LATIN: THE TROJAN WAR - STRATEGIES AND TACTICS

1. THE TROJAN WAR
Strategies
Tactics
Weaponry

2. STRATEGIES
 In the Iliad, Homer does not mention any specific
strategies used in the Trojan War.
 This war was not a classical war with strategies or
tactics.
 It looked more like a trench warfare (similar to
WW1), with soldiers being engaged in the battle during
the day and returning to camp during the night.
 All the battles of this war were “single combat” hence
the lack of strategies or pre-planning.
 The only real strategy was the decision to advance or
to retreat.

3. STRATEGY VS. NO STRATEGY
 The reason for the “no strategy approach” is because
of the heroic code.
 Sneak attacks, treachery, and deception were not
qualities of a true hero.
 The use of the Trojan Horse was completely
unexpected and revolutionary by the Greeks.
 The Trojans had never seen anything so deceptive
being used as a strategy of war.

4. TACTICS - PHALANX
 Battle formation of the Hoplite (infantry) soldiers.
 The soldiers would line up tightly and link their
shields together.
 The first few ranks would project their spears forward,
and this made frontal assaults by the enemy more
difficult.

5. TACTICS – TROJAN HORSE
 In the myth, the Greeks constructed a large wooden
horse, large enough for a group of soldiers to hide in,
and pretended to sail away.
 The Trojans believed it was a gift from the Gods and
took the wooden horse into the city.
 The Greeks crept out of the horse and opened the gates
for the rest of the Greek army.
 The Greeks destroyed Troy.

6. WEAPONRY – SPEARS
 The ancient Greek word for spear is “doru”.
 Spears used during this time would have been around
2.5m long with an iron spearhead.
 At the opposite end of the spear, there would have been
a sharp bronze spike, called a SAUROTER.
 This was used for added stability and could have been
used as a weapon if the spearhead was broken.

7. WEAPONRY – SWORDS
 For the ancient Greeks, the sword was never viewed as
the main weapon.
 It was used only when the spears had been lost to
finish a conflict.
 The sword was called a XIPHOS.
 It was a straight or leaf-shaped blade with a double
edge.
 Cavalry soldiers carried a sword called MAKHAIRA.
 It was much larger and heavier then the XIPHOS, and
the blade was curved with a single edge.
XIPHOS MAKHAIRA

10. WEAPONRY – SHIELDS
 The ancient Greek word for shield was ASPIS.
 Shields were made of wood, with a thin plating of
bronze all over or just on the outer rim.
 The emblems on the shields varied by the city that the
soldier was from
 The most famous emblem was the capital Lambda, from
ancient Sparta.

11. HOMEWORK
 Research more strategies, tactics and weaponry used
by the Trojans, Greeks and Spartans.
 How did they differ?
 What did they have in common?
 Which ones are more effective and why?
 Your research can include visuals, such as photos,
maps, drawings, videos, print screens, etc.
 Your research is individual.
 Due date: Thursday 1st of August.