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Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2007) | The phalanx (plural phalanxes or phalanges) is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, or similar weapons. The term is particularly (and originally) used to describe the use of this formation in ancient Greek warfare. The word phalanx is derived from the Greek word phalangos, meaning the finger, and the Phalanx bones in both the hands and feet named after the phalanx formation. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...
Look up phalanx in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Phalanx (Greek word from phalangos, meaning Finger) can refer to: phalanx formation in ancient warfare. ...
In geometry, a rectangle is a defined as a quadrilateral polygon in which all four angles are right angles. ...
A formation is a high-level military organization, such as a Brigade, Division, Corps, Army or Army group. ...
Spears were one of the most common personal weapons from the late Bronze Age until the advent of firearms. ...
A modern recreation of a mid-17th century company of pikemen. ...
For other uses, see Weapon (disambiguation). ...
The term ancient Greece refers to the periods of Greek history in Classical Antiquity, lasting ca. ...
For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ...
The phalanges in a human hand Illustration of the phalalnges The name Phalanges is commonly given to the bones that form fingers and toes. ...
The term 'phalanx' itself does not refer to a distinctive military unit or division (i.e. the Roman legion or the contemporary Western-type battalion) but to the general formation of an army's troops. Thus a phalanx did not have a standard combat strength or composition.
Many spear-armed troops historically fought in what might be termed phalanx-like formations. Indeed, the word has come into use in common English to describe "a group of people standing, or moving forward closely together" [1]; c.f. "a phalanx of police" [2]. As well, the bone structure in the hands and feet earned its name, the Phalanx bones, from the arrangement of bones and joints which, when viewed from the sides, appear to be standing in a phalanx formation. The phalanges in a human hand Illustration of the phalalnges The name Phalanges is commonly given to the bones that form fingers and toes. ...
This article, however, focuses on the use of the military phalanx formation in Ancient Greece, the Hellenistic world, and other ancient states heavily influenced by Greek civilisation. The term ancient Greece refers to the periods of Greek history in Classical Antiquity, lasting ca. ...
The term Hellenistic (derived from Héllēn, the Greeks traditional self-described ethnic name) was established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen to refer to the spreading of Greek culture over the non-Greek people that were conquered by Alexander the Great. ...
Origins
The earliest known depiction of a phalanx-like formation occurs in a Sumerian stele from 2450 BC. Here the troops seem to have been equipped with spears, helmets, and large shields covering the whole body. Ancient Egyptian infantry were known to have employed similar formations. The first usage of the term phalanx comes from Homer's "(φαλαγξ)", used to describe hoplites fighting in an organized battle line. Homer used the term to differentiate the formation-based combat from the individual duels so often found in his poems. [3] Image File history File linksMetadata Stele_of_Vultures_detail_01a. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Stele_of_Vultures_detail_01a. ...
Sumer (or Shumer, Sumeria, Shinar, native ki-en-gir) formed the southern part of Mesopotamia from the time of settlement by the Sumerians until the time of Babylonia. ...
Eannatum was a Sumerian king of Lagash who established one of the first verifiable empires in history. ...
Umma was an ancient city in Sumer. ...
Eannatum was a Sumerian king of Lagash who established one of the first verifiable empires in history. ...
This article is about the stone structure. ...
A spear is an ancient weapon, used for hunting and war. ...
Pith helmet of Harry S. Truman A helmet is a form of protective clothing worn on the head and usually made of metal or some other hard substance, typically for protection from falling objects or high-speed collisions. ...
This article is about the handheld defensive device. ...
Map of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was the civilization of the Nile Valley between about 3000 BC and the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. As a civilization based on irrigation it is the quintessential example of an hydraulic empire. ...
This article is about the Greek poet Homer and the works attributed to him. ...
Warfare in Hellenic Greece centered mainly around heavy infantrymen called hoplites. ...
A duel is a formalized type of combat. ...
Historians have not arrived at a consensus about the relationship between the Greek formation and these predecessors. The principles of shield wall and spear hedge were almost universally known among the armies of major civilizations throughout history, and so the similarities may be due to convergent evolution instead of diffusion. For other uses, see Historian (disambiguation). ...
For other uses, see Consensus (disambiguation). ...
The formation of Shield walls is a military tactic common to many cultures. ...
In evolutionary biology, convergent evolution is the process whereby organisms not closely related, independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches. ...
Traditionally historians date the origin of the hoplite phalanx of ancient Greece to the 8th century BC in Sparta, but this is under revision. It is perhaps more likely that the formation was devised in the 7th century BC after the introduction of the aspis (a shield also known as the hoplon) by the city of Argos, which would have made the formation possible. This is further evidenced by the Chigi vase, dated to 650 BC, identifying hoplites armed with aspis, spear and panoply. [4] The hoplite was a heavy infantryman that was the central focus of warfare in Ancient Greece. ...
For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ...
An aspis (Ancient Greek Ασπις, IPA [aspis]) is the generic term for the word shield. ...
A Hoplon is the circular shield carried by Greek infantry of the Hellenistic period. ...
This article is about the city in Greece. ...
Overview
 A reconstitution illustration of the Greek hoplites marching in a phalanx formation. The hoplite phalanx of the Archaic and Classical periods in Greece (approx. 750-350 BCE) was a formation in which the hoplites would line up in ranks in close order. 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. The phalanx therefore presented a shield wall and a mass of spear points to the enemy, making frontal assaults much more difficult. It also allowed a higher proportion of the soldiers to be actively engaged in combat at a given time (rather than just those in the front rank). Image File history File links Greek_Phalanx. ...
Image File history File links Greek_Phalanx. ...
The hoplite was a heavy infantryman that was the central focus of warfare in Ancient Greece. ...
The archaic period in Greece is the period during which the ancient Greek city-states developed, and is normally taken to cover roughly the 9th century to the 6th century BCE. The Archaic period followed the dark ages, and saw significant advancements in political theory, and the rise of democracy...
Parthenon This article is on the term Classical Greece itself. ...
When advancing towards an enemy, the phalanx would break into a run that was sufficient enough to create momentum but not too much as to lose cohesion. The opposing sides would collide viciously, possibly shivering many of the spears of the front row. The battle would then rely on the valour of the men in the front line; whilst those in the rear maintained forward pressure on the front ranks with their shields. When in combat, the whole formation would consistently press forward trying to break the enemy formation; thus when two phalanx formations engaged, the struggle essentially became a pushing match, in which, as a rule, the deeper phalanx would almost always win, with few recorded exceptions.
Individual hoplites carried their shields on their left arm, protecting not themselves but the soldier to the left. This meant that the men at the extreme right of the phalanx were only half protected. In battle, opposing phalanxes would exploit this weakness by attempting to overlap the enemy's right flank. It also meant that, in battle, a phalanx would tend to drift to the right (as hoplites sought to remain behind the shield of their neighbour). The most experienced hoplites were often placed on the right side of the phalanx, to counteract these problems. There was a leader in each row of a phalanx, and a rear rank officer, the ouragos (meaning tail-leader), who kept order in the rear. The phalanx is thus an example of a military formation in which the individualistic elements of battle were suppressed for the good of the whole. The hoplites had to trust their neighbours to protect them; and be willing to protect their neighbour; a phalanx was thus only as strong as its weakest elements.The effectiveness of the phalanx therefore depended upon how well the hoplites could maintain this formation while in combat, and how well they could stand their ground, especially when engaged against another phalanx. For this reason, the formation was deliberately organized to group friends and family closely together, thus providing a psychological incentive to support one's fellows, and a disincentive through shame to panic or attempt to flee. The more disciplined and courageous the army the more likely it was to win - often engagements between the various city-states of Greece would be resolved by one side fleeing before the battle. The Greek word dynamis, the "will to fight", expresses the drive that kept hoplites in formation.
“Now of those, who dare, abiding one beside another, to advance to the close fray, and the foremost champions, fewer die, and they save the people in the rear; but in men that fear, all excellence is lost. No one could ever in words go through those several ills, which befall a man, if he has been actuated by cowardice. For ‘tis grievous to wound in the rear the back of a flying man in hostile war. Shameful too is a corpse lying low in the dust, wounded behind in the back by the point of a spear.” [Tyrtaeus: The War Songs Of Tyrtaeus]
The phalanx of the Ancient Macedonian kingdom and the later Hellenistic successor states was a development of the hoplite phalanx. The 'phalangites' were armed with much longer spears (the sarissa; see below), and less heavily armoured. Since the sarissa was wielded two-handed, phalangites carried much smaller shields , strapped to their arms. Therefore, although a Macedonian phalanx would have formed up in similar manner to a hoplite phalanx, it possessed very different tactical properties. With the extra spear length, up to five rows of phalangites could project their weapon beyond the front rank; keeping enemy troops at greater distance. The Macedonian phalanx was much less able to form a shield wall, but the lengthened spears would have compensated for this. Such a phalanx formation also reduces the likelihood that battles would degenerate into a pushing match. Ancient Macedons regions and towns Macedon or Macedonia (Greek ) was the name of an ancient kingdom in the northern-most part of ancient Greece, bordered by the kingdom of Epirus to the west and the region of Thrace to the east. ...
In general Diadochi (in Greek Διάδοχοι, transcripted Diadochoi) means successors, such that the neoplatonic refounders of Platos Academy in Late Antiquity referred to themselves as diadochi (of Plato). ...
See also Ancient Macedonian army Roman mosaic of the Battle of Issus The army of ancient Macedon is considered to be among the greatest military forces of the ancient world. ...
Hoplite Armament Each hoplite provided their own equipment. The primary hoplite weapon was a spear around 2.7 meters in length called a doru. Although accounts of its length vary, it is usually now believed to have been seven to nine feet long (~2.1 - ~2.7m). It was held one-handed, the other hand holding the hoplite's shield. The spearhead was usually a curved leaf shape, while the rear of the spear had a spike called a sauroter ('lizard-killer') which was used to stand the spear in the ground (hence the name). It was also used as a secondary weapon if the main shaft snapped, or for the rear ranks to finish off fallen opponents as the phalanx advanced over them. It is a matter of contention among historians whether the hoplite used the spear overarm or underarm. Held underarm, the thrusts would have been less powerful but under more control, and vice versa. It seems likely that both motions were used, depending on the situation. If attack was called for, an overarm motion was more likely to break through an opponent's defense. The upward thrust is more easily deflected by armour due to its lesser leverage. However, when defending, an underarm carry absorbed more shock and could be 'couched' under the shoulder for maximum stability. It should also be said that an overarm motion would allow more effective combination of the aspis and doru if the shield wall had broken down, while the underarm motion would be more effective when the shield had to be interlocked with those of one's neighbours in the battle-line. Hoplites in the rows behind the lead would almost certainly have made overarm thrusts. The rear ranks held their spears underarm, and raised spears upwards at increasing angles. This was an effective defence against missiles, deflecting their force. Spears were one of the most common personal weapons from the late Bronze Age until the advent of firearms. ...
Dory (Greek: ΔόÏÏ…), was a type of spear in general use in the ancient Greek and Hellenistic world. ...
An aspis (Ancient Greek Ασπις, IPA [aspis]) is the generic term for the word shield. ...
Hoplites also carried a short sword called a xiphos. The short sword was a secondary weapon, used if and when spears broke.A hoplite typically wore a bronze breastplate, a bronze helmet with cheekplates, as well as greaves and other armour. Hoplites carried a circular shield called an aspis (often referred to as a hoplon) made from wood and covered in bronze, measuring roughly 1 meter in diameter. This medium-sized shield (and indeed, large for the time) was made possible partly by its shape, which allowed it to be supported on the shoulder. It spanned from chin to knee and was very heavy (8-15 kg). This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
This can also refer to a piece of riding equipment, see Breastplate (tack). ...
A person wearing a helmet. ...
A greave (from 12th century French greve shin, of uncertain origin) is a piece of armour that protects the leg. ...
For other uses, see Armour (disambiguation). ...
An aspis (Ancient Greek Ασπις, IPA [aspis]) is the generic term for the word shield. ...
A Hoplon is the circular shield carried by Greek infantry of the Hellenistic period. ...
Phalangite Armament The sarissa was the spear used by the Ancient Macedonian army. The actual length of the sarissa is now unknown, but apparently it was twice as long as the doru. This makes it at least 14 feet (~4.3m), but 18 (~5.5m) appears more likely. (The cavalry xyston was 12.5 feet (~3.8m) by comparison.) The great length of the spear was balanced by a counterweight at the rear end, which also function as butt-spike, allowing the sarissa to be planted into the ground. Due to its great length, weight and different balance, a sarissa was wielded two-handed. This meant that the aspis was no longer a practical defense. Instead, the phalangites strapped a smaller pelte shield (usually reserved for light skirmishers - peltasts) to their left forearm. Although this reduced the shield wall, the extreme length of the spear prevented most enemies from closing, as the spears of the first three to five ranks could all be brought to bear in front of the front row. This spear had to be held underhand, as the shield would have obscured the soldier's vision had it been held overhead. It would also be very hard to remove a sarissa from anything it stuck in (the earth, shields, and soldiers of the opposition) if it were thrust downwards, due to its length. For the Bronze Age Hittite city, go to Kusakli. ...
Roman mosaic of the Battle of Issus The army of ancient Macedon is considered to be among the greatest military forces of the ancient world. ...
Xyston (Greek spear, javelin) was a type of a long thrusting lance in ancient Greece. ...
A peltast was a type of light infantry in Ancient Greece who often served as skirmishers. ...
Deployment & Combat
Phalanx composition and strength The basic combat element of the Greek armies was the stoichis or stoichos (meaning "rank") or enomotia (meaning "sworn") 16 to 25 men strong, led by a decadarchos who was assisted by a dimoerites and two decasteroe (sing. decasteros). Four to a maximum of 32 enomotiae (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.a 500 in the late Hellenistic armies. 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 morae was led by a generals' council. In the later, commander-in-chief was a polemarchos (democracies) where a single dissent was almost equivalent of a veto or a strategos autocrator (tyrannies and democratic coalitions) or a king (kingdoms). Warfare in Hellenic Greece centered mainly around heavy infantrymen called hoplites. ...
The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance...
Phalanx front and depth Hoplite phalanxes usually deployed in ranks of 8 men or more deep; The Macedonian phalanxes were often up to a maximum of 16 men deep. There are some notable exceptions; for instance, at the battles of Leuctra and Mantinea, the Theban general Epaminondas arranged the left wing of the phalanx into a "hammerhead" of 50 ranks of elite hoplites deep (see below). Combatants Thebes Sparta Commanders Epaminondas Cleombrotus I †Strength 6,000–7,000 10,000–11,000 Casualties Unknown About 2,000 The Battle of Leuctra is a battle fought between the Thebans and the Spartans and their allies in the neighbourhood of Leuctra, a village in Boeotia in the territory...
Several important battles in ancient Greek history were fought at Mantinea: Battle of Mantinea (418 BC) Battle of Mantinea (362 BC) Battle of Mantinea (207 BC) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
For information about the modern board game of the same name, see Epaminondas (game). ...
The phalanx depth, however, could vary depending on the needs, and the generals' plans. While the phalanx was in march, an eis bathos formation (loose) was adopted in order to move more freely and mantain order. This was also the initial battle formation as, in addition, permitted friendly units to pass threw either assaulting or retreating. In this status, the phalanx had double depth than the normal and each hoplite had to occupy about 1.8-2m in width (6-7ft). When enemy infantry was approaching, a rapid swich to the pykne formation (tight) was necessary. In that case, each man's space was cut in half (0.9-1m or 3ft in width) and the formation depth was turning on normal. But if the phalanx was experiencing extra pressure, intense missile volleys or frontal cavalry charges, an instant swich to the synaspismos formation (ultra tight) was obligatory. In synaspismos the rank depth was half of the normal and the width each men occupied was as less as 0.45m (1.5ft)
Stages of combat Several stages in hoplite combat can be defined:
Ephodos: The hoplites stop singing their paeanes (battle hymns) and move towards the enemy, gradually picking up pace and momentum. In the instants before impact war cries would be made.
Krousis: The opposing phalanxes meet each other almost simultaneously along their front. The promachoe (the front-liners) had to be physically and psychologically fitted to sustain and survive the clash.
Doratismos: Repeated, rapid spear thrusts in order to disrupt the enemy formation.
Othismos: Litteraly "pushing" after the most spears have broken, the hoplites begin to push with their large shields and use their secondary weapon, the sword. This could be the longest phase.
Pararrhexis: "Breaching" the opposing phallanx, the enemy formation shatters and the battle ends.
Tactics The early history of the phalanx is largely one of combat between hoplite armies from competing greek city states. The usual result was rather identical, inflexible formations pushing against each other until one broke. The potential of the phalanx to achieve something more was demonstrated at Battle of Marathon (490 BC). Facing the much larger army of Darius I, the Athenians thinned out their phalanx and consequently lengthened their front, to avoid being outflanked. However, even a reduced-depth phalanx proved unstoppable by the lightly armed Persian infantry. After routing the Persian wings, the hoplites on the Athenian wings wheeled inwards, destroying the elite troop at the Persian centre, resulting in a crushing victory for Athens. Throughout the Greco-Persian Wars the hoplite phalanx was to prove superior to the Persian infantry (e.g. The battles of Thermopylae and Plataea). Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (494x870, 99 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Epaminondas Battle of Leuctra Phalanx formation ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (494x870, 99 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Epaminondas Battle of Leuctra Phalanx formation ...
The hoplite was a heavy infantryman that was the central focus of warfare in Ancient Greece. ...
An order of battle (often abbreviated as ORBAT, OOB, or OB) is an organizational tool used by military intelligence to list and analyze enemy military units. ...
For information about the modern board game of the same name, see Epaminondas (game). ...
The Oblique Order (or declined or refused flank) is a military tactic where an attacking army focuses its forces to attack a single enemy flank. ...
Combatants Thebes Sparta Commanders Epaminondas Cleombrotus I †Strength 6,000–7,000 10,000–11,000 Casualties Unknown About 2,000 The Battle of Leuctra is a battle fought between the Thebans and the Spartans and their allies in the neighbourhood of Leuctra, a village in Boeotia in the territory...
Combatants Athens, Plataea Persia Commanders Miltiades, Callimachus †, Arimnestus Datis †?, Artaphernes Strength 10,000 Athenians, 1,000 Plataeans 20,000 - 100,000 a Casualties 192 Athenians killed, 11 Plataeans killed (Herodotus) 6,400 killed, 7 ships captured (Herodotus) a These are modern consensus estimates. ...
Seal of Darius I, showing the king hunting on his chariot, and the symbol of Ahuramazda Darius the Great (Pers. ...
Persian Wars redirects here. ...
For other uses, see Battle of Thermopylae (disambiguation). ...
Combatants Greek city-states Persia Commanders Pausanias Mardonius †Strength 110,000 (Herodotus) ~40,000 (Modern Consensus) 300,000 (Herodotus) 50,000-70,000 [1][2][3] (Modern Consensus) Casualties 10,000+ (Ephorus and Diodorus) 1,360 (Plutarch) 759 (Herodotus) 43,000 survived (Herodotus) The Battle of Plataea was the final...
Perhaps the most prominent example of the phalanx's evolution was the oblique advance, made famous in the Battle of Leuctra. There, the Theban general Epaminondas thinned out the right flank and center of his phalanx, and deepened his left flank to an unheard-of 50 men deep. In doing so, Epaminondas reversed the convention by which the right flank of the phalanx was strongest. This allowed the Thebans to assault in strength the elite Spartan troops on the right flank of the opposing phalanx. Meanwhile, the centre and right flank of the Theban line were echeloned back, from the opposing phalanx, keeping the weakened parts of the formation from being engaged. Once the Spartan right had been routed by the Theban left, the remainder of the Spartan line also broke. Thus by localising the attacking power of the hoplites, Epaminondas was able to defeat an enemy previously thought invincible. Oblique can mean one of several things: In linguistics, oblique case. ...
Combatants Thebes Sparta Commanders Epaminondas Cleombrotus I †Strength 6,000–7,000 10,000–11,000 Casualties Unknown About 2,000 The Battle of Leuctra is a battle fought between the Thebans and the Spartans and their allies in the neighbourhood of Leuctra, a village in Boeotia in the territory...
For information about the modern board game of the same name, see Epaminondas (game). ...
Philip II of Macedon spent several years in Thebes as a hostage, and paid attention to Epaminondas' innovations. Upon return to his homeland, he raised an revolutionary new infantry force, which was to change the face of the Greek world. Phillip's phalangites were the first force of professional soldiers seen in Ancient Greece apart from Sparta. They were armed with longer spears and were drilled more thoroughly in more evolved, complicated tactics and manoeuvers. More importantly, though, Phillip's phalanx was part of a multi-faceted, combined force that included a variety of skirmishers and cavalry, most notably the famous Companion cavalry. The Macedonian phalanx now was used to pin the center of the enemy line, while cavalry and more mobile infantry struck at the foe's flanks. Its supremacy over the more static armies fielded by the Greek City States was shown the Battle of Chaeronea, where Philip II's army crushed the allied Theban and Athenian phalanxes. Philip II of Macedon: victory medal (niketerion) struck in Tarsus, 2nd c. ...
Skirmishers are infantry soldiers who are stationed ahead or to the sides of a larger body of friendly troops. ...
Not to be confused with Golgotha, which was called Calvary. ...
The Companions (Greek ΕταίÏοι) were Alexander the Greats elite cavalry, the main offensive arm of his army, and also his elite guard. ...
Combatants Macedon Athens, Thebes Commanders Philip II of Macedon, Alexander the Great Chares of Athens, Lysicles of Athens, Theagenes of Boeotia Strength 22,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry 35,000 Casualties 3,800 killed 5,000 Athenians killed, 254+ Boeotians killed, 3,000 captured The Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC...
Weaknesses The Hoplite Phalanx was weakest when facing an enemy fielding lighter and more flexible troops without its own such supporting troops. An example of this would be the Battle of Lechaeum, where an Athenian contigent led by Iphicrates routed an entire Spartan mora (a unit of anywhere from 500 to 900 hoplites). The Athenian force had a considerable proportion of light missile troops armed with javelins and bows which wore down the Spartans with repeated attacks, causing disarray in the Spartan ranks and an eventual rout when they spotted Athenian heavy infantry reinforcements trying to flank them by boat. Combatants Athens Sparta Commanders Iphicrates Unknown Strength Unknown, but force composed almost entirely of peltasts. ...
For other uses, see Athens (disambiguation). ...
Iphicrates (d. ...
For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ...
An athlete throwing the javelin. ...
This article is about the projectile weapon bow. ...
A rout is a disorderly withdrawal made by a military force following defeat , a collapse of discipline, or poor morale. ...
The Macedonian Phalanx had weaknesses similar to its hoplitic predecessor. Theoretically indestructible from the front, its flanks and rear were very vulnerable, and once engaged it could probably not easily disengage or redeploy to face a threat from those directions. Thus, a phalanx facing non-phalangite formations required some sort of protection on its flanks--lighter or at least more mobile infantry, cavalry, etc. This was shown at the Battle of Magnesia, where, once the Seleucid supporting infantry elements were driven off, the phalanx was helpless against its Roman opponents. Combatants Roman Republic Seleucid Empire Commanders Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus Scipio Africanus Eumenes II of Pergamum Antiochus III the Great Strength 50. ...
The Macedonian phalanx could also lose its cohesion while moving through broken terrain; doing so could create gaps between individual blocks/syntagmata, or could prevent a solid front within those sub-units as well. In this event, as in the Battle of Pydna, the phalanx became vulnerable to attacks by more flexible units--such as Roman legionary centuries, which were able to avoid the sarissae and engage in hand-to-hand combat with the phalangites. The Macedonian phalanx is an infantry formation developed by Philip II and used by his son Alexander the Great to conquer the Persian Empire and other armies. ...
Belligerents Macedon Roman Republic Commanders Perseus of Macedon # Lucius Aemilius Paulus Macedonicus Strength 44,000 38,000 Casualties and losses 25,000 killed and wounded 1000+ dead, numerous wounded. ...
Finally, most of the phalanx-centric armies tended to lack supporting echelons behind the main line of battle. This meant was that breaking through the line of battle or compromising one of its flanks often ensured victory.
Demise After reaching its zenith in the conquests of Alexander the Great, the phalanx as a military formation began a slow decline, mirrored by the decline in the Macedonian successor states themselves. The combined arms tactics used by Alexander and his father were gradually replaced by a return to the simpler frontal charge tactics of the hoplite phalanx. For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ...
The decline of the diadochi and the phalanx was inextricably linked with the rise of Rome and the Roman Legion, from the 3rd century BCE. The Romans had originally fought in a phalanx formation themselves, but gradually evolved more flexible tactics, resulting in the familiar Legion. Rome would eventually conquer all the Macedonian successor states, and the various Greek city-states and leagues. These territories were incorporated into the Roman Republic, and since the Hellenic states which had ceased to exist, so did the armies which had traditional used the phalanx formation. Subsequently, troops raised from these regions by the Romans would have been equipped and fought in line with the Roman system. In general Diadochi (in Greek Διάδοχοι, transcripted Diadochoi) means successors, such that the neoplatonic refounders of Platos Academy in Late Antiquity referred to themselves as diadochi (of Plato). ...
Legion redirects here. ...
There must remain some question as to whether the phalanx was actually obsolete by the end of its history. In some of the major battles between the Roman Army and Hellenistic phalanxes, Pydna (168 BCE), Cynoscephalae (197 BCE) and Magnesia (190 BCE), the phalanx performed relatively well against the legionaries, initially driving the roman infantry back. However, at Cynoscephalae and Magnesia, failure to defend the flanks of the Phalanx led to defeat; whilst at Pydna, the loss of cohesion of the Phalanx when pursuing the retreating Roman soldiers allowed the Romans to penetrate into the phalanx, where their close combat skills proved decisive. Belligerents Macedon Roman Republic Commanders Perseus of Macedon # Lucius Aemilius Paulus Macedonicus Strength 44,000 38,000 Casualties and losses 25,000 killed and wounded 1000+ dead, numerous wounded. ...
Combatants Roman Republic Macedon Commanders T. Quinctius Flamininus Philip V of Macedon Strength about 33,400 men about 22,500 men Casualties about 700 8,000 killed, 5,000 captured The Battle of Cynoscephalae was fought in Thessaly in 197 BC between the Roman army, led by Titus Quinctius Flamininus...
Combatants Roman Republic Seleucid Empire Commanders Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus Scipio Africanus Eumenes II of Pergamum Antiochus III the Great Strength 50. ...
Spear-armed troops continued to be important elements in many armies until the advent of reliable firearms, but did not fight in the manner of a phalanx. A meaningful comparison can be made between the phalanx and late medieval pike formations. However tactically and organisationally the latter are clearly distinct from the Hellenic phalanx. A modern recreation of a mid-17th century company of pikemen. ...
In Greek Society & Culture See main article Hoplite The hoplite was a heavy infantryman that was the central focus of warfare in Ancient Greece. ...
Bibliography - Holland, T. Persian Fire, Abacus. ISBN: 9780349117171
- Livius page on hoplite warfare.
- Woodford, S: An Introduction To Greek Art
Polybius (c. ...
Tyrtaeus was a Greek elegiac poet who lived at Sparta about the middle of the 7th century BC. According to the older tradition he was a native of the Attic deme of Aphidnae, and was invited to Sparta at the suggestion of the Delphic oracle to assist the Spartans in...
References - ^ [Oxford English Dictionary]
- ^ [1]
- ^ Phalanx and hoplites
- ^ Phalanx and hoplites
See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Comparable formations: The hoplite was a heavy infantryman that was the central focus of warfare in Ancient Greece. ...
A modern recreation of a mid-17th century company of pikemen. ...
A peltast was a type of light infantry in Ancient Greece who often served as skirmishers. ...
Spears were one of the most common personal weapons from the late Bronze Age until the advent of firearms. ...
For the Bronze Age Hittite city, go to Kusakli. ...
The Roman army was primarily based around heavy infantry. ...
For information about the modern board game of the same name, see Epaminondas (game). ...
A schiltron or schiltrom is a group of men carrying pikes and polearms. ...
The formation of Shield walls is a military tactic common to many cultures. ...
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