History: hoplites

A military system utilized by the Greeks, 800 - 700 BCE. Hoplites were heavily armed infantry men who wore bronze or leather helmets, breast plates, and greaves or shin-guards. Hoplites carried round shields, short swords, and a long spear, about 9 feet in length. Hoplites are known to have used a rectangular formation, known as a phalanx, in battle.