the basic combat element of the greek armies was either the "stichos" (meaning "file"; usually 8–16 men strong) or the "enomotia" (meaning "sworn" and made up by 2–4 "stichœ", totaling up to 32 men), both led by a "dimœrites" who was assisted by a "decadarchos" and two "decasterœ" (sing. "decasteros"). four to a maximum of 32 "enomotiæ" (depending on the era in question or the city) were forming a "lochos" led by a "lochagos", who in this way was in command of initially 100 hoplites to a maximum of c. 500 in the late hellenistic armies. here, it has to be noted that the military manuals of asclepiodotus and aelian use the term lochos to denote a file in the phalanx. a "taxis" ("mora" for the spartans) was the greatest standard hoplitic formation of 500 to 1500 men, led by a "strategos" (general). the entire army, a total of several "taxeis" or "moræ" was led by a generals' council. the commander-in-chief was usually called a "polemarchos" or a "strategos autocrator".