I’ve seen two competing theories, one where the men stab at each other with their spears and another where the two phalanges clash and push together (the Othismos). How would the latter not cause the front ranks in both armies to be crushed to death by the men behind them? For which theory is there currently more evidence?
Thank you in advance
/u/Iphikrates has written on this topic many times, and was interviewed on the AskHistorians podcast about hoplites.
Why was the Greek phalanx so important and how has it influenced warfare today?
Why did the Greeks develop the phalanx, when Greece is such a mountainous place?
Etc.