Knowledge (XXG)

Macedonian phalanx

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159: 302: 33: 155:, meaning 'foot-companions', bolstering the importance of the phalanx to the King. Philip also increased the amount of training required for the infantry and introduced regulations on military behaviour. During Alexander's campaign, the phalanx remained more or less the same, with the notable difference being more non-Macedonian soldiers among the ranks. 262:
The phalanx used the "oblique line with reduced 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. Due to the structure of the phalanx, it was weakest in the rear and on
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were carried in two pieces before a battle and then slid together when they were being used. At close range such large weapons were of little use, but an intact phalanx could easily keep its enemies at a distance. The weapons of the first five rows of men all projected beyond the front of the
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who were the most experienced Macedonian soldiers and received about triple pay. 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. The rest of the file was filled up by more
147:. The first phalanx was a 10-by-10 square with very few experienced troops. 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. Philip called the soldiers in the phalanx 199:
formation, so that there were more spear points than available targets at any given time. 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 secondary weapon was a shortsword called a
278:, elite infantrymen who served as the king's bodyguard, were stationed on the immediate right of the phalanx wielding hoplite sized spears and shields. The left flank was generally covered by allied cavalry supplied by the 678: 673: 658: 158: 217:. 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 hoplites' equipment. 668: 663: 628: 484: 401: 266:
Neither Philip nor Alexander actually used the phalanx as their arm of choice, but instead used it to hold the enemy in place while their
600: 450: 514: 172: 688: 321: 131:, which then influenced his restructuring of the infantry. Philip's military reforms were a new approach to the current 108: 116: 213:", was made of bronze plated wood and was worn hung around the neck so as to free up both hands to wield the 112: 345: 327: 315: 473: 120: 60: 56: 587: 509: 339: 72: 301: 539: 531: 389: 358: 255:
inexperienced soldiers, often Persians during Alexander's campaign. The phalanx was divided into
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over 6 m (18 ft) in length, weighing about 6.6 kg (14.5 pounds). The
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for much of his youth (367–360), where he witnessed the combat tactics of the general
652: 543: 267: 247:, who—together with his subordinate officers—would form the first row of each block. 191: 32: 92: 475:
Greek Warfare from the Battle of Marathon to the Conquests of Alexander the Great
439: 209:, measuring about 24 inches and weighing about 12 pounds. The shield, called a " 150: 128: 83:, where it became the standard battle formation for pitched battles. During the 79:
between 334 and 323 BC. The Macedonian phalanx model then spread throughout the
205:. The phalangites also had a smaller and flatter shield than that of the Greek 638: 287: 275: 295: 226: 104: 91:(214–148 BC), the phalanx appeared obsolete against the more manoeuvrable 17: 557: 283: 279: 53: 291: 186: 143: 132: 68: 64: 535: 616: 235: 201: 167: 162: 527: 512:(Summer 1977). "The Macedonian Sarissa, Spear, and Related Armor". 157: 137: 31: 286:
formation and served mainly in a defensive role. Other forces—
595:. Morristown, New Jersey: Silver Burdett Co. pp. 58–59. 148: 270:
broke through their ranks. The Macedonian cavalry fought in
71:, a 6-metre pike. It was famously commanded by Philip's son 239:) numbering 16 men, for a total of 256 in each unit. Each 479:. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 145–150. 165:
of a Macedonian soldier wielding a spear and wearing a
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Military units and formations of the Hellenistic world
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and was almost always stationed on the far right. The
396:. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books. pp. 62–72. 103:In 359 BC, following the Macedonian defeat by the 67:, of which the main innovation was the use of the 623:. Brookfield, Wisconsin: First Rate Publishers. 184:Each phalangite carried as his primary weapon a 259:based on geographical recruitment differences. 429: 427: 425: 423: 421: 419: 417: 415: 413: 394:Philip II of Macedonia: Greater Than Alexander 225:The phalanx consisted of a line-up of several 445:(Revised ed.). London: Greenhill Books. 290:, range troops, reserves of allied hoplites, 8: 123:took the throne. Philip II was a hostage in 135:warfare which focused on their shield, the 36:Drawing of a full 256-man phalanx formation 384: 382: 380: 378: 376: 374: 674:Infantry units and formations of Macedon 504: 502: 500: 498: 496: 300: 659:4th-century BC establishments in Greece 466: 464: 462: 370: 250:Each file was led and commanded by a 141:; his focus was on a new weapon, the 7: 305:General Macedonian battle formation 669:Ancient Greek military terminology 25: 515:American Journal of Archaeology 107:, which killed the majority of 173:Agios Athanasios, Thessaloniki 1: 664:Ancient Greek infantry types 149: 471:Brice, Lee L., ed. (2012). 75:during his conquest of the 705: 621:The Campaigns of Alexander 27:Ancient infantry formation 585:Connolly, Peter (1979) . 63:from the classical Greek 49: 588:"The Macedonian Phalanx" 233:, each of its 16 files ( 117:Perdiccas III of Macedon 441:Greece and Rome at War 346:Battle of the Hydaspes 328:Battle of the Granicus 316:Battle of Crocus Field 306: 176: 37: 304: 298:—were also employed. 161: 119:, Perdiccas' brother 35: 689:Philip II of Macedon 510:Markle, Minor M. III 390:Gabriel, Richard A. 340:Battle of Gaugamela 322:Battle of Chaeronea 243:was commanded by a 190:, a double-pointed 171:, from the tomb of 73:Alexander the Great 359:Hellenistic armies 307: 282:, which fought in 177: 42:Macedonian phalanx 38: 630:978-1-5077-6741-2 486:978-1-61069-070-6 403:978-1-59797-568-1 81:Hellenistic world 77:Achaemenid Empire 50:Μακεδονική φάλαγξ 16:(Redirected from 696: 643: 642: 613: 607: 606: 593:The Greek Armies 590: 582: 576: 575: 573: 571: 566:. 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Index

Phalangite

Greek
infantry
formation
Philip II
phalanx
sarissa
Alexander the Great
Achaemenid Empire
Hellenistic world
Macedonian Wars
Roman Republic
Roman legions
Illyrians
Macedonia
army
Perdiccas III of Macedon
Philip II
Thebes
Epaminondas
hoplite
aspis
sarissa
pezhetairoi

Fresco
kausia
Agios Athanasios, Thessaloniki
sarissa

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