In ancient Greece and during the Byzantine era, the Promachoi (singular: Promachos; Greek: πρόμαχος) were the men fighting in the first rank of the phalanx.[1][2] The word can also be used as an adjective as in "promachos line",[3] the first line of battle or Athena Promachos, the famous bronze statue made by Pheidias.
The first use of the word is recorded in Homer's Iliad[4] and since then it has been used all through antiquity, the Byzantine years up to the modern times.
References[]
- ↑ Perseus Project - Greek Word Study Tool (πρόμαχος).
- ↑ Sylloge Tacticorum, 45.15
- ↑ Leo VI. Tactica, 12.43
- ↑ Homer Iliad, Ξ.82
The original article can be found at Promachos and the edit history here.