Hoplites and heresies

A. J. Holladay has effectively reasserted the traditional view of the hoplite phalanx—that it was a dense mass of men, relying on the weight and cohesion of the whole rather than on the prowess of individuals in order to break the enemy's line. Further evidence in his support is provided by Plato's Laches , where Nicias is made to praise the art of fighting (that is, single combat) in hoplite armour, as a fitting part of a liberal education. But when it comes to its utility in warfare he is less enthusiastic. ‘This science will help somewhat even on the actual battlefield, whenever one has to fight ranged in order with many others. But its chief benefit will be when the ranks are broken, and one has to fight singlehanded against a single adversary, and either, in pursuit, attack someone who is defending himself, or else, in retreat, protect oneself from the attack of another.’ Nicias clearly has in mind a situation like that from which Socrates extracted himself so handsomely at the Battle of Delium, as the speakers in the dialogue have just recalled; though Socrates of course made his retreat without benefit of the newfangled art of fencing.

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• The Psychology of the Athenian Hoplite

  Open Access•Jason Crowley•Psychology of the Athenian Hoplite•2012

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• Sources and their uses

  Open Access•Simon Hornblower•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Alexander the Great Part 2

  Open Access•A B Bosworth•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Macedonian hegemony created

  Open Access•J R Ellis, John Ellis•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• The polis and the alternatives

  Open Access•P J Rhodes•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Sparta as victor

  Open Access•D M Lewis•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Greek art

  Open Access•J J Pollitt•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Sicily, 413–368 B.C.

  Open Access•D M Lewis•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Carthage from the battle at Himera to Agathocles' invasion (480–308 B.C.)

  Open Access•Gilbert Ch Picard•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• The King's Peace and the Second Athenian Confederacy

  Open Access•Robin Seager•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Illyrians and North-west Greeks

  Open Access•N G L Hammond, Ν G L Hammond•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Cyprus and Phoenicia

  Open Access•F G Maier, Fabian Maier•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Dion and Timoleon

  Open Access•H D Westlake•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Alexander the Great Part 1

  Open Access•A B Bosworth•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• South Italy in the fourth century B.C.

  Open Access•Nicholas Purcell•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• The Corinthian War

  Open Access•Robin Seager•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1994

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• Society and Economy

  Open Access•J K Davies•The Cambridge Ancient History…•1992

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• Warfare in ancient literature

  Open Access•Simon Hornblower•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• Military forces

  Open Access•Peter Hunt•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• Battle

  Open Access•Philip Sabin, Philip de Souza•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• Warfare and the state

  Open Access•Vincent Gabrielsen•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• Reconstructing ancient warfare

  Open Access•Michael Whitby•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• Military forces

  Open Access•Nicholas Sekunda, Philip de Souza•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• War and society

  Open Access•Hans Van Wees•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• Warfare and the state

  Open Access•John Serrati•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• War

  Open Access•Jonathan Roth, Jonathan P Roth•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• International relations

  Open Access•Richard A Billows, Richard Billows•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• International relations

  Open Access•Jonathan M Hall, Jonathan Μ Hall•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• Battle

  Open Access•Everett L Wheeler, Barry Strauss•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• War

  Open Access•Peter Krentz•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• The modern historiography of ancient warfare

  Open Access•Victor Davis Hanson•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• War and society

  Open Access•J E Lendon•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Warfare

  Open Access•Philip A G Sabin, Philip Sabin et al.•The Cambridge History of Greek…•1920

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• Orthodoxy and Hopiltes

  Open Access•G L Cawkwel•The Classical Quarterly•1989

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• O escudo grego

  Open Access•Patrícia Boreggio Do Valle Pontin•2007

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• Reinstating the Hoplite

  Matthew Trundle•Mouseion Journal of the Classical…•2010

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• Roman military equipment in the 4th century BC

  Open Access•Juliusz Tomczak•Acta Universitatis Lodziensis…•2012

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• Military Theory and Practice in the Age of Xenophon

  J K Anderson•Military Theory and Practice in…•1970

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