Theban formation

**LodewijkP** · September 04, 2006, 08:51 AM

I constantly see in almost all mods the Theban formation , but didnt they used the ( somekind, i call it : )Oblique order which Epaminondas invented ?

you present the formation like this ( _ = Space )

----------------------------lllllllllllllllllllllllll

----------------lllllllllllllllllllllllllll------------lllllllllllllllllllll

But the Real theban formation is like this

lllllllllllllllllllllllll
lllllllllllllllllllllllll
lllllllllllllllllllllllll
lllllllllllllllllllllllll

-----------llllllllllllllllllllll

----------------------llllllllllllllllllllll

--------------------------------lllllllllllllllllllllllll

-------------------------------------------llllllllllllllllllllll

-----------------------------------------------------lllllllllllllllllll

The left side is not 20 or 30 deep but fifty to 80 often in square formation , this formation was used against the spartans who where masters of the phalanx and bashed all other greek army's, Epaminondas did make an end to that with this formation.
spartans

elite units = L
LLLLLLLLLLLLLlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

LLLLLLLLLLL
lllllllllllllllllllllllL
llllllllllllllllllllllllL
llllllllllllllllllllllllL

------------llllllllllllllllllllll

------------------------llllllllllllllllllllll

----------------------------------lllllllllllllllllllllllll

----------------------------------------------llllllllllllllllllllll
thebans
--------------------------------------------------------lllllllllllllllllll

The thebans also approached in a line formation and when move to the enemy they refused the right, with the far right side further back ( parralel line ).

When you see this you can imagine what happens:
(spartans=s
Theban = t

now the spartans on the right ( from theban view )side can flank the left
(theban square) but if they do that they will also be flanked , while the theban big square is getting around them

ssssssss
tttttttttt
ttttttttttsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
tttttttttt
tttttttttt
---------tttttttttttt
-------------------tttttttttttt

------------------------------ttttttttttttt

-----------------------------------------tttttttttttt

This is the real Theban Formation, i don't know where you guys got the other formation from, of course there where variations but it won't be a theban formation anymore

of course my english grammer is unreadible :hmmm: so for more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalanx_formation (on the right side , below )