Page:History of Greece Vol II.djvu/122

 IOC HISTORY OF GREECE. The mode of fighting among the Homeric heroes is not less different iron* *he historical times, than the material of which their arms were composed. The Hoplites, or heavy-armed in- fantry of historical Greece, maintained a close order and well- dressed line, charging the enemy with their speai-s protended at even distance, and coming thus to close conflict without breaking their rank: there were special troops, bowmen, slingers, etc. armed with missiles, but the hoplite had no weapon to employ in this manner. The heroes of the Iliad and Odyssey, on the contrary, habitually employ the spear as a missile, which they launch with tremendous force : each of them is mounted in his war-chariot, drawn by two horses, and calculated to contain .the warrior and his charioteer ; in which latter capacity a friend or comrade will sometimes consent to serve. Advancing in his chariot at *ull speed, in front of his own soldiers, he hurls his spear against the enemy : sometimes, indeed, he will fight on foot, and hand to hand, but the chariot is usually near to receive him ,f he chooses, or to insure his retreat. The mass of the Greeks and Trojans, coming forward to the charge, without any regular step or evenly-maintained line, make their attack in the same way by hurling their spears. Each chief wears habitually a long sword and a short dagger, besides his two spears to be launched forward, the spear being also used, if occasion serves, as a weapon for thrust. Every man is protected by shield, helmet, breastplate, and greaves : but the armor of the chiefs is greatly superior to that of the common men, while they themselves are both stronger and more expert in the use of their weapons. There are a few bowmen, as rare exceptions, but the general equipment and proceeding is as here described. Such loose array, immortalized as it is in the Iliad, is familiar to every one ; and the contrast which it presents, with those inflexible ranks, and that irresistible simultaneous charge which bore down the Persian throng at Platsea and Kunaxa, 1 is such The Gauls, known to Polybius, seemingly the Cisalpine Gauls only, pos- sessed all their property in cattle and gold, i?pe/j//ara Kat ^pvadf, on account of the easy transportability of both (Polyb. ii. 17). 1 Tyrtseus, in his military expressions, seems to conceive the Homeric mode of barling the spear as still prevalent, 66pv 6' ciroA/iWf ft aXhovref (Fragm. ix. Gaisford). Either he had his mind prepossessed with the H>