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This clip is from that movie Alexander, but in case you weren't familiar with it, historical accuracies aside, this still provides an idea of the battle.
I've heard of the following reasons why they didn't just keep firing arrows...
1) Arrows are expensive and time consuming to make. They had to be carved by hand, and even for a wealthy nation like Persia, that would be a lot. Also, they had a large army, would use them more quickly, and needed even more of them. Contrast that to machine gun ammo, even during the first World War that were made in factories cheaply and quickly.
2) The spears the Macedonians used in that formation actually deflected the arrows, or otherwise slowed them down enough that armor and helmets could take the brunt of what momentum's left?
I always wondered why if they finished off the 300 Spartans with arrows why they did not keep shooting arrows at them earlier in the battle. But you just told me some answers. Thanks , Ron
This question came up in an earlier thread, and there was a logical answer. When the hoplites were massed behind their shield walls, arrow fire was not very effective. Greek armor and shields were quite good at defending against archers. Another factor was that Persian bows were not that powerful, less so than would be bows at a later date.
At Thermopylae, on the first day, the Greeks were massed behind their shield walls, and the Persian archers were facing them from one direction only. On the third and final day, the Greeks were surrounded on all sides, and the phalanx had been broken, men fighting in small groups or as individuals. This made them vulnerable to the archers, and arrows struck unarmored places or pierced armor no longer protected by a shield.
Despite the bare chested sexiness in the Frank Miller version, the hoplites did wear armor and chest plates. One documentary commented that the only place they were vulnerable were the holes through the helmets (but not the uncovered legs and feet? They were crouching, but still), and described the armor they wore as "ancient Kevlar", with strips of leather, some metal, that made it effective.
Arrows are expensive and time consuming to make. They had to be carved by hand, and even for a wealthy nation like Persia, that would be a lot. Also, they had a large army, would use them more quickly, and needed even more of them. Contrast that to machine gun ammo, even during the first World War that were made in factories cheaply and quickly.
Arrows can also be re-used, bullets cannot.
The Greek phalanx was the tank of its day and cut through Persian infantry with ease.
1. Greeks had shin guards
2. Arrows fired in arc have very little piercing force; arrow is efficient at straight shot to the target only; that was countered by yes, several rows of spears, shields, helmets. Outside of infamous longbow, and Asian composite bow, bows were not that powerful. It was mo0re a harassment, than real damage. Btw, there are several trees that either produce straight brunches or can be very easily trimmed into arrows. Linden stumps, eg. Though linden is European and American. Persia was not that much rich in variety of military grade lumber.
3. what were the arrow tips made out of?
4. the infamous 300 was actually backed up by 10 000 hoplites, not as well equipped in protective armor and weapons, yet... Persian forces were known for the first attack to be done by quite poorly protected/ weaponed soldiers. Never forget that anything iron was very expensive at that time, common metals were bronze and copper. Just like everyone believes that mechanized infantry and tanks were main piercing force during German attack on USSR in 1941 yet, most of infantry mobility was done on horse backs. 42% to be correct. It's not all we see in the movies.
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