremental adaptation(s) is nonetheless significant. To the casual observer, the weapons, armor and tactics of this period ( hoplitic warfare) can appear static and non-malleable. These citizen-soldiers, known as hoplites because the shield which they bore, dominated warfare in Greece and to a lesser extent Magna Graecia and Anatolia for nearly four centuries. Confronted with the need to provide for their security and defense, these evolving poleis typically adopted a system which required military service from their adult male citizenry.

Hoplite shield world history definition professional#

These independent and self-governing communities generally lacked the ability to maintain and/or support a professional army. From the shadows of the Geometric Dark Age and through the later half of the 7th century BCE numerous Greek poleis (city-states) were founded.

For additional, see From Warrior to Raiders (Dec. Were the weapons and tactics utilized by Ancient Greek hoplites static or dynamic, conservative or innovative?įollowing the collapse of the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations the nature of warfare within Greece changed dramatically: large armies had been transformed into bands of ship-borne raiders.