Abstract
Abstract The role of the hoplite as a central pillar of the ancient polis-system seems incontrovertible nowadays. From the 8th/7th century B.C. on, these bronze armour-clad warriors fought in a closed formation, the phalanx, and successfully defended the Greek mainland against the Persians, or the Greek colonies along Mediterranean shores.
The military brotherhood and equality involved created a feeling of belonging, and thus led to the development of the most important political institution of ancient times, the popular assembly. Nevertheless, this thesis has led to deep disagreement among classical researchers.
Supporters of the "traditional" approach and their opponents, the "gradualists", confront each other regularly with extremely forceful arguments. However, this discussion has not attracted much attention other than among historians, for instance in classical archaeology, despite the topic's axiomatic character for the overall understanding of ancient Greece.
This paper thus tries on the one hand to present the arguments involved, and on the other to pose the question how material culture can help in addressing issues of the development