I did have a thought last Wednesday as I navigated the surface streets between the red and orange lines downtown. See, I'd been reading up on the Spartans to see how much of that movie was based on Wikipedia and I eased my way into the Phalanx article seeing, as I'm not too familiar with primitive warfare.
The formation was basically impenetrable by known means other than by flanking or by ramming another phalanx into the front of it. Which basically degenerated into a pushing match with stabbing. And the side with more guys pushing usually won out. Of course things got more complicated with schemes to overload one side and break the rank to flank the formation, but in the beginning a bunch of guys standing shoulder to shoulder was the most fearsome site around.
So I was standing at K St waiting for the light to change. Person after person stepped up to the curb all around and behind me. And when that walk sign changed we all stepped in unison into the street, charging at a similarly arranged opposing force of determined young urbanites. Up until the very last step I almost expected some kind of rumble to go down right there in the middle of the sidewalk. Good thing it didn't though, cause I totally forgot to bring my xiphos with me that day.
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