He echoed the tactics of Epaminondas at Chaeronea, by not engaging his right wing against the Thebans until his left wing had routed the Athenians; thus in course outnumbering and outflanking the Thebans, and securing victory. gulf of corinth Which member of Spartan society best fits this statement: "Strict training was necessary to encourage military discipline and loyalty to Sparta." The fractious nature of Ancient Greek society seems to have made continuous conflict on this larger scale inevitable. Hypaspistès basilikos (GR): ‘royal shield-bearer’; elite soldier among the Macedonian infantry guard. Evolving from armed bands led by a warrior leader, city militia of part-time soldiers, providing their own equipment and perhaps including all the citizens of the city-state or polis, began to move warfare away from the control of private individuals and into the realm of the state. Following the eventual defeat of the Athenians in 404 BC, and the disbandment of the Athenian-dominated Delian League, Ancient Greece fell under the hegemony of Sparta. Palton (GR): javelin. Van Wees, Hans, "The Development of the Hoplite Phalanx: Iconography Reality in the Seventh Century," in Hans van Wees, War and Violence in Ancient Greece, London and Swansea: Duckworth and the Classical Press of Wales, 2000, pp. Doulos (GR): slave. Greece currently has universal compulsory Modern Military service for males, under which all men above 18 years of age serve for 9 months. Athanatoi (GR): ‘immortals’; nickname of the infantry guard corps of the Persian king which was always kept at its establishment strength of 10.000 men by direct substitution of losses among its complement. Certainly, by approximately 650 BC, as dated by the 'Chigi vase', the 'hoplite revolution' was complete. The word in question has an "eu-" prefix which simple means "good." Thalamios (GR): oarsman on lowest level of a trireme. Epikouros (GR): auxiliary. Men were also equipped with metal greaves and also a breastplate made of bronze, leather, or stiff cloth. Sphagia (GR): pre-battle sacrifice. Hyparchos (GR): officer. Keras (GR): wing. Tropaion (GR): trophy; commemorative victory sign erected to mark the turning of the tide of battle. Only when a Persian force managed to outflank them by means of a mountain track was the allied army overcome; but by then Leonidas had dismissed the majority of the troops, remaining with a rearguard of 300 Spartans (and perhaps 2000 other troops), in the process making one of history's great last stands. Nauarchos (GR): admiral. The persuasive qualities of the phalanx were probably its relative simplicity (allowing its use by a citizen militia), low fatality rate (important for small city-states), and relatively low cost (enough for each hoplite to provide his own equipment). Greek armies also included significant numbers of light infantry, the Psiloi, as support troops for the heavy hoplites, who also doubled as baggage handlers for the heavy foot. Basilikè ilè (GR): ‘royal wing’; Macedonian royal guard cavalry unit. Hazarapatish (PE): ‘commander of a thousand’; Persian officer. Pezakontistès (GR): infantry skirmisher; javelineer. There are a large number of religious festivals that were celebrated by the Greeks with great enthusiasm. Elephantos (GR): elephant. Lonchè (GR): spear; javelin. led to the rise of the city-states (Poleis). Naumachia (GR): sea battle. Sarissa (GR): pike; Macedonian heavy thrusting spear used by both mounted troops and infantry. Use the videos, media, reference materials, and other resources in this collection to teach about ancient Greece, its role in modern-day democracy, and civic engagement. Hoplites were armored infantrymen, armed with spears and shields, and the phalanx was a formation of these soldiers with their shields locked together and spears pointed forward. Parmè (GR): buckler; round shield. Dimoiria (GR): ‘two quarters’; half-file. To fight the enormous armies of the Achaemenid Empire was effectively beyond the capabilities of a single city-state. This was the first true engagement between a hoplite army and a non-Greek army. Es cheiras (GR): ‘at grips’; in close combat. Many city-states made their submission to him, but others did not, notably including Athens and Sparta. Mèlophoros (GR): ‘apple bearer’; a Persian guard using a round counterweight on the spear. Ektatos (GR): ‘someone outside the battle formation’; supernumerary officer or NCO. Military structure and methods in ancient Greece, The rise of Macedon and the end of the hoplite era, Learn how and when to remove this template message, the end of the distinctive hoplite battle in Ancient Greece, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ancient_Greek_warfare&oldid=995642132, Articles lacking in-text citations from February 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2013, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from February 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2010, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Euzonos (GR): light infantryman . Hamippos (GR): infantry skirmisher fighting mixed with the cavalry. They took their name from the capital city of their land, Mycenae. Hippotoxotès (GR): horse archer. If battle was refused by one side, it would retreat to the city, in which case the attackers generally had to content themselves with ravaging the countryside around, since the campaign season was too limited to attempt a siege. Katapeltaphetès (GR): (1) artilleryman; (2) artillery instructor. Hippikon (GR): cavalry. Following the defeat of the Athenians in 404 BC, and the disbandment of the Athenian-dominated,Ancient Greece fell under the Spartan hegemony. Tagos (GR): Thessalian commander-in-chief. Here are five of the ancient Greek battles that forever altered the course of human culture and progress: Greek Wars: The Battle of Marathon, 490 BC The Battle of Marathon, which took place during the first Persian invasion of Greece, was fought between the combined forces of Athens and Plataea against King Darius’ Persian army. Far from the previously limited and formalized form of conflict, the Peloponnesian War transformed into an all-out struggle between city-states, complete with atrocities on a large scale; shattering religious and cultural taboos, devastating vast swathes of countryside and destroying whole cities.[11]. The origins of the hoplite are obscure, and no small matter of contention amongst historians. Stratiootika (GR): (1) military affairs; (2) military service. Aspidiskè (GR): small shield. Hoplitès (GR): heavy armed soldier; hoplite. Ancient Greek military power. Answer: Sparta. The Athenians were at a significant disadvantage both strategically and tactically. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Himalayas. The military history of ancient Greece is the history of the wars and battles of the Greek people in Greece, the Balkans and the Greek colonies in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea prior to 400 AD. Tetrarchia (GR): unit of four files. Salpinx (GR): trumpet. This page was last edited on 22 December 2020, at 03:19. An Athenian army of c. 10,000 hoplites marched to meet the Persian army of about 25,000 troops[citation needed]. Teichos: wall. Arithmos (GR): ‘number’; military unit. Polemarchos (GR): senior officer. Ancient Greek Culture The culture of Ancient Greece consists of many traditions, religious practices, music, and foods. Stratopedeusis (GR): naval formation. The chigi vase, dated to around 650 BC, is the earliest depiction of a hoplite in full battle array. To fight the enormous armies of the Achaemenid Empire was effectively beyond the capabilities of a single city-state. Almost simultaneously, the allied fleet defeated the remnants of the Persian navy at Mycale, thus destroying the Persian hold on the islands of the Aegean. The timing had to be very carefully arranged so that the invaders' enemy's harvest would be disrupted but the invaders' harvest would not be affected. Metalepsis (GR): change of grip on a spear. One alternative to disrupting the harvest was to ravage the countryside by uprooting trees, burning houses and crops and killing all who were not safe behind the walls of the city. Aichmè (GR): javelin. Tensions resulting from this, and the rise of Athens and Sparta as pre-eminent powers during the war led directly to the Peloponnesian War, which saw further development of the nature of warfare, strategy and tactics. Zooiarchos (GR): elephant commander. Kataphraktos (GR): armoured soldier. If a hoplite escaped, he would sometimes be forced to drop his cumbersome aspis, thereby disgracing himself to his friends and family. Parapleuridion (GR): armoured horse trapping. Hodkinson, Stephen, "Warfare, Wealth, and the Crisis of Spartiate Society," in John Rich and Graham Shipley, (eds. [10] This gave the Athenian army a small window of opportunity to attack the remainder of the Persian Army. Syssitios (GR): ‘dining companion’; Spartan member of military mess association. Click to go to the page with all the answers to Mystic words July 3 2017. Antilabè (GR): grip of a shield. To this end, the Greeks were able to lure the Persian fleet into the straits of Salamis; and, in a battleground where Persian numbers again counted for nothing, they won a decisive victory, justifying Themistocles' decision to build the Athenian fleet. Melas zoomos (GR): ‘black soup’; infamous Spartan blood broth. Militaris cibus: military food. Raising such a large army had denuded Athens of defenders, and thus any attack in the Athenian rear would cut off the Army from the City. The phalanx formed the core of ancient Greek militaries. Syntagmatarchès (GR): batallion commander. Milex: soldier. Hypotaxis (GR): array behind main battle line. Anderson, J. K., Ancient Greek Horsemanship, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1961. Soomatophylax (GR): ‘body guard’; (1) elite Macedonian infantry guard; (2) senior Macedonian general. This inevitably reduced the potential duration of campaigns, as citizens would need to return to their professions (especially in the case of farmers). Chiliarchès (GR): ‘commander of thousand’; officer. Dory (GR): spear. Persia switched sides, which ended the war, in return for the cities of Ionia and Spartan non-interference in Asia Minor. It could throw 300 pound stones at walls and buildings Greek Military This is a hoplite, a Greek infantry soldier. Asthippos (GR): ‘city cavalryman’; title borne by some Macedonian mounted troops. Hèmithoorakion (GR): ‘half-armour’; body armour covering the breast only. Best, Jan G. P., Thracian Peltasts and their Influence on the Greek Warfare, Groningen: Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969. The eventual triumph of the Greeks was achieved by alliances of many city-states, on a scale never seen before. More importantly, it permitted the formation of a shield-wall by an army, an impenetrable mass of men and shields. The Macedonian phalanx was a supreme defensive formation, but was not intended to be decisive offensively; instead, it was used to pin down the enemy infantry, whilst more mobile forces (such as cavalry) outflanked them. These changes greatly increased the number of casualties and the disruption of Greek society. [6] Once one of the lines broke, the troops would generally flee from the field, chased by peltasts or light cavalry if available. Kestrosphendonè (GR): special type of bolt used by slingers as a short range missile. Belos (GR): missile. Triboon (GR): Spartan cloak. [3] The opposing sides would collide viciously, possibly terrifying many of the hoplites of the front row. Now it’s time to pass on to the other puzzles. [citation needed] The Persians had acquired a reputation for invincibility, but the Athenian hoplites proved crushingly superior in the ensuing infantry battle. The two phalanxes would smash into each other in hopes of quickly breaking the enemy force's line. 146–176. The second phase, an Athenian expedition to attack Syracuse in Sicily achieved no tangible result other than a large loss of Athenian ships and men. Ilè basilikè (GR): 'royal squadron'; elite unit of Macedonian hetairoi (GR) cavalry, possibly of larger size than other ilai (GR). Strateuma (GR): military campaign. Mitrè (GR): abdominal armour. At the Battle of Mantinea, the largest battle ever fought between the Greek city-states occurred; most states were represented on one side or the other. Agèma toon hypaspistoon (GR): 'leading part of the shieldbearers'; elite unit of Macedonian royal foot guard. Kopis (GR): slashing sword; falchion. Kyrtè phalanx (GR): convex battle-order. Athens in fact partially recovered from this setback between 410–406 BC, but a further act of economic war finally forced her defeat. The Delian League (hereafter 'Athenians') were primarily a naval power, whereas the Peloponnesian League (hereafter 'Spartans') consisted of primarily land-based powers. Sitèresion (GR): ration allowance. The remaining Athenian fleet was thereby forced to confront the Spartans, and were decisively defeated. Van Wees, Hans, Greek Warfare: Myths and Realities, London: Duckworth, 2005. Misthophoros (GR): mercenary. Agrianos (GR): elite light infantryman. Peltastès (GR): shieldbearing javelineer. Traditionally, this has been dated to the 8th century BC, and attributed to Sparta; but more recent views suggest a later date, towards the 7th century BC[citation needed]. The second major challenge Sparta faced was fatal to its hegemony, and even to its position as a first-rate power in Greece. With revolutionary tactics, King Phillip II brought most of Greece under his sway, paving the way for the conquest of "the known world" by his son Alexander the Great. Amphippos (GR): cavalryman with two mounts. This puzzle was found on Daily pack. Nevertheless, it was an important innovation, one which was developed much further in later conflicts. Telamoon: carrying strap. Kardax (GR): either 'warrior' or 'household soldier'; Persian mercenary soldier. Hypozygion (GR): pack animal. [2] The Phalanx also became a source of political influence because men had to provide their own equipment to be a part of the army. Ilarchès (GR): ‘wing commander’; cavalry officer. Bc, and replaced the Spartan hegemony with a stalemate punctuated with Minor engagements,. As hoplites because of the city-states of southern Greece were too weak to resist this.. 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