THE CLASH OF SHIELDS "OTHISMOS"

 THE CLASH OF SHIELDS "OTHISMOS"

Since spacing and weapon usage made it impractical to push against your fellow hoplite against an enemy and depth did not serve solely to apply physical pressure, it is reasonable to conclude that othismos was used by ancient historians in a figurative sense. To push in an ancient hoplite battle must refer to the gradual gaining or losing of ground. Even in the Illiad Homer used the word othismos when historians generally agree that Homeric warfare was fought in very loose formations (Homer, Illiad, 569, 655). While fourth and fifth century hoplite combat required close, hand to hand fighting, and there are references to shields being pressed against shields (Thucy., 4.96, 5.71) (Xen., Hell., 4.3.19) othismos referred to a gradual gaining of land and therefore forcing the enemy to lose land or “push” them back. This can be seen by the fact that charges conducted by armies about to clash was primarily to close distance to prevent missile fire and generally were either a fast walk or a run that ended before hoplites were in spear thrusting distance so they could reform their ranks since an open formation would be quickly defeated (Xen., Hell., 4.3.17) (Van Wees (2004) 188). Once engaged hoplites did press shields against their enemies, as shown above and by the Thessalian faint where a hoplite jumps back when pressed against therefore allowing the attacker to fall forwards (Van Wees (2004) 188), however the primary sources never allude to one mass shove, but rather mostly describe the gradual driving of an army to gain ground against an opponent. The Spartan push in the battle of Mantinea is described as an “advance” and “press” (Thucy., 5.73), the Thebans “pressed” the Spartans at the battle of Leuctra (Xen., Hell., 6.4.14), and most famously the battle of Coronea mentions shoving, head-on crashing, and breaking through (Xen., Hell., 4.3.19). Alone these examples may support one mass shove, but paired with the evidence above they show the reader that hoplite battles were determined by head on fighting between individual hoplites and once a large enough group of hoplites were successful in their individual competitions they were able to advance into the ranks of the enemy therefore “breaking their ranks” and being able to “push” them back.

Leonidas of Sparta Original