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φάλαγξ

φάλαγξ, φάλαγξ, φάλαγγος, ἡ, line of battle, phalanx

φάλαγξ [φᾰ], αγγος, ἡ, (v. sub fin.)
  • line of battle, battle-array, Hom. only in Il., once in sg., Τρώων ῥῆξε φάλαγγα Il. 6.6: elsewh. pl. the ranks of an army in battle, Δαναοὶ ῥήξαντο φάλαγγας 11.90; φάλαγγες ἀνδρῶν 19.158, Hes. Th. 935; τῶν κάτω Διὸς φαλάγγων S. Ichn. (lyr.) in PTeb. 692 iii 10.
      • 2 heavy infantry (ὁπλῖται) in battle-order, X. An. 1.8.17, al.; ἡ φ. τῶν ὁπλιτῶν ib. 6.5.27, cf. D. 9.49; opp. πελτασταί, X. An. 6.5.25; opp. ἱππεῖς, Id. Cyr. 6.3.2, Ages. 2.9; τοὺς ἱππεῖς πρὸ τῆς φ. ἔστησαν D.S. 20.10, cf. Plu. Crass. 23; but οἱ Ἕλληνες ἱππεῖς ὥσπερ φ. ἐπὶ τεττάρων παρατεταγμένοι X. HG 3.4.13: esp. line of battle, opp. κέρας (column in marching order), ἐπὶ φάλαγγος ἄγειν, opp. κατὰ κέρας or ἐπὶ κέρως ἄγειν, Id. Cyr. 1.6.43; of ships, Id. HG 6.2.30; ἐκ κέρατος εἰς φ. καταστῆσαι to form from column into line, Id. Cyr. 8.5.15; παρʼ ἀσπίδα παραγαγόντας τὴν ἐνωμοτίαν ἐπὶ φάλαγγος Id. An. 4.3.26; ἐπὶ φάλαγγος καθίστασθαι Id. Cyr. 6.3.21, cf. An. 6.5.7, 25.
        • b main body, centre, opp. the wings (κέρατα), Id. Cyr. 7.1.6, al.
        • c camp, εἴσω, ἔξω φάλαγγος, Id. Ages. 2.15. Lac. 12.3, cf. Eq. 8.12.
      • 3 esp. of the Macedonian phalanx, Plb. 18.29 sqq., etc.
      • 4 in writers on Tactics:
        • a corps of 16384 ὁπλῖται, Ascl. Tact. 2.7, Ael. Tact. 8.3.
        • b corps of 8192 ψιλοί ( = ἐπίταγμα, q.v.) Ascl. Tact. 2.7, Arr. Tact. 14.2.
        • c contingent of 64 chariots ( = two κέρατα), Ascl. Tact. 8, Ael. Tact. 22.2.
        • d contingent of 64 elephants, ib. 23.
      • 5 metaph., λοπάδων παρατεταγμένη φ. Diph. 44.3; of a band of pupils, Lib. Ep. 145.1; of a governorʼs staff (Lat. officium), Id. Or. 46.11.
    • II round piece of wood, trunk, log, φάλαγγες ἐβένου Hdt. 3.97; ἐκ κοτίνοιο φ. A.R. 2.843; φ. πύξιναι IG ΙΙ(2).287 B 145 (Delos, iii B. C.).
      • 2 pl., rollers for moving heavy loads, A.R. 1.375 sq., Orph. A. 270: sg., Phryn. PS p.124B.
      • 3 arm of a balance, Arist. Mech. 849b36; arm of the Danish steelyard, ib. 853b25.
    • III = φάραγξ, BGU 282.18 (ii A. D.).
    • IV bone between two joints of the fingers and toes, Arist. HA 493b29; pl., Ruf. Onom. 84 (but metacarpals, [Ruf.] Oss. 22).
      • 2 row of eyelashes, Paul.Aeg. 6.8.
    • V = φαλάγγιον I, Ar. V. 1509, Ra. 1314 (lyr.), Pl.Com. 22, X. Mem. 3.11.6: masc. in Arist. HA 609a5. (The orig. sense was prob. log, cf. OHG balcho ‘beam’, Lat. sufflamen (for sub-flag-men) ‘brake’.)

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