Hoplites
Introduction
Hoplites, or heavy infantryman were generally Greek citizen-soldiers of the first millenium BC. Each man provided his own equipment and serving when necessary in defense of his city. Hoplites fought in a phalanx, a dense line of spearmen six or more ranks deep. Each was armed with the large round shield (which we now incorrectly call the hoplon), a spear, and a sword, and typically wore a helmet, body armor, and greaves. They are normally associated with Sparta and Thermopylae
The hoplite phalanx was designed to create a wall of soldiers that was intended to break enemy lines quickly. The formation was made by crowding soldiers in lines of tight ranks. Shields would be locked together and spear tips would project passed the first rank of soldiers. The man to the left would be protected by the shield of the soldier to his right and so. This would protect every man in the phalanx, except for those on the rightmost end. He was the guide and he usually guided the formation to the right to avoid being flanked by the enemy formation The soldiers to the right were also usually the strongest and most veteran fighters. The phalanx would consist of several ranks of soldiers usually 8 deep in classical times, to 16 deep in the Macedonian phalanx. These formations would meet on the field and would begin with loud chanting. The phalanx would rush their opponent in a pace that was quick, but not too fast as to break the formation and reduce the cohesion between ranks. The opposing formations would usually meet with a crash of shields and spears against each other, in an attempt to break the opponents ranks.
A good example of the Hoplite phalanx can be found in this clip from the movie 300
