The Weaponry of the Greeks


by Richard Monk - Date: 2006-12-02 - Word Count: 436 Share This!

As the dominant civilization of its time, ancient Greece had to both know how to defend itself and conquer others. This brings us to the subject of the weaponry they used.

The Weaponry of the Greeks

The period in which ancient Greece flourished was also a turbulent time for the continent of Europe. Wars between the city-states within Greece, as well as wars with Rome and other neighboring countries meant that Greece had to develop a proficient army, as well as perfect their naval skills. Battles in this time period were nothing like those in the eras of guns and explosions - in fact, the very style of Greek weaponry caused wars at that time to be fought much differently.

One of the many types of soldiers found in ancient Greece was the hoplite. Also known as the typical foot soldier, hoplites were the backbone of the Greek army. They were the men who went into the hand-to-hand combat situations that were the way classical Greek wars were fought - hoplites went into battle in broad daylight, facing the opposing army head-on with no tactics of strategy or hiding. These men were totally reliant on their own skills, as well as the skills and bravery of their neighboring soldiers.

Perhaps the most important of the weapons was the hoplite himself. He typically wore 65 pounds worth of armor, and carried a large shield which itself would often be used as a weapon; the shield could be used to break the opposing army's weaponry, which were usually long spears with wooden handles. The hoplites also carried these spears as their weaponry of choice; the spear was a six to eight foot long weapon with a head made of iron, a butt end made of bronze, and a shaft of wood (usually ash). These spears broke frequently, so the butt was an important part that could additionally be used in battle.

Of course, the spear was only one of the prominent forms of weaponry. Another was the ballista, which was a powerful ancient crossbow. While not used by the hoplites in battle, the ballista was still an important part of combat in Greece. Historians believe that the ballista was used as siege weaponry, when attacking forts or other installations in areas where foot soldiers could not tread.

Greeks also wielded a number of different swords, knives and other blades, but in battle, the spear was still seen as the most valuable weapon that a soldier could use. Hoplites often carried a short sword at their side, but the spear, along with the shield that they carried, was the primary form of weaponry used in Greek wars.


Related Tags: culture, history, army, greece, weaponry, navy, wars, hoplite, ballista, spear, swords, blades, kniv

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