I saw guys with human sized shield advancing in block form. Troy is based in the late Bronze Age. Hoplites began in the Archaic. Were those guys “pre”-hoplites or is this just a slip-up?
-Wolfian, dork
No idea, sorry, but the website has a “Click here to watch the Superbowl ad” link, if anybody’s interested.
IIRC (it’s been 20 years) the Illiad has references to shields clicking on the heels. The trailer shows triremes without oars. Hoplites would have advanced in an orderly line - hoplites depended upon those on either side which made the end positions prestigious. Having a sword and shield does not make you a hoplite. I’ll suspend judgement until I see the film.
Actually, have a sword (as a primary weapon) would make you not a hoplite. The hoplite’s primary weapon was a short thrusting spear (well, short compared to what Alexander’s phalangites would use, anyways). They did carry shortswords as backups, but if these came into play, it would mean that the phalanx was broken and the battle was certainly lost.