Army equipment and tactics

• Phalanx formation

  Infantry formation popular in Greece

  That have rows of fighters armed with spears and shields
• Testudo

  Formation used by roman soldiers

  Lock shields together in front and above to make a shell
• Advantage of testudo

  good for blocking projectiles

  soldiers can advance to close quarters
• loose formation

  soldiers are fighting nearby to one another

  but they are fighting individually

  not in strict formation
• outflank

  emery gets around to be able to attack form the side or back
• scouting

  going ahead of main army to gather info about enemy’s position
• Siege

  Tactic employed against forts or walled towns

  Army surround the defensive structure and wait for enemy to run out of supplies - force them to surrender
• artillery

  large scale devices for firing projectiles
• ballista

  crossbow, fire bolts with high accuracy
• onager

  single swinging arm, used for flinging rocks at enemy
• bullet

  stone used to fling
• battering ram

  device used to knock doors or weak walls
• siege tower

  structure used to scale enemy defences

  offered protection for soldiers as they got close climbing walls
• Greek hoplite clothing

  tunic - clothing - protect form chaffing against cuirass

  cuirass (breastplate) - bronze - protect chest from attack

  greaves (shin armour) - bronze - protect shins

  boots - protect from sharp objects
• What are the disadvantages of the cuirass

  It ends at the waist and leg is exposed

  This mean it is a common place for the wound to be exposed - legs will bleed

  Single piece - not flexible

  Heavy - cause exhaustion
• what are the Greek hoplite equipment

  helmet - bronze, sometimes with horsehair plume - protect head from blows

  shield- wood + bronze - leather thong for hand and used for defence + sometime

  2.5-3m spear - wood and bronze tip

  Sword - iron or bronze - used if spear is broken
• describe 2 types of Greek helmet

  Corinthian - usual style

  Horsehair plumes - common flourish to make them seem taller
• Greek spear used in detail

  • hoplite primary weapon
  • Keep infrantry at a distance
  • Butt on spear gave balance
• Diversity of equipment in the Athenian army

  30-50% afford hoplite panoply - expensive so sign of middle class

  The rest couldn’t fight in phalanx
• Hoplite equipmet and use

  30-50%

  E = hoplite Panoply

  Use = fight in phalanx formation
• Lightly armoured soldier - equipment and use

  50-70%

  e = everyday fighting, stones and slingshots

  use = harass enemy with projectiles, close quarter
• Cavalry - equipment - use

  very small number

  e = horse and spear

  u = attack phalanx and rear of enemy ,frightening hoplite soldiers, attack infrantry in loose formation

  carry messages quickly + scout ahead
• Prescribe source - bronze helmet of the corinthian type

  spoil of victory of argives against the corinthain, so arrives used it to dedicate for zeus
• Prescribed source - bronze hoplite figure

  In Sparta

  Made as offering to gods

  Would originally have a spear in his hand
• roman legionary clothes

  tunic

  Lorica segmentata (plate armour) - metal covered torso

  boots

  sporran (leather) - leather strips that protected groin
• Explain lorica segmentata

  • flexible, soldioer can twist his body
  • bands that held toghter was damaged a lot
• Roman legionary equipment

  Gladius - weapon used to fight in close quarters

  helmet (cassis) - bronze + horsehair plume

  sheild (scutum)

  spear (pilum) - wood with iron tip

  dagger - last resort

  pack of supplies
• Explain the roman helmet (cassis)

  one covering top of head + 2 covering cheeks - connected

  lighter than corinthian helmet

  horsehair plumes to intimidate
• Explain the roman shield (scutum) and why it was used?

  Curved - offered good protection in a range of angles

  had a metal knob in the middle - used to punch enemies
• Explain the roman spear(pilum)

  thrown like a javelin, intended to kill or injure frontline enemy

  tip designed to bend after being thrown, prevented enemy from picking it up and throwing it back
• Explain the roman infantry tactics

  when theyre close enough - legionaries throw their spears (pilum) at the enemy

  close quarter - fight in loose formation

  primary weapon was gladius + curved scutum used to defend soldier
• Explain the testudo formation

  tortoise

  shields locked together to from a wall

  formation move close to army so they can fight at close quarters
• greek vs roman spears

  greek = longer, used for stabbing

  roman = shorter, thrown
• greek vs roman shield

  greek = round, shield wall in phalanx, protect self

  roman = rectangular and curved, protect from all angles
• Greek vs roman armour

  greek = one piece curiass helmet, heavy and obscures vision + one piece cuirass, inflexible + greaves

  roman = segmented cuirass, flexible + segmented helmet, lighter and doesnt obscure vision + no greaves
• greek vs roman sword and formation

  greek = backup weapon + phalanx

  roman = primary weapon (stabbing) + loose formation
• Prescribed source = Bronze statuette of Legionary

  easy
• Why might a seige warfare be used

  Enemy would be defended by high walls and would make infantry battle impossible
• surround and starve - siege warfare

  surround the fortification so prevent anyone getting in and out

  food / water source would run put and they would be forced to surrender
• Over the walls using seige towers - siege warfare

  siege towers used to make scaling walls safer

  tower would be on wheels

  archers would stand at the top and fire