Imagine 1000s of men like this in Hellenic cuirasses and Corinthian helms with large bronze clad shields overlapping and 2 or more rows of heavy spears jutting over the gaps. Shoulder to shoulder, stepping forwards in unison to a hypnotic musical beat played by countless supple twinks in the rear ranks with their cute Aulos double flutes and little drum kits. Once closed with the enemy they use the beat to march in unison, chanting "ALALA" representing 2 steps where a right step is coupled with a lunge.The huge formation presses forward like this, where the enemy formation makes contact and they receive the lunges, and these men are inhumanly strong having trained with the halteres from infancy. If the enemy gets past the spears the Greek shields themselves are a weapon, the 2nd rank presses their shield against the thick chlamys cloak of the first giving them a boost to deliver crushing force.The enemy collapses on the floor, his last sight, a forest of greaves, sandals and the monstrously thick feet and legs of his adversaries. The back of the Greek spears are studded and with this the hoplite performs a maneuver practiced through drill and muscle memory, simultaneously kneeling while lifting their shield so as not to break the crucial shield wall, while stabbing downwards aggressively with the back of their spear.This being war even the best are injured, or simply fatigued after 15 minutes of intense physical activity that would make a modern soldier or athlete vomit. Yet if this is the case the second rank, eager for glory, takes the place of the first in another well practiced maneuver. Thus the enemy's confidence is shattered, believing he had achieved a glancing blow only to see a new warrior emerge, fresh and determined in a split second.Only the Romans could conquer them and only by being equally Herculean and buying off half of Greece.
>>18379642The average ancient Greek male didn’t have easy access to 5 thousand calories a day
>>18379660Olive oil is highly caloric tho
Example of what their warcry sounded like, it was not singing, and this was 1000s of men at the same time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJY7KZ8vnugEach hoplite was a pent up ball of energy, you would be shocked by how these colossal men can throw their weight around and their skill, able to counter anything you can throw at them, each filled with interminable rage desperate to impale you. Even if you caught their speartip with your shield it would hit like a sledgehammer and the lunges would repeat continually without fail coupled with their screaming. You can do nothing to them, they can do everything to you. Death is certain unless your rear ranks have fled allowing you to drop everything and sprint in the other direction and the hoplite does not want to part with his spear by hurling it like a javelin just to get you, which he may well do since he can likely retrieve it moments later anyway.Philosopher Socrates had the same phenotype, you can only imagine what he was like as a younger man in his prime.
>>18379663Olive oil was also much more expensive than it is now
>>18379675Instead of bathing ancient Greeks covered their entire bodies in olive oil, had a slave scrape it off and then throw it away. So it couldnt have been that expensive.
>>18379670
>>18379670they look exactly the same
>>18379660grecoroman diet builds muscle + intensive physical training every day just for leisure
>>18379938it is a successful phenotype
