Editing Phalanx (section)

===Hoplite armament===
Each hoplite provided his own equipment. The primary hoplite weapon was a spear around {{convert|2.4|m|ft}} in length called a ''[[Dory (spear)|dory]]''. Although accounts of its length vary, it is usually now believed to have been seven to nine feet long (~2.1–2.7 m). It was held one-handed, with the other hand holding the hoplite's shield (''aspis''). The spearhead was usually a curved leaf shape, while the rear of the spear had a spike called a {{Lang|grc-latn|sauroter}} ('lizard-killer') which was used to stand the spear in the ground (hence the name). It was also used as a secondary weapon if the main shaft snapped or to kill enemies lying on the ground. This was a common problem, especially for soldiers who were involved in the initial clash with the enemy. Despite the snapping of the spear, hoplites could easily switch to the {{Lang|grc-latn|sauroter}} without great consequence.<ref name="Victor Davis Hanson 1991">Hanson (1991)</ref> The rear ranks used the secondary end to finish off fallen opponents as the phalanx advanced over them.

Throughout the hoplite era, the standard hoplite armour went through many cyclical changes.<ref>See Wees (2004) pp.&nbsp;156–178 for a discussion about archaeological evidence for hoplite armour and its eventual transformation</ref> An Archaic hoplite typically wore a [[bronze]] [[breastplate]], a bronze helmet with cheekplates, as well as [[greave]]s and other [[Body armour|armour]]. Later, in the classical period, the breastplate became less common, replaced instead with a corselet that some claim was made of [[linothorax]] (layers of linen glued together), or perhaps of leather, sometimes covered in whole or in part with overlapping metal scales.<ref>Snodgrass (1999)</ref><ref>Wees (2004) p.&nbsp;165</ref> Eventually, even greaves became less commonly used, although degrees of heavier armour remained, as attested by [[Xenophon]] as late as 401 BC.<ref>Xenophon, (1986) p.&nbsp;184</ref>

These changes reflected the balancing of mobility with protection, especially as cavalry became more prominent in the [[Peloponnesian War]]<ref>See Lazenby (2004) pp.&nbsp;149–153, in relation to the deprivations of Cyracusian Cavalry and counter-methods</ref> and the need to combat light troops, which were increasingly used to negate the hoplite's role as the primary force in battle.<ref>Xenophon (1986) pp.&nbsp;157–161 "The Greeks Suffer From Slings and Arrows", and the methods improvised to solve this problem</ref> Yet bronze armour remained in some form until the end of the hoplite era. Some archaeologists have pointed out that bronze armour does not actually provide as much protection from direct blows as more extensive corselet padding, and have suggested its continued use was a matter of status for those who could afford it.<ref>Wees (2004) p.&nbsp;189</ref> In the classical Greek dialect, there is no word for swordsmen; yet hoplites also carried either a short sword called the ''[[xiphos]]'' or a curved sword called the ''[[kopis]]'', used as a secondary weapon if the ''dory'' was broken or lost. Samples of the {{Lang|grc-latn|xiphos}} recovered at excavation sites were typically around {{Convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length. These swords were double-edged (or single-edged in the case of the kopis) and could therefore be used as a cutting and thrusting weapon. These short swords were often used to stab or cut at the enemy's neck during close combat.<ref>Hanson (1991) p.&nbsp;25</ref>

Hoplites carried a circular shield called an ''[[aspis]]'' made from wood and covered in bronze, measuring roughly a metre (3.3 feet) in diameter. It spanned from chin to knee and was very heavy: {{Convert|8–15|kg|lbs|abbr=on}}. This medium-sized shield (fairly large for the period considering the average male height) was made possible partly by its dish-like shape, which allowed it to be supported with the rim on the shoulder. This was quite an important feature of the shield, especially for the hoplites who remained in the latter ranks. While these soldiers continued to help press forward, they did not have the added burden of holding up their shield. But the circular shield was not without its disadvantages. Despite its mobility, protective curve, and [[Strapped shield|double straps]] the circular shape created gaps in the shield wall at both its top and bottom. (Top gaps were somewhat reduced by the one or two spears jutting out of the gap. In order to minimize the bottom gaps, thick leather curtains were used but only by an unknown percentage of the hoplites, possibly only in the first row since there were disadvantages as well: considerable weight on an already heavy shield and a certain additional cost.) These gaps left parts of the hoplite exposed to potentially lethal spear thrusts and were a persistent vulnerability for hoplites controlling the front lines.<ref>Hanson (1991) pp. 68–69</ref>