The Spartan hoplites organized themselves into a tight-packed phalanx that then relentlessly pushed forward behind this wall of bronze. There were many reasons for launching a military campaign.

Hoplite infantrymen were the military ideal ... They fought primarily in a phalanx, a tightly packed shield and spear formation that might be several ranks deep and many soldiers wide.

In battle, hoplites fought as a team. They lined up in ranks and locked their shields together with just their spears pointing over the top. This formation was known as a ‘phalanx’.

Seven deal with trends in land warfare in periods varying from several centuries to just a few decades (e.g. “Bronze Age and Homeric Warfare”, “The Hoplite Phalanx”, “The Rise of the Polis”, “Philip ...

In battle, hoplites fought as a team. They lined up in ranks and locked their shields together with just their spears pointing over the top. This formation was known as a ‘phalanx’.