Spartan Warfare - 1248 Words

In the 7th Century BC a new era of warfare strategy evolved. Before this new strategy, foot soldiers (known as hoplites) engaged in battle in the form of one mob for each army which on the command of their generals runs at each other and proceeds to hack blindly at the enemy with little to no direction other then to kill the enemy in front of them. This proved to be very messy and the tide of battle depended mostly on emotion and size of an army. In the name of strategy and organization, the phalanx was developed. A phalanx is simply defined as a line formation with its width significantly larger then its depth. The depth of the phalanx is a variable which some suggest was decided by the army itself rather then by the leaders of the army.†¦show more content†¦brbrIn the beginning, Greek armies showed almost no pay structure. This was do to the fact that military participation was seen as a man s duty to his city-state or as a form of taxation. Each man was required to provid e his own armor for battle. There for only those who could afford armor and weapons could be in the army. Since most men could not afford armor, most could not participate. Those who could afford to participate had other forms of income. However there was a pay system in place by 445 or 444 BC in Athens. The pay system was enacted during a time of peace for Greece, just after the signing of the thirty year peace between the Delian League and the Peloponnesian League. The standard rate of pay seems to have been a drachma a day until it was cut in half in 413 BC. However the standard rate over time was between three obols (half a drachma) to a full drachma a day for a hoplite soldier.brbrIn Sparta, the military was a way of life. From an early age, children were trained to be strong and to have good fighting skills. With most of their population being helots, or serfs, it was necessary to have a well-organized and highly trained fighting force to put down any revolts. Therefore, even though the Spartan military was comparatively small, it was very strong.brbrAthens derived her military strength from a strong navy. In 481 BC the city of Athens discovered a large silver mine on publicly owned land. Athens used this silver to build a fleetShow MoreRelatedUsing Chemicals as Weapons in War Essay example999 Words   |  4 PagesThere has been war since man has been on Earth. Over time, war tactics, weapon, armor, and even the soldier has changed. The main weapon that has changed the battlefield has been the use of chemicals to stun, immobilize, or cause death. Chemical warfare isn’t a new form of fighting; it has been around since 400 B.C., but even a powerful and versatile weapon has its disadvantages. Nature always finds a way to fight in a battle too. 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