Are Iphikrates Hoplites the same thing as Thureophoroi?

[James the Red]

Its been a while since I played EBI, but from what I remember the Iphikrates Hoplites looked a lot like the Thureophoroi. Like the hoplites were merely the Thureophoroi but in a phalanx and no javelins. Were these guys historically the same thing but can't be depicted as such due to the games limitations? Similar to how you can't dismount cavalry or have units with more than one ranged weapon.

[wakain]

Though being no expert I would say they reflect a similar evolution from rigid to more flexible (supporting) infantry though in a different context. The Thureophoroi being product Diadochi reforms, and the iphikrates form a similar though different role in the Greek poleis.

[James the Red]

Though being no expert I would say they reflect a similar evolution from rigid to more flexible (supporting) infantry though in a different context. The Thureophoroi being product Diadochi reforms, and the iphikrates form a similar though different role in the Greek poleis.

Yes, but according to wikipedia the thureophoroi were capable of different roles on the battlefield, being able to form a Phalanx. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thureophoroi. Thureophoroi are described as infantry that can skirmish who can also form up into a phalanx, and here in EB there is a thureophoroi unit that can skirmish but not form a phalanx, and a similar looking unit that can't skirmish but is a phalanx unit.

Here's an old, but pretty persuasive article on the Evolution of Hellenistic Infantry, starting with Iphikrates.

So, did the Iphikrates Hoplites and the concept of the peltasts simply evolve into the thureophoroi, or were there still dedicated hoplite phallanx guys in addition to the thureophoroi? And once many of the greeks started using the macedonian style pike formations, did the Iphikrates Hoplite model survive at all then? Because it seems like pikemen and thureophoroi would do the same jobs as the hoplites but better (With the pikemen being better in a phalanx and the thureophoroi being better outside of rigid formations and skirmishing, but could also tighten up into a phalanx).

[QuintusSertorius]

Here's an old, but pretty persuasive article on the Evolution of Hellenistic Infantry, starting with Iphikrates.

[Thuycidides]

In EB1 the Iphikratous Hoplitai also had swords as a backup weapon. However, they weren't really worth recruiting because the classical hoplites were better in most circumstances.

[texoman81]

Iphikratous Hoplietes are intermediate between hoplite and Macedonian style phalanxes. They are both distinct historical units. Well some dispute the historicity of the Iphikratous Hoplites, but i believe they existed as many historians do. The Macedonian phalanx is likely the evolution of the changes that Iphicrates made to hoplites in Athens.