Peltast

Homers’ epic, the Iliad, is the earliest written account of Greek warfare composed circa 750 BC. In his epic, Homer describes a style of warfare that, at first glance, appears to be alien to hoplite warfare that was present in the 5th-century BC. However, there is literary evidence in the Iliad that might contest that. Additionally, recent archaeological discoveries reinforce the idea that hoplite warfare may not be as clear cut as convention suggests. While Homeric and hoplite warfare may not be the exact same, they may not be exact opposites either. Furthermore, there is a widely-accepted idea that the emergence of hoplite warfare signifies the development of political and social rights, commonly referred to as the “hoplite revolution.” Contrary to this belief, there is evidence to support that the hoplite emerges earlier than tradition tells us, suggesting that hoplite warfare is not synonymous with political rights and an emerging middle class While there are disagreements on origin, there is a consensus as to what Classical hoplites fought like in the 5th-century BC. These hoplites have a distinct set of tactics and armaments, the panoply, that are essential to the idea of the hoplite. The basics of the panoply include grieves, a helmet, a breastplate, spears, and a sword (Hanson, 2002, pp. 63). Thrusting spears were the primary offensive weapon of combat, averaging about 1.8 to 2.4 meters long and (usually) tipped with an iron, leaf-shaped spearhead (Schwartz, 2009, pp…

hoplite. His complete set of arms or suit of armor was a long spear, short sword, and circular bronze shield and he was also protected, if he could afford it, by a bronze helmet, bronze breastplate, greaves for the legs, and ankle guards. Because the soldiers had to bring their own armor and weapons in some city-states they had to pay for their equipment and sometimes couldn’t afford all of it. Fighting was at close-quarters, bloody, and lethal. This type of warfare was the perfect opportunity…