hoplites
(noun)
A citizen-soldier of one of the ancient Greek city-states, armed primarily with spears and a shield.
Examples of hoplites in the following topics:
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The Persian Wars
- In 490 BCE, approximately 100,000 Persians landed in Attica intending to conquer Athens, but were defeated at the Battle of Marathon by a Greek army of 9,000 Athenian hoplites and 1,000 Plateans, led by the Athenian general, Miltiades.
- It also demonstrated the superiority of the more heavily armed Greek hoplites.
- Depiction of a Greek hoplite and a Persian warrior fighting each other on an ancient kylix.
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Sparta
- Marble statue of a helmed hoplite (5th century BCE), Archaeological Museum of Sparta, Greece.
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Introduction to the Peloponnesian War
- Initially Athens’ strategy, as guided by Pericles, was to avoid open battle with the more numerous, and better trained Spartan hoplites, and to instead rely on Athens’ superior fleet.
- Nearby silver mines were also disrupted, with Spartan hoplites freeing as many as 20,000 Athenian slaves in the vicinity.
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The Rise of the Macedon
- Philip pushed the Paionians and Thracians back, promising them tributes, and defeated the 3,000 Athenian hoplites at Methoni.