ABSTRACT
The case for 'Homeric phalanx warfare' thus seems vulnerable from every side. If even its literary existence is highly debatable, then the grounds for believing in its resemblance to later tactics, in its probable historical origin and in the consequent rejection of any post-Homeric 'hoplite reform' are, to say the least, very much weakened. Four essential elements of a hoplite phalanx were, first its use as a formation for pitched battle in an open field; secondly its density; thirdly its function as the main fighting force of an army; and finally its employment of bronze defensive armour. For centuries and even millennia before Homer, armies in certain regions of the ancient world had had occasion to adopt the tactics of mass, close-order formation, and had at times also made use of bronze armour. Mass armies, and not heroic champions, are the decisive element in Homeric battle, and the importance of their rôle is absolutely integral to the battle-descriptions.
