Facebook video: French living history hoplite experiment - shared by Russell Briant, 8 May 2026

If you haven’t seen this you might find it interesting. It’s all in French with subtitles. So, you may need to put down your paint brushes to follow. It experiments with what happens when morale fails in a phalanx and one side decides to break and run. It tests this over and over again.

Interesting stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/824840264342234/posts/3290492234443679

https://www.facebook.com/100071131374238/videos/a-french-research-team-from-sur-le-champ-trained-around-200-reenactors-to-study-/1460898381872576/

A French research team from Sur le Champ trained around 200 reenactors to study the crowd dynamics of hoplite warfare and battlefield routs. The results are fascinating—footage like this helps clarify the often vague descriptions left by ancient writers.

In the experiment, some participants were secretly instructed to break and flee at a set moment. Each time, tight formations quickly dissolved into a chaotic yet surprisingly coordinated “chase” phase, with the “victors” scattering to pursue the “retreating” side.

 Vincent Cholewa

Those dudes throwing sticks - someone could lose an eye!

On a more serious note. Seeing an advance with shields overlapping like that, it’s rather formidable. I’d be not overly keen to attack it but I ‘d happily throw my stick at it and run away, fast!

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Russell Briant

Vincent Cholewa then you will be delighted to see running away fast is a large part of the excitement….

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Russell Briant

Vincent Cholewa oops. I’ve not posted the full video. Have rectified another post.