Greek Phalanxes vs. Roman Maniples: Which is More Effective?

The earliest known use of the classic Greek phalanx, a dense formation of infantry several ranks deep, occurred in the Battle of Hysiae in 668 BC. This revolutionary hoplite tactic at the time allowed the Argives to defeat the Spartans. In the 7th century BC, the Etruscans had already adopted the phalanx from the Greeks. In the 6th century, due to military reform by King Servius Tullius, this formation began to be used in Rome. The primary advantage of the phalanx was that its structure required less training for individual soldiers. Standing shoulder to shoulder in formation, warriors simply had to do the same as their neighbors. The phalanx tolerated neither cowards nor heroes — if a phalangite stepped too far back or forward, a gap would form in the shield wall. Thus, with the introduction of the phalanx and the reduction in the cost of weapons, large formations of militiamen and mercenaries, representing the main population of the polis, replaced small squads of well-trained soldiers. <a href="https://medium.com/@ancient.rome/greek-phalanxes-vs-roman-maniples-which-is-more-effective-c58af9d435cc">Website</a>