hoplite

hoplite , heavy infantry soldier in the armies of classical Greece. Hoplites were usually protected by helmets, cuirasses, and leg armor. They carried large shields, javelins, heavy swords, and sometimes battle-axes and fought in the tightly organized phalanx formation. In classical Greece, hoplites were often citizens of city-states, who paid for their weaponry as a duty of citizenship. Among the most famous hoplites was Socrates , who fought for Athens during the Peloponnesian War .

hoplite A citizen-soldier of the cities of ancient Greece. Each man had to provide his own formidable armour (Greek, hopla) – 2.7-m (9-feet) spear, short sword, large round shield, breastplate, and greaves (shin-pads). They fought in the close-packed phalanx formation, and were extremely effective when operating in the plains of Greece. However, over rough terrain they were vulnerable to fast-moving light infantry. The professional hoplites of SPARTA were pre-eminent in classical times until their defeat by the Thebans in 371 BC.