Talk:Ancient Greek warfare

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[edit] Missile Troops VERY IMPORTANT in Ancient Greece

The hoplites were used to 'hold the line', but an awful lot of the damage done to the enemy came from the 'light troops'. If you read Thucydides, the number of light troops was often the same or more than the heavy troops. He praises the light troops as particularly effective in combat, since they are more mobile than the hoplites and can do damage at a distance. We must at all costs NOT let Hollywood get in the way of real historical understanding. Light troops included archers, slingers, stone-throwers and peltasts. Peltasts were soldiers equipped with several javelins and a light shield to deflect missiles. You will find these troops often played the decisive role in battles, if you read the original sources. 24.215.32.42Kozushi

[edit] At Close Range Hoplites Used Swords not Spears

When the hoplites smashed into each other, the front lines used their short swords to stab and hack the enemy, while trying to knock them down with their shields. Spears are too long to use if you are in the front line. Second and third lines would use their spears overhand to stab at the enemy's faces over their shields, since their swords are too short to reach the enemy. It was the same case with the Macedonian Phalanx.Kozushi

[edit] Roman Improvements Subtle

The Romans made many small changes in hoplite warfare. One of them seems to have been to give every heavy infantryman two throwing spears, to enable missiles to be discharged very close to the enemy, almost upon contact, closer than light troops could discharge them, since light troops had to keep a safe distance away. The Roman shield was longer, and they relied on missile support rather than spear jabbing from the second and third (and further back) lines, according to Vegetius and others. Jabbing spears were left for 'auxiliaries' who were, essentially, more cheaply equipped: their spears being kept for jabbing, and not thrown away. Kozushi—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Kozushi (talk • contribs) 04:16, 17 January 2007 (UTC).