What is the Phalanx, and why is it so efficient? A phalanx is a wall of soldiers that plows through the enemy like a machine. It is very hard to disrupt or get into the line without being killed. A phalanx is a long rectangle of men, about four men deep, the length and width depending on how many soldiers there are, or what type of combat they’re in. In the phalanx, men are armed either with a spear, pike, or javelin. In one of the oldest descriptions of the phalanx, the Samarian Stele pictured above and dated around the 25th century B.C., the men in the formation wear a helmet and carry a shield that covers their whole body. The phalanx was mostly mentioned in Greek wars in the seventh and eighth century BC. There are many different kinds of phalanx and some are still used today.
