The Phalanx emerged in Greece in the mid seventh century BC and dominated Greek warfare for several centuries. The key to the Phalanx army lay in its organization. Squares of men known as Phalanxes stood shoulder to shoulder, each soldier's large shield protecting his left side and the right side of his neighbor. Phalanx battles tended to be short and relatively non-lethal. At the first charge, one side or the other broke and ran.