Ancient Greek Military Logistics and Tactics

Phalanxes were an important military tactic for the Greek army. The purpose of a phalanx is a common misconception as it is not used to kill the most enemies, but rather to destroy the morale of the enemy so much so that they would flee. In a phalanx, the goal is to hold the best ground instead of killing the most enemies. In fact, soldiers who gave up their position in order to kill more of the enemy were demoted and bullied because they jeopardized the safety and unity of the whole formation. In a way, this gives the phalanx a domino type of structure so that if one falls, they all fall. In the formation ranging from four to eight rows deep, the Greek phalanxes had the advantage over Persian phalanxes. The Greek shields were composed of bronze rather than the Persian wicker shields, which gave the army a greater pushing force. This upper hand caused more deaths to be from the force of the clashing shields instead of actual combat. In phalanx fighting, the army would begin their approach to the enemy with spears pointed to the sky and, when commanded, make them parallel to the ground, as demonstrated by the verb probalesci. After winning the battle, the winning side would create an altar where the enemy had dropped their shields and ran. This point was called the strophe or turning point. This word transformed into our modern-day word for trophy as a sign of victory. Triremes, or light, short-distance sailing ships, were also a staple for Greek military. The levels of rowers varied, but typically, the bottom level of rowers sat 18 inches above the waterline. Most triremes had a battering ram, and more towards the Byzantine Empire had what is known as Greek fire or an ancient flamethrower. Greek battles, waged either by land or by sea, usually fit into four parts, those being the charge, the clash of spears, the push, and the fleeing. Sometimes, however, battles manifested into sieges. Sieges could last for any amount of time. Typically, the siegers would use ladders, catapults, dead bodies, and crossbows to penetrate and destroy the city, while the besieged threw hot oil, sand, and rocks onto the attackers. The point of sieges was to dampen morale, food, and supplies, and force the enemy out of the city and attack at their weakest point. On these long journeys, a physician and a surgeon would accompany the army. As redundant as that seems, both of these physicians had distinct jobs. The physician tried to cure ailments while the surgeon severed limbs and killed men in order to put them out of their misery. One of the most important things for the army to remember is not to retrace their steps. Armies ransacked and used up all the food and supplies that the cities they passed had. So, if they chose to retrace their path, they would suffer starvation, which could have been one of the reasons why Cyrus' army got lost since they could not retrace their steps.