ancient Greek civilization

Military technology remained surprisingly static in the 5th century. The 7th century, by contrast, had witnessed rapid innovations, such as the introduction of the hoplite and the trireme, which still were the basic instruments of war in the 5th. The 4th century was to be another period of military change, although some of the new features were already discernible in the period of the Peloponnesian War (such as the more intelligent use of light-armed troops, as in the northwest and at Sphacteria in the 420s; the more extensive use of mercenaries; and the deepened right wing in the formation of the hoplite army used at Delium). But it was the development of artillery that opened an epoch, and this invention did not predate the 4th century. It was first heard of in the context of Sicilian warfare against Carthage in the time of Dionysius I of Syracuse.