What does the word hoplites mean?
heavily armed infantry soldier
: a heavily armed infantry soldier of ancient Greece.
Why is hoplite important in history?
Ancient Greek hoplite soldiers performed an important function in society and they helped shaped the effectiveness of the Ancient Greek armies. They also played a political role because without them, the army would not be effective and would not enable the armies to protect their lands.
What did hoplites do?
Hoplite, heavily armed ancient Greek foot soldier whose function was to fight in close formation. Until his appearance, probably in the late 8th century bce, individual combat predominated in warfare.
How were hoplites in Athens used?
Fighting formation The backbone of the Greek army was the ‘hoplite’. He was a foot soldier, who fought with a long spear and used a large round shield for protection. They lined up in ranks and locked their shields together with just their spears pointing over the top.
Who won the Persian war?
the Greeks
Though the outcome of battles seemed to tip in Persia’s favor (such as the famed battle at Thermopylae where a limited number of Spartans managed to wage an impressive stand against the Persians), the Greeks won the war. There are two factors that helped the Greeks defeat the Persian Empire.
How many helots were in Sparta?
The total population of helots at that time, including women, is estimated as 170,000–224,000. Since the helot population was not technically chattel, their population was reliant on native birth rates, as opposed to prisoners of war or purchased slaves.
How many hoplites did Athens have?
Citizens were precious. We know that Athens, for example, was able to put eight thousand men into the field for Plataia in 479 (Hdt., IX, 28), with perhaps one thousand more at Marathon in 490, but she still had only thirteen thousand hoplites in 431 (Thuc, II, 13).
What did hoplites look like?
The hoplite carried a large circular shield (hoplon or aspis) some 80 cm (30 in.) in diameter and weighing as much as 8 kg. This was made of wood or stiff leather, faced with bronze, and was held with the left arm placed through a central band (porpax) and gripped via a strap (antilabe) attached to the shield rim.
Why are hoplites called hoplites?
The word hoplite (Greek: ὁπλίτης hoplitēs; pl. ὁπλῖται hoplitai) derives from hoplon (ὅπλον, plural hopla ὅπλα), referring to the hoplite’s shield. In the modern Hellenic Army, the word hoplite (Greek: oπλίτης) is used to refer to an infantryman.
Did Persia conquer Sparta?
The Persian forces stayed primarily on land, which made Sparta safer than other Greek cities for a period of time, because the Persians would have to take to the sea in order to conquer them.
Did Athens have helots?
Unlike the slaves in Athens, helots had families and communities of their own, and they were no private property.
What was the role of the hoplite in ancient Greece?
For other uses, see Hoplite (disambiguation). A Greek hoplite. Hoplites ( HOP-lytes) ( Ancient Greek: ὁπλίτης) were citizen-soldiers of Ancient Greek city-states who were primarily armed with spears and shields. Hoplite soldiers utilized the phalanx formation to be effective in war with fewer soldiers.
What is the meaning of the word hoplite?
Definition of hoplite. : a heavily armed infantry soldier of ancient Greece.
What was the phalanx formation of the hoplites?
Phalanx battles often degenerated into a pushing match, with the deeper army usually victorious. The strengths of the phalanx formation were offset by inevitable weaknesses. Hoplites were disciplined and moved in unison with their fellow soldiers.
Why did the hoplites carry shields on their left arm?
The hoplites’ most prominent citizens and generals led from the front. Thus, the war could be decided by a single battle. Victory was enforced by ransoming the fallen back to the defeated, called the “Custom of the Greeks”. Individual hoplites carried their shields on their left arm, protecting themselves and the soldier to the left.
