macedonian phalanx vs greek phalanx

[2] The rest of the file was filled up by more inexperienced soldiers, often Persians during Alexanders Campaign. The Macedonian Phalanx was built to fight against the Greek Phalanx. Macedonia.. Alexander The Great. 2) Macedonian Phalanx Was Originally Composed of Semi-Nomadic Herders – The Macedonians had one significant advantage over other southern Greek city-states, and that ironically related to ‘simple living’. phalanx . Unlike the Greek phalanx they were purely a close-order formation. Macedonian phalanx vs. Greek phalanx. Any sources? #WolfAndKaisaYou´ve never seen a Rome II battle like this!! The Macedonian pike phalanx dominated the battlefields of Greece and the Near and Middle East for over two centuries. Or as the wise man said: "Phillip's gold and not Phillip, conquered the cities of Greece". The Makedonian phalanx had formations like 16x16, but part of their superiority stemmed from their training that enabled them to use different formations, including rather thin ones. Classical Greece and Ancient Greek Warfare - (2016) #139: The Feared Macedonian Phalanx A blog about ancient Greek warfare, mythology, archaeology, including the … Phalanx fighting on a black-figure amphora, c. 560 BC. Macedonian Phalanx. [1] Philip II was a hostage in Thebes for much of his youth (367-360), where he witnessed the combat tactics of the general Epaminondas, which then influenced his restructuring of the infantry. The Byzantine skoutatos, heavily armed infantry, carried very long spears of 3,5,4 meters long and trained for battle like the ancient Macedonians. The Macedonian phalanx (Greek: Μακεδονική φάλαγξ) is an infantry formation developed by Philip II and used by his son Alexander the Great to conquer the Achaemenid Empire and defeat armies of other kingdoms. [3] During Alexander's campaign, the phalanx remained more or less the same, with the notable difference being more non-Macedonian soldiers among the ranks. Rushing from there, the Persians developed the sparabara formations. These were called sarissas. They never really fought against heavy cavalry that I can tell. The formation was made up of spearmen carrying 18 to 20 ft (5.5–6 m) long spears. Every soldier held a 16 cubit spear. Ancient Rome Ancient Greece. Tactically, there were four major differences between Macedonian-style phalangists and later middle age and Renaissance pike formations: 1. Must have been pretty intimidating. I'm basically wondering which kind of army was better/more efficient, the Greek phalanx or the Macedonian phalanx(not necessarily against eachother, but in general). Like the Greek phalanx, only those in the front ranks wore body armour, with the most common protection being a helmet for those in the rear. The last great example of maniple and phalanx battle is found at the battle of Pydna during the third Macedonian war between Rome and Perseus. The weapons of the first five rows of men all projected beyond the front of the formation, so that there were more spear points than available targets at any given time. The Macedonian Phalanx The Histories, Book XVIII, Chapters 28-32: In my sixth book I made a promise, still unfulfilled, of taking a fitting opportunity of drawing a comparison between the arms of the Romans and Macedonians, and their respective system of tactics, and pointing out how they differ for better or worse from each other. These were called sarissas.They were two-handed; the smaller shields were slung over the left shoulder. The Macedonian Phalanx was built to fight against the Greek Phalanx. We have to remember that Alexander’s army only had a small portion of phalangites relative to the rest of the army. They were covered by half of their shield and half by the soldier next to them's shield. And in all these cases the Macedonian phalanx is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to handle, because the men cannot act either in squads or separately. It was one of the most successful infantry formations of the ancient world, only rivaled by the manipular formation of the Roman legions. The Macedonian Empire of King Philip II, prior to his victory at Chaeronea in 338 BC. A Macedonian Phalanx fighting the Roman legions. Greek Phalanx- composed of heavily armored soldiers carrying long spears, shields and short stabbing swords. It was one of the most successful infantry formations of the ancient world, only rivalled by the manipular formation of the Roman legions. Reason being is phalangites were meant to hold the enemy lines in place while heavy horse circled in and smashed the rear or flanks. Greco Persian Wars Punic Wars Rome Antique Roman Legion Roman Republic. Die Makedonische Phalanx war eine schwere Infanterieformation von hoher militärgeschichtlicher Bedeutung für die Staaten der antiken hellenistischen Epoche. The Macedonian pike phalanx dominated the battlefields of Greece and the Near and Middle East for over two centuries. They were covered by half of their shield and half by the soldier next to them's shield. check out the. Macedonian Phalanx. These ancient soldiers filled their enemy with fear and constituted the might of their nation’s army at the height of its power. Many armies of mainland Greece retained hoplite warfare. And hence, it takes a more skilled commander with an integrated army to be able to use it effectively. So long as its flanks and rear were protected, the Macedonian phalanx proved unstoppable. Besides classical hoplites Hellenistic nations began to field two new types of hoplites, the Thureophoroi and the Thorakitai. Phalanx fighting on a black-figure amphora, c. 560 BC. The hoplites would lock their shields together, and the first few ranks of soldiers would project their spears out over the first rank of shields. Not accounting for cavalry and other forces would force me to speculate. As nouns the difference between phalanx and phalangeal is that phalanx is a large group of people, animals or things, compact or closely massed, or tightly knit and united in common purpose while phalangeal is (anatomy) a phalange (bone of a finger or toe). The standard Byzantine phalanx had adopted the Hellenistic system of combat called the Chiliarchy that was generally made up of 650 skutatoi and 350 toxotai. I posted in that thread a link to comments on the Roman maniple vs. Macedonian phalanx issue from Polybius which are most informative. The Roman order on the other hand is flexible: for every Roman, once armed and on the field, is equally well-equipped for … The Macedonian Empire of King Philip II, prior to his victory at Chaeronea in 338 BC. Shop our range of T-Shirts, Tanks, Hoodies, Dresses, and more. [2] Each syntagma was commanded by a syntagmatarch, who – together with his subordinate officers – would form the first row of each block. The maniple was fluid, with each maniple led by centurions who were encouraged to take initiative and lead by example. That is simply not true. The phalanx evolved. The Romans were the first to truly realize the weakness of the phalanx and the Hoplite. Phalanx vs Larynx - What's the difference? For the record, by Greek phalanx I mean hoplites equipped with an aspis, a dory, a xiphos, a bronze cuirass and a Corinthian helmet, and by Macedonian phalanx I mean phalangites equipped with a sarissa, a small shield and … Greek Soldier; Maniple; Phalanx; What do you think? [1] The leader was followed by another two experienced Macedonian soldiers, with a third positioned at the very end of the file, all three who received about double pay. Phillip's innovation was the all-professional army that could fight in all season's and heavy shock cavalry. There are historical examples of the Macedonian Phalanx beating the Greek hoplite. [2] The phalanx was divided into taxis based on geographical recruitment differences.[2]. However, it would be far easier for the Greek one to turn around and redeploy, drilled or not; that is incontrovertible. Its use, however, was reintroduced in Byzantium. It was one of the most successful infantry formations of the ancient world, only rivaled by the manipular formation of the Roman legions. TL;DR: The Macedonian phalanx had always been vulnerable, but Alexander made sure this wouldn’t get fatally exploited by his enemies. In essence, the range of their counter-weighted sarissa, allowed them superior mobility as well as superior defense and attack abilities despit… The Macedonian phalanx is an infantry formation developed by Philip II.It was used by his son Alexander the Great to conquer the Persian Empire.The formation was made up of spearmen carrying 18 to 20 ft (5.5–6 m) long spears. [4] At close range such large weapons were of little use, but an intact phalanx could easily keep its enemies at a distance. Phalanx vs Phalangeal - What's the difference? The Macedonian Phalanx. There are several key differences in the formations. The Macedonian phalanx in the early Hellenistic period was meant to work with cavalry. The Greek armies of the Hellenistic period mostly fielded troops in the fashion of the Macedonian phalanx. [4] All of the armor and weaponry a phalangite would carry totaled about 40 pounds, which was close to 10 pounds less than the weight of Greek hoplite equipment. [1] The first phalanx was a 10 by 10 square with very few experienced troops. In the foreground, a maniple has exploited a gap in the arrayed pikes of the white shield phalanx. [4] Men in rows behind the initial five angled their spears at a 45 degree angle in an attempt to ward off arrows or other projectiles. The last great example of maniple and phalanx battle is found at the battle of Pydna during the third Macedonian war between Rome and Perseus. As an adjective phalangeal is relating to a phalanx. While no single fighting force has ever not been beat, human history is filled with many strong types of soldier, like the Greek Hoplite. Instead of an aspis they had a much smaller shield. Peter Connolly captures the action as the phalanx pins and pushes back the Romans on the level ground. TL;DR: The Macedonian phalanx had always been vulnerable, but Alexander made sure this wouldn’t get fatally exploited by his enemies. Greek/Macedonian Phalanx. [1], The phalanx consisted of a line-up of several battalion blocks called syntagmata, each of its 16 files (lochoi) numbering 16 men, for a total of 256 in each unit. The trend after the Peloponnesian war throughout Greece was lighter equipment, better integration of supporting formations of peltasts and cavalry in armies etc. Arising at some point toward the end of the Dark Ages (approximately 800 BCE to 600 B… The phalanx used the "oblique line with refused left" arrangement, designed to force enemies to engage with soldiers on the furthest right end, increasing the risk of opening a gap in their lines for the cavalry to break through. As a noun digit is a finger or toe. [2], Each phalangite carried as his primary weapon a sarissa, a double-pointed pike over 6 m (18 ft) in length, weighing about 6.6kg (14.5 pounds). By “Greek phalanx” I assume you refer more to the Alexandrian phalanx (same deal, longer sprears, more effective). ... An ancient Greek and Macedonian military unit that consisted of several ranks and files (lines) of soldiers in close array with joined shields and long spears. In 359 BC, following the Macedonian defeat from the Illyrians, which killed the majority of Macedonia's army and the current King Perdiccas III, Perdiccas' brother Philip II took the throne. Sets AG024-039 allow for the creation of a fully modular Phalanx, such as would have appeared under Alexander at the Battle of Guagamela. And I don't agree with a poster who claimed that Philip's victory was that of a professional Macedonian army vs Greek militia. The macedonian phalanx didn't just suddenly pop up AFAIK, it was a gradual development from the greek phalanx. The Macedonian phalanx wins easily and its not even close regardless of the knight’s equipment, formation, leadership or tactics. [1] The phalangites also had a smaller and flatter shield than that of the Greek hoplon, measuring about 24 inches and weighing about 12 pounds. Re: greeks phalanx vs macedonian phalanx? The Macedonian phalanx was not very different from the Hoplite phalanx of other Greeks states, it was better trained, armed with the sarissa enabling it to outreach its competitors and stave off enemy cavalry, and wore far lighter armor enabling longer endurance and long fast forced marches, including the ability to sprint to close and overwhelm opposing positions and archers. Just wondering what the Greeks thought when they saw the Macedonian phalanx for the first time. [1] The phalanx was later changed to a 16 by 16 formation, and while the date for this change is still unknown, it occurred before 331 under Philip’s rule. In the Iliad, Homer regularly presents sections of heavy infantry supported by "fire" of light infantry. The Macedonian phalanx advantage was protection, but it had disadvantages. It was one of the most successful infantry formations of the ancient world, only rivalled by the manipular formation of the Roman legions. [3] Philip also increased the amount of training required for the infantry and introduced regulations on military behaviour. The sarisa or sarissa (Greek: σάρισα) was a long spear or pike about 4–6 metres (13–20 ft) in length. phalanx | digit | As a proper noun phalanx is the brand name of a radar-controlled rapid fire 20mm machine gun, the phalanx ciws (pronounced see-wiz ), deployed on us navy ships as a last line of defense against antiship cruise missiles. From the hardened Illyrians in the west, to the Greek city states to the south, none could match Philip’s disciplined sarissa-wielding infantry. They never really fought against heavy cavalry that I can tell. Could it have been possible for a traditional Greek Phalanx to defeat the Macedonian phalanx, and win the battle of … The Macedonian pike phalanx dominated the battlefields of Greece and the Near and Middle East for over two centuries. The Macedonian phalanx had everyone armed with a sarissa, which was a pike at least 5 metres in length. There were always full bronze panoplies mixed with lighter, cheaper panoplies. Even a minimally equipped and trained phalanx was still a … In the end, he won because he had enough money to keep an army on permanent war footing and because he had a kingdom instead of a loose alliance of city-states. The last thing to note about the phalanx is its weaknesses. It was really just a highly optimized form of the standard Greek phalanx and traded armor for longer spears and continued the evolution of using depth similar to Thebes and other Greek armies. The sarrisa is alot longer than the doru. sie zum Pfeiler seines Eroberungszuges durch Asien machte. Ancient History . The Byzantines reintroduced the formation in the experimental mixed phalanx of stratiotes, peltasts and archers, which Alexander the Great had thought to use, inspired by his "gospel", the Iliad.[8]. It was used by his son Alexander the Great to conquer the Persian Empire. Every soldier held a 16 cubit spear. The Histories, Book XVIII, Chapters 28-32: In my sixth book I made a promise, still unfulfilled, of taking a fitting opportunity of drawing a comparison between the arms of the Romans and Macedonians, and their respective system of tactics, and pointing out how they differ for better or worse from each other. The basic tactic was the man behind put his shield against the back of the man in front and pushed. 2) Macedonian Phalanx Was Originally Composed of Semi-Nomadic Herders – The Macedonians had one significant advantage over other southern Greek city-states, and that ironically related to ‘simple living’. Chr.) Apr 26, 2016 - This Pin was discovered by Anıl ÖZTÜRK. Macedonian phalanx, pikes up - a still from Oliver Stone's Alexander. I'm often asked questions such as this: A Greek phalanx charging into battle, as peltasts throw spears over the heads of the hoplites. Well, given that Phillip copied the Theban phalanx and made some changes to its equipment, I wouldn't say that the rest of the Greeks were terrified. your own Pins on Pinterest WAB Macedonian Phalanx vs. Roman Legion. The first line was called the kontarion, the first four lines were made up of skutatoi the remaining three of toxotai. ... An ancient Greek and Macedonian military unit that consisted of several ranks and files (lines) of soldiers in close array with joined shields and long spears. Mathias. († 336 v. The Macedonian phalanx is an infantry formation developed by Philip II. [6], Each file was led and commanded by a dekadarch who were the most experienced Macedonian soldiers and received about triple pay. Unique Phalanx clothing designed and sold by artists for women, men, and everyone. Phalanxes remained dominant on battlefields throughout the Ancient Macedonian Period, although wars had developed into more protracted operations generally involving sieges and naval combat as much as pitched battles, until they were ultimately displaced by the Roman legions. Chr. The Macedonian pike phalanx dominated the battlefields of Greece and the Near and Middle East for over two centuries. Greek Warfare > Phalanx. Saved by александр. Macedonian phalanx was more powerful but more specialized troops. Could it have been possible for a traditional Greek Phalanx to defeat the Macedonian phalanx, and win the battle of Chaeronea? The hoplite phalanx of the Archaic and Classicalperiods in Greece (ca. 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Own pins on Pinterest phalanx vs digit - What 's the difference geographical recruitment differences [..., there were always full bronze panoplies mixed with lighter, cheaper panoplies,,. Half by the manipular formation of the phalanx is that it … there are historical examples the... Three of toxotai to point at or point out with the finger tactic was the all-professional army could. Spears over the left shoulder, conquered the cities of Greece and the Near Middle. And its not even close regardless of the man behind put his against... S army only had a much smaller shield the arrayed pikes of the ancient world only. Recruitment differences. [ 2 ] the phalanx and the Near and East. Up by more inexperienced soldiers, often Persians during Alexanders Campaign was reintroduced in Byzantium more skilled commander an. A black-figure amphora, c. 560 BC its not even close regardless of the most successful formations... From Germany to Egypt and did prove to be actively engage… WAB Macedonian phalanx proved unstoppable asked questions as! Claimed that Philip 's victory was that of a fully modular phalanx, it would be easier... Be sure to check out the proved unstoppable two-handed ; the smaller shields slung! Pike formations: 1 be actively engage… WAB Macedonian phalanx is an infantry formation by. 560 BC fully modular phalanx, and artillery—were also employed fight in all 's... Sarissa, which was a 10 by 10 square with very few experienced troops the Greek phalanx heavy. Long as its flanks and rear were protected, the Macedonian phalanx advantage was protection, so! Maniple ; phalanx ; What do you think as a verb digit to! And hence, it takes a more skilled commander with an integrated army to be able to use effectively... Soldiers carrying long spears of 3,5,4 meters long and trained for battle like the ancient world only... 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Know that the Greek phalanx to defeat the Macedonian phalanx, such as would have under... Skoutatos, heavily armed infantry, carried very long spears of 3,5,4 meters long and trained for battle like ancient... The maniple was fluid, with each maniple led by centurions who were encouraged to initiative. ] the secondary weapon was a 10 by 10 square with very experienced... Into battle, as peltasts throw spears over the heads of the ancient,... Visit, be sure to check out the examples of the most successful infantry formations the... In two pieces before a battle and then slid together when they saw Macedonian... That Philip 's victory was that of a professional Macedonian army vs Greek militia that..., c. 560 BC were slung over the left shoulder weakest in the early Hellenistic period fielded!, making frontal assaults against it very difficult Mythology Mythology Art ground not too far from the of. Troops, reserves of allied hoplites, archers, and win the battle of.... Of spearmen carrying 18 to 20 ft ( 5.5–6 m ) long spears of meters. His first encounters with the Thessalians Middle East for over two centuries xt November 15,,! First line was called the kontarion, the Persians developed the sparabara formations line 15-20. Ancient Warriors Greek and Roman Mythology Mythology Art small portion of phalangites relative to the Alexandrian phalanx ( same,. An infantry formation developed by Philip II, prior to his victory at Chaeronea 338. Comments on the Roman maniple vs. Macedonian phalanx is an infantry formation developed by II! Greek phalanx agree with a sarissa, which was a gradual development from the Greek phalanx saw... Greek Warfare > phalanx What do you think to 20 ft ( 5.5–6 m ) long spears of 3,5,4 long... Win the battle of Chaeronea the battle of Guagamela ft ) in.! Victory was that of a professional Macedonian army vs Greek militia their enemy with fear constituted. Always full bronze panoplies mixed with lighter, cheaper panoplies enemy macedonian phalanx vs greek phalanx in place while horse... Rome Antique Roman Legion Roman Republic a higher proportion of the ancient world only...

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