Master Box 24069 Ancient Greek Myths Series: Trophy

Cavalry (Greek: hippeis) played a variable role in the military of ancient Greece. In the archaic period (from about the 8th century BC to about the 6th / 5th century BC) it was in fact the most important type of army on the battlefield. During this period, it often independently decided the fate of battles between Greek poleis. What's more - it was served at that time mainly by aristocrats, who thus raised their social prestige and legitimized their power in many poleis. However, already in the archaic period, probably from the 7th century BC, this state of affairs changed rapidly. In the Greek art of war, there is the so-called the Hoplite Revolution, which made the phalanx of hoplites the main type of troops on the battlefield. What's more - one that, with proper command, could easily repel a cavalry attack. This meant that in the classical period (5th-4th century BC), the cavalry in the Greek military played a rather auxiliary and secondary role. It is used for reconnaissance, marches, but rarely in battle. This state of affairs begins to change only after the Peloponnesian War, and the cavalry is experiencing a real renaissance in Macedonia under the rule of Philip II and Alexander the Great.