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Sep 3, 2024 · The basic Greek formation was made more flexible by Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander III the Great. Alexander’s core unit in the phalanx was the syntagma, normally 16 men deep. Each soldier was armed with the sarissa, a 13- to 21-foot spear; in battle formation, the first five ranks held their spears horizontally in front of the ...
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The Greek hoplite soldier provided his own weapon (a seven- or eight-foot spear known as a doru) and shield as well as a breastplate, helmet, and greaves. There was no official training for a Greek hoplite, and it was the responsibility of the individual commander to make sure his troops could fight in a unified form. Philip II of Macedonchanged ho...
The strength of the Greek phalanx lay in the endurance and discipline of the soldiers who made up the closely-packed rectangular formation of shields and spears. Once the phalanx was formed the soldiers would advance slowly toward the opposing army, fending off missile blows with their shields and holding the formation tightly in order to break thr...
One of the most notable uses of the phalanx was at the Battle of Marathon (490 BCE) where the Greek hoplites advanced in formation 'at a run' (according to Herodotus) and decimated the lightly armed Persian infantry (a tactic later employed, in 480 BCE, at the decisive battle of Plataea). The Theban general Epaminondas significantly altered the use...
- Joshua J. Mark
May 26, 2024 · When Alexander set out to conquer the Persian Empire in 334 BC, the Macedonian phalanx formed the core of his infantry. While Alexander is often remembered for his cavalry charges, it was the phalanx that allowed him to fix the enemy center in place before delivering the decisive hammer blow.
Mar 28, 2024 · Alexander frequently used the phalanx in oblique formations, advancing one wing more aggressively to draw the enemy into an unfavorable engagement. This would be combined with cavalry or light infantry attacks on the flanks or rear, enveloping the enemy in a deadly pincer movement.
Jun 17, 2023 · For Alexander, the Macedonian phalanx would be the nucleus of his army throughout his conquests – from his first victory on Asian soil at the Granicus in 334 BC, to his final pitched battle against Porus, King of the Parauvas, at the Hydaspes River in India.
- Tristan Hughes
Advantages. The Macedonian phalanx was very different from the Hoplite phalanx of the Greek states to the South. The Macedonian phalanx was better trained and armed with the sarissa enabling it to outreach its competitors and stave off enemy cavalry.
Apr 4, 2014 · Later, Alexander would use these siege towers with devastating effect at Tyre (6,000 would be killed and 30,000 enslaved). The very nature of the phalanx required constant drilling, and both men demanded strict obedience; punishments would be meted out for those who disobeyed.
