Quote Originally Posted by conon394
Uesugi Kenshin

I think your overstating it a bit J.C. does use the word phalanx, but there really are not many other words he could have used to quickly describe men armed with spears and shields and fighting in close order. However the context is important. I don't think the text supports Caesar as being surprised or impressed.
Rather in one case he has little trouble finding men to rush in and break the enemy formation (1.54), or (1.24) the legions are describes as easily breaking the 'phalanx'. There is no place in Caesar’s description for the distress or awe inspired by the Macedonian phalanx. No lifelong dread of A. Paullus, or desperation like that of Flaminus, thinking one whole wing of his army was being swept away by the advancing Macedonians.

Also not similar to the greeks in that, having been forced to loose their shield, the German and Gauls are described as effectively unarmored. A Hoplite, loosing his shield would hardly be noted as unarmored.
The hoplites phalanx could most certainly be broken by less formed troops. Remember Marathon? The Persians broke through in the center but that caused their downfall in that the flanks swung in. Thus I see no problem in the Romans being able to punch through a solid line of spearmen.
And using the Macedonain phalanx as a comparison is not fair as the Germans had no real similarity to that.
And the hoplites... Well have you read about the Polopponesian Wars? Or the wars between Sparta and Thebes? We are talking about naked hoplites or very lightly armorued ones. Indeed quite unarmoured.