The Greek Middle Ages: c. 1125 - c.700 BC
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Hoplite tactics
The early Greek army was based on the aristocrat and his "phatry" - that is, those people attached to his family by clan ties. At some stage this unit was replaced by the citizen hoplite; defence required the participation of all able-bodied men capable of equipping themselves as hoplites. The hoplite phalanx was usually eight men deep and success in battle depended on the weight and cohesion of the line; thus the predominance of the aristocrat in military affairs was much reduced. Most scholars believe that a principle cause of the rise of tyrants was the change in military tactics at this time - with hoplite infantry replacing aristocratic champions. However, there is considerable debate about this. For example, Snodgrass believes that the innovation of hoplite tactics took place over the course of a century, from c.750 to c.650 BC, that there was a considerable transition period, and that rather than hoplite citizens bringing about tyrannies, the tyrants themselves were responsible for the introduction of hoplite tactics. Vase paintings depict the hoplite phalanx from the middle of the C7th. The first vase to depict a hoplite-like formation is the Chigi vase of 660 - 650 BC. On the other hand Cartledge and Salmon advocate the view that there was a decisive period of change between 700 and 675 BC, particularly with the invention of the hoplite shield and Corinthian helmet. The shield as two grips and is suitable only for use in a infantry phalanx, being less maneuverable than the single grip type associated with the heroic age. By 675 BC this shield was in wide use, arguing for a decisive introduction of hoplite tactics around 700 BC. Likewise, the Corinthian helmet was made from a single sheet of bronze and was suitable for withstanding a frontal assault but had restricted side vision. This argues strongly in favour of the theory that hoplite tactics were introduced prior to 700 BC. However, a third view is advanced by Morris who claims that there was no revolution in tactics at all and that the phalanx or something like it was in use as early as the heroic age. Support for the theory that the change in military tactics brought about a new political situation comes from Aristotle, who in his Politics comments "the class that does the fighting for the state wields the supreme power in this constitution, and those who bear arms have a share in its government." He also in another passage refers to the population increase of the period as another cause of the change in government.
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Contents of
The Greek Middle Ages: c. 1125 - c.700 BC
1 Population growth and land hunger
2 Economic expansion and the rising "middle class"
3 Cultural developments in Greece during the period of tyrannies
4 Hoplite tactics
5 Factional politics
6 Ethnic tensions
7 The downfall of tyrants in archaic Greece
8 The Dorian and Ionic migrations
9 The Dorians
10 Greek Dark age
11 The Greek City States
12 Greek colonization of the C8th BC
13 Greek colonization of the Aegean and East
14 Greek settlers in the Euxine
15 Causes of the Greek colonization
16 Archaeological evidence for Greek population expansion in C8th BC
17 Foundation of Cyrene
18 Corcyra
19 Olbia
20 The Lelantine war
21 Relations with Egypt
22 Greek Culture during the Greek Middle Ages
23 Introduction of phonetic script
24 Homer
25 Hesiod
26 Foundation of the Olympic Games
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