phălanx (post-class. fălanx), angis, f., = φάλαγξ.
I In gen.
A Lit., a band of soldiers , a host drawn up in close order (poet.): Agamemnoniae phalanges, Verg. A. 6, 489: densae, id. ib. 12, 662: Tuscorum, id. ib. 12, 551: animosa (said of eight brothers fighting together), id. ib. 12, 277: junctae umbone phalanges, Juv. 2, 46.—
B Trop., a host , multitude (postclass.): culparum, Prud. Psych. 816.—
II In partic.
A Among the Athenians and Spartans, a division of an army drawn up in battle array , a battalion , phalanx , Nep. Chabr. 1, 2; id. Pelop. 4, 2.—
B The Macedonian order of battle , a Macedonian phalanx (a compact parallelogram of fifty men abreast and sixteen deep), Nep. Eum. 7, 1; Curt. 3, 2, 13; Liv. 31, 39, 10; cf.: quae (cohortes) cuneum Macedonum (phalangem ipsi vocant) perrumperent, id. 32, 17, 11: fecerat et falangem triginta milium hominum, Lampr. Alex. Sev. 50, 5.—
2 An order of battle of the Gauls and Germans , forming a parallelogram: Helvetii confertissimā acie, phalange factā, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 24; 1, 52: phalangem perfringere, id. ib. 1, 25.