Hoplites (Οπλίτης) were citizen-soldiers of the Ancient Greek city-states. Primarily armed with long spears (doru) and shields (hoplon or aspis), hoplite soldiers use the phalanx formation in order to be effective in war with fewer soldiers. The formation discouraged the soldiers from acting alone, for this would compromise the formation and minimize its strengths.
The hoplites were primarily represented by free citizens—propertied farmers and artisans—who were able to afford armour and weapons (estimated at a third to a half of its able-bodied adult male population). With the notable exception of Sparta, hoplites were not professional soldiers and often lacked sufficient military training. However, some states did maintain a small elite professional unit, known as the epilektoi (“chosen”), picked from the regular citizen infantry. Hoplite soldiers made up the bulk of ancient Greek armies.
This album is a collection of depictions of hoplites on pottery.
