ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ancient Greek warfare

Alright kiddo, let me explain ancient Greek warfare to you in a way that you can understand.

Imagine you are playing a game with your friends. In this game, you and your friends have to protect your castle from the enemies. You have to fight with swords and shields, just like in ancient Greece.

In ancient Greece, wars were fought between city-states, which were like big families that controlled their own areas. The city-states would have armies made up of soldiers who are called hoplites. These soldiers were well-trained, and they would protect themselves with a big round shield and a long, pointy spear.

When the enemy army would come near, the two armies would line up in rows facing each other. This was called the phalanx formation. Each row would stand close together, with their shields overlapping so that there were no gaps. The hoplites would then march forward towards the enemy, using their spears to keep the enemy at a distance. The point was to push the enemy back and break their formation.

The battles were usually fought in open fields. The army that had the high ground would have a better advantage because they can see the enemy's movements and respond accordingly.

Sometimes, the battles would be fought at night, and the hoplites would use torches to see in the darkness.

The ancient Greeks also had cavalry, which were soldiers riding on horses. The cavalry would attack the enemy from the side or the back, and often they would be used to chase down enemies who were retreating.

Overall, ancient Greek warfare was all about discipline, strategy, and skill. Just like in your game, the goal was to protect your castle by using your weapons and working as a team to defeat the enemy.