Lewis & Short

phălanx (post-class. fălanx), angis, f., = φάλαγξ.

  1. I. In gen.
    1. 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.
    2. B. Trop., a host, multitude (postclass.): culparum, Prud. Psych. 816.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. 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.
    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.
      1. 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.