Ekdromoi

[armchairsaxon]

I am thinking of adding a unit or two or Ekdromoi to my Greek hoplite army. My understanding is they have no missile capability but would just move to melee with enemy skirmishers as far as they can.

I can't find a reference to them on the hoplite lists. Are they controversial? I should add I have only recently started researching this period (Peloponnesian War).

[Invisible officer]

The Ekromoi or "Man running out (of Phalanx)" is a Hoplite without body armour but with helmet, aspis shield and hoplite spear.

I'm sure that in trying to catch a fleeing Thracian some Ekdromoi might have thrown the heavy spear. Simply because the Thracian was still faster and in a special situation with a broad back target a few yards away..... . But normally he kept that heavy spear for close fighting.
But out of Phalanx he might also have taken the enemies missiles from the ground to return them. In Phalanx that is not possible but the single Ekdromoi would not disturb a formation in grabbing some missiles from the ground.

But these are all very special situations and not the standard tactic . I would use the Ekdromoi as a more mobile hoplit.

[armchairsaxon]

Thanks for the reply. I know what Ekdromoi are as a definition I just wondered if their use was in dispute hence them not being specifically mentioned in the lists?

I mean't by no missile capability, they couldn't be used as missile armed skimishers against other say formed units or engage in missile exchanges with other skirmishers. Throwing his spear or returning javelins thrown would be part of his anti-skirmisher role?

[Invisible officer]

There is no dispute in academic circles and that they are not mentioned in some rule lists may be not intended . Just an oversight. With many Hoplits giving up the body armour and greaves the difference vanished anyway.

The Ekdromoi was surely not intended to fight the Peltasts with missiles as primary tactic. As a Hoplit he was a far better close fighter than the lightly armed Peltast of his time. He would not catch them but was able to disperse them. And that would be enough to keep them from showering the Phalanx with missiles.

But the average Hoplit was trained to fight with missiles. It was part of the military training to throw stones, spears and even archery was done. He would not fight with them in Phalanx but in siege warfare or in other special situations he did. So we can be sure that the Ekdromoi did so sometimes.
The aspis was not ideal for missile throwing so you might give him a shorter range and/or less effect.

But in a standard field battle game the Ekdromoi units should be given no missile capacity.

[armchairsaxon]

Thanks. I intend to use them as small units of 8 solely to engage and/ or drive off enemy skirmishers.

I thought your spelling of Hoplite was a typo. So is Hoplit the correct spelling?

While you are there, were there any specific colours for shields/clothing etc. known to be favoured by Athenian Hoplit(e)s?

[Invisible officer]

Hoplite was no typo. Modern languages use it with or without the e at the end. If you like to do it in Greek use ὁπλίτης hoplitēs or for the group ὁπλίται hoplitai

Some Athenians used the letter alpha. But we know from literature that individuals used differing symbol, Alcibiades had a golden shield showing a painted Eros, armed with a thunderbolt. (Plutarch, Vit. Alcib. 16) The owl and the goddess Athena are used too.

There is a nice reconstruction painting by Angus McBride about Ekdromai fighting Thracians. One of the Thracians was not fast enough and got a Hoplit Spear thrown in the back.

[clivethecelt]

Try this for some shield design notes:
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/sh ... -Standards

[armchairsaxon]

Thanks for the replies. I have gone for a certian amount of uniformity with my first painted Athenian hoplite unit. I just wondered if there was any historical basis for this?

[Invisible officer]

A hoplit was a man with money. And those with a lot of money wanted to show that. An expensive shield painting was an accepted way to do that. Everybody is able to paint an alpha but it needs an artist to do an Eros.

[armchairsaxon]

The impression I get is that there was quite a variety in hoplite quality and affluence. Not sure though if they would be grouped into units on this basis?

Another unrelated question, is the transverse helmet crest uniquely Spartan or also used by other Greek armies?