ancient greek weapons

Ancient Greek Weapons

Spears and shields were the main weapons of ancient Greek soldiers. This write-up provides information on some of the ancient Greek weapons.

Ancient Greek civilization is considered as one of the most powerful and dominant civilizations in history. Ancient Greeks city-states were not only involved in constant battles with each other, but also with the neighboring countries such as Rome, Macedonia, Persia, etc., to safeguard their land from invasion. Due to this reason, ancient Greeks were compelled to maintain very strong military and naval forces, that were proficient in all kinds of warfare techniques. In ancient times, battles were fought using heavy, sharp weapons. Firearms had not been invented back then. The ancient Greek wars were fought differently because the weapons were fashioned differently. Infantry used to be the backbone of any ancient Greek army. Armed infantry soldiers went to battle carrying spears, and heavy shields that were called hoplons. These soldiers were called hoplites. They fought in broad daylight using sharp weapons such as spears, double-edged swords, and shields. They mostly specialized in hand-to-hand combats and were skilled in using swords and spears. They never had any pre-planned war strategy. They relied on their personal warfare skills and those of the fellow soldiers. Hoplon - An Important Component of Ancient Greek Warfare A hoplon was considered as an important ancient Greek weapon by the Greek warlords. The heavily armed infantry soldiers were called hoplites. An armor of a hoplite weighed about 60 to 65 pounds. These soldiers carried a metal shield to defend themselves against the opposing army, and also to break the weapons of their immediate enemy. The spear was a weapon of choice of a hoplite. A spear was six to eight feet long with a sharp iron head fixed on a shaft of ash wood and a bronze butt. The butt of a spear was used when the spearhead of the spear broke. The soldiers wore a helmet to protect their face and head during the battle. They also carried a double-edged sword. A Few Ancient Greek Weapons Weapons were extremely important decisive factors when it came to winning wars. Ancient Greeks invented many weapons and were well-versed in military and naval skills. A few weapons that were popularly used by the ancient Greek army are given below.
  • Shield - One of the most important weapons was the shield. This was used by hoplites to smash the spearhead of opponents.
  • Spear - The hoplites used spears to attack the opposing army. An ancient Greek spear was known as "dory". A typical spear had a sharp, iron spearhead on a wooden shaft that had a bronze butt. If the spearhead broke off, the butt of the spear was used as a backup weapon to fight the enemy.
  • Ballista - A ballista was an important ancient Greek weapon. It was an ancient missile weapon of siege, from which multiple arrows could be launched for long-range shots.
  • Dagger/Sword - Along with a spear, a hoplite was expected to carry a sharp dagger or a short sword. This was probably used, when the spear broke. Daggers and swords were, in essence, the second choice after spear in a hoplite's personal armory.
  • Catapult - A catapult was used to throw large objects and stones at the opposing army. A catapult is one of the ancient Greek missile weapons used for besieging an enemy from a significant distance.
Ancient Greeks brought about many innovations in the technology of warfare. Ancient Greeks were constantly at war - either among themselves (i.e., between city-states such as Athens, Corinth, Sparta and Thebes), or against the neighboring countries.

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