Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

138 THE HOPLITES.much larger than the Greek phalanx. Its weight can begauged by a simple comparison. In the French tactics of1887 about seven men, including reserves, go to every metreof front line. In the Macedonian phalanx, including light*(.ocMAcos troops, twenty-eight men went to about everyo metre, and close together from front to rear. Thisodepth made its impact in good order irresistible,o The unit of the phalanx was a lochos or file® of sixteen heavy infantry men, hoplites, whoseo chief, the lochagos (sergeant), was the front-ranke t^ RAO OS.Lochosman. The second man was one who receiveddouble pay, and the third and last men extra payfor gallantry. The last man, or file -closer, was a sort ofsecond sergeant, called uragos. Each lochos was numberedfrom right to left.These hoplites were either hypaspists(shield-bearing guards) or pezetseri (footcompanions); the former held the right, orpost of honor, of the phalanx, though aptto be used as a separate body and placedin other parts of the line ; the latter, beingthe ordinary rank and file, had the left ofthe phalanx. The hypaspists were of abetter class, served voluntarily, and themost valorous of their number were theagema (royal footguards), always under anoted chief. The rest were called " theother hypaspists," and were organized inbodies of five hundred men, later of onethousand, each under a chiliarch. The hypaspistswere trained for hand-to-hand fight-Hypaspist.ing and quick evolutions, and though wearing full suits ofarmor were more lightly armed than the pezetseri. They car-