The Greek Phalanx wants YOU!

Ancient Greek reenacting is a remarkably easy and inexpensive hobby to get started in because the basic clothing is so simple. Assembling an authentic panoply — a hoplite’s weapons and armor — is considerably more difficult and expensive as most items need to be either specially ordered or made, and a fair amount of knowledge is necessary to do either with confidence. Fortunately, we have a large amount of loaner gear that can allow you to experience the hobby without making a big initial outlay, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any interest. Please be aware that there is a lot of inauthentic gear being sold on the internet, so we strongly advise consulting us before making any purchases. We understand that financial compromises need to be made in the acquisition of kit, but we do have standards that strictly prohibit certain commonly seem but inauthentic items — e.g. most steel armors, Deepeeka’s “Corinthian” helmets, and anything that has anything to do with the movie 300. This page should help you get started off right.

1) First priority? Join the conversation.

While The Greek Phalanx maintains a token presence on Facebook, by far the largest and most active forum for Ancient Greek reenactment is the International Hoplite Discussion Group on Facebook. The “IHOP” is not a reenactment group per se, but reenactors are heavily represented among the most active members of the 5000-strong community. It regularly features discussion threads ranging from the most introductory subjects to the most esoterically academic, and all levels of interest and expertise are welcome.

2) Recommended Reading

The most important part of any reenactment impression is knowledge. While it’s obviously a great idea to read ancient contemporary sources like Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon, most of us start with more accessible secondary texts, of which the following are central to our modern understanding of Ancient Greek warfare.

The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece - (1989) By Victor Davis Hanson. A cracking read with only a whiff of academic rigor, this bestselling account of hoplite battle has perhaps done more than any other book to popularize the study of Ancient Greek warfare. It has arguably also done more damage to an accurate understanding of its subject by enshrining what many scholars consider outdated notions about how hoplites fought in what has come to be known as the traditional or “orthodox” model.

Greek Warfare: Myths and Realities - (2004) By Hans van Wees. Widely considered to be the formative text for “heretic” scholars arguing for a revision of the orthodox model of hoplite warfare based on looser, more heterogeneous phalanxes in the Archaic era.

Hoplites at War: A Comprehensive Analysis of Heavy Infantry Combat in the Greek World 750-100BCE - (2016) By Paul Bardunias and Fred Eugene Ray, Jr. An attempt by our own Paul Bardunias to reconcile the orthodoxy and heretics of Greek hoplite scholarship through extensive application of of experimental archaeology.

Classical Greek Tactics: A Cultural History - (2018) By Roel Konijnendijk. Very comprehensive and accessibly written academic treatise focusing on the textual evidence for how Classical Greeks fought.

3) Start with the basics: Clothing

Chiton - A wool or linen plain weave tunic, worn hiked with a simple belt, that was the basic garment of every Greek soldier. If you have this and nothing else, you’re appropriately attired in our encampment! Poorer troop types like slingers, archers, javelin-armed peltasts, and stone-throwing psiloi (“the naked”) would often have worn little else, and it was common in the Classical era for even wealthier hoplites to forego additional body armor.

Chlamys - A rectangular plain weave woolen cloak, fastened over the right shoulder, which doubled as a bedroll.

Sandals - Simple open leather sandals, hobnailed or otherwise. These are optional — it is totally acceptable to be barefoot, although opinion is divided about whether such practice was merely an (almost ubiquitous) artistic convention. Offered by many makers (like Daniyal Steel Craft) and vendors (like Res Bellica).

Socks - Made of felted wool. Available from this Etsy seller.

Petasos - A soft, wide-brimmed sun hat made from felted wool or straw. Available from Damastini Craft.

Pilos - A soft, conical hat made of felted wool. Available from Damastini Craft.

Loincloth - Probably not worn by most Ancients Greeks, but well-advised for public events. Made of lightweight linen or wool (or cotton — nobody’s checking this item). You can use the simple pattern below to make your own, although skip that last “gladiator” step.

4) Next: Encampment Essentials

Tents - Speculatively made of goatskin leather (like later Romans), hemp/linen canvas (the same material as sails), or perhaps simple animal hides. While hotel accommodation is usually available, we strongly encourage all participants to enjoy the full immersive experience of camping with the group. A primitive tent is easy to make and inexpensive; we do have a few loaner tents, but this is a very useful item to have made by your first event.

Stibades (Sleeping mat) - Ubiquitous in antiquity and are still inexpensive today, a woven grass or rush mat this is the first thing you should lay down in your tent. Their purpose is to insulate you from the dirt and dampness of the ground, so for cushioning you should consider buying a high-pile sheepskin.

Sheepskin(s) - These aren’t prohibitively expensive and can be treated on the flesh side to provide additional waterproofing.

Blankets - Basic, heavy wool, ideally plain weave (but these are just for sleeping, so twill is ok). Drab military surplus blankets work great. Traditional Greek shag rugs known as flokati have been woven in since antiquity and can double as winter cloaks. It gets cold outdoors at night — you’ll need at least two blankets for our “Military Through the Ages” event in March.

Water vessels - These can be ceramic, wooden, leather, or animal skin, but we recommend contacting member John Bracken (AKA Jean Contamine on FB) for a light and inexpensive gourd.

Mess gear - Simple wooden utensils with a wooden or ceramic cup and bowl.

Oil lantern - A simple ceramic lamp. For the Plataea event in Greece, fire is strictly banned as a fire hazard, and battery-powered electric candles are a good alternative.

5) Finally! Arms and Armor

In-depth articles elsewhere on our website have been linked. Affordable off-the-shelf versions of most of these items are available directly from makers (mainly Indian: Daniyal Steel Craft, Lyba Steel Craft, Genius Steel Craft, Al Hamdd Trading Post), or from vendors (mainly European: Res Bellica, Qualis Arma, Armae). Most makers also offer custom work, but be sure to research any custom commissions very carefully to avoid disappointment. Truly top-quality replicas can be commissioned from (mostly European) artisans, but prices are high and wait times can be prohibitively long. It’s best to get started with decent off-the-shelf gear and improve it over time as you’re able.

Kranos (Helmet) - Made of bronze, usually with a horsehair crest, in one of several styles which evolved over the centuries and varied in popularity. These were made in a variety of styles which evolved over time. We highly recommend researching what would be appropriate for your specific impression (we welcome impressions from the Archaic to the Hellenistic era), and inquiring on the IHOP about specific styles, vendors, and makers. A few basic categories are listed below.

Aspis (Shield) - A large round shield with a wooden core, usually covered with gessoed linen, leather, or thin bronze sheet.

Thorax/Spolas/Linothorax (body armor) - There were two basic types of Greek body armor: two-piece clamshell cuirasses hammered from bronze (commonly called a thorax); and flexible “tube and yoke” cuirasses made from leather (commonly called a spolas), linen (commonly called a linothorax), or a composite of both, often featuring scale reinforcements.

Knemides (greaves) - Shin guards hammered from bronze which clip to the legs without the use of straps.

Dory (Spear) - A 7-9 foot wooden thrusting spear, usually with an iron head and a bronze sauroter (“lizard sticker”) buttspike.

Xiphos/Kopis (Sword) - A secondary weapon worn under the left arm.