Hoplite

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hoplite

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary military role?Heavy infantryman forming the core of Greek armies
2. What is the key equipment?Spear (dory), large round shield (hoplon), helmet, greaves, and cuirass
3. Why did hoplites need to buy their own gear?The full set of armor and shield cost a lot of money. It was like several years of a worker’s wages. Only people with enough money could become hoplites.
4. How did the phalanx help hoplites in battle?Hoplites stood close together in rows, holding their big shields so they protected each other. They all pushed forward with their spears to make a strong wall. This teamwork made it hard for enemies to break through.

Hoplite: A heavily armed citizen-soldier of ancient Greece, distinguished by their spear, shield, and participation in the phalanx.
Phalanx: A tactical formation of tightly packed infantry, characterized by overlapping shields and coordinated spear thrusts, maximizing defensive and offensive power.
Hoplon: The large, circular shield, typically made of bronze and wood, carried by hoplites, serving as both personal defense and a component of the phalanx's wall.
Dory: The primary weapon of the hoplite, a long thrusting spear, usually between 6 to 9 feet in length, used in the phalanx formation.