macedon - Macedonian Phalanx

Macedonian Phalanx

Monday, 18. August 2008, 01:54:49

Macedonian Kings, beside the weapons and the military equipment they carried in battle, they have also had festive or formal equipment and weapons. As a sign of their power, they wore a white strap with its ends tied on the back of the head, reaching the neck and this could be seen on their coins such as the octodrahm of Alexander I Filhellen (408-454) and the tetradrahm of Philip the II-nd. Sometimes, the strap was tied around the well-known cap “causta-kausia” (a cap with wide edges and a round central part) which had a role of a crown. This type of decoration was typical Macedonian.
detall from the Boscoreale Mural,showing Antigonus Gonatas wearing the kausia and diadem.

Helmet of a macedonian soldier with a macedonian sun from III century, found in Pergam (Beragma today) one of the greatest cultural, administrative and trading centers in the Great macedonian empire.

Macedonian Kings wore a metal diadem. A diadem made of bronze and dating from old times, was found in the necropolis of Vergina.

A gold-plated, silver diadem was found in the mausoleum of Philip II in Vergina (Cutlass) and this diadem could be adapted to the size of the head by a cylindrical part.
The garment of the Macedonian Kings was red. A 2 meter-high scepter was discovered in the big grave in Vergina. One of the specific items carried by the Macedonian kings, was the ring-seal. According to some sources, Alexander Macedonian sealed the letters he sent to Europe (Macedonia) with the old (Macedonian) ring-seal, and he sealed the letters for Asia with the seal of Darius. Festive weaponry was an integral part of the king’s outfit. An iron sword with gold decorations on its handle was discovered in the grave of Philip II in addition to the iron armor with applied golden strips and six lion heads on the front; gold-plated bronze knemidas; iron helmet; shield decorated with gold, wood and two figures in the center, made of irony which undoubtfully points out that it was a unique festive shield.

Starting from the belief in the religious and magical power, which the Macedonians could win only by their immediate participation in the battle, Macedonian kings made efforts to create a strong Macedonian army armed with the most improved weapons and well-trained army with extraordinary commanding personnel, which increased the probability to turn the belief into reality.

Phillip II made the biggest contribution to the creation of such an army. When Phillip II came on the throne, he found himself in a very unpleasant position. He was attacked from all sides. Having found himself in such a position, he mostly needed time to implement the knowledge related to military and diplomatic skills. The army he inherited was the one that was defeated by Bardilis. It carred the burden of the defeated. Philip started peace negotiations with his neighbors under such conditions. It seems that, Philip negotiated skillfully with the Illyrian, since they withdrew from Macedonian in 359. The agreement was enhanced by the political marriage between Phillip and Bardilis’ daughter, Audata. Illyrian was calmed down for a long period. Thus, he enhanced his position and managed to calm down Athens by diplomatic means, generously giving up on the town of Amphibole and defeated the local Payony dynasty by war.

The agreements he made, saved him a lot of time which Philip used for reorganization of his armed forces, economic enhancement of his state, starting the preparations for the implementation oh his planning’s. Led by the ideas for the future of the state and its people, Phillip II started the creation of the Macedonian force and power He was aware that this goal could be achieved if he took care of the following basic problems:

1. To protect the state from the constant attacks from the neighbor varvaric tribes;
2. Do destroy the separatism of certain rulers in Macedonia and to unite the country as one political union;
3. Do prevent the interference from the Greek policies (Athens) in the internal affairs of Macedonia.
In order to solve these problems easily Philip II prepared radical reforms. First of all he implemented a restructuring of the military organization. The reform is multiple: Philip created the first European state in modern sense armed population with a common state ideal. He created army from the population prepared with one state spirit. Each participant was considered Macedonian and was prepared to die for their country-Macedonia.

In practise, Philip II executed his idea that on each army success, a successful military diplomacy was required. According to Philip, there was no chance of getting into war without previous joining into a certain alliance, at least one, and as a feedback from the war, besides victory, an alternative solution for the problem. Before the great victories, Philip II organized and implemented long and constant preparations. He trained the army constantly, improved new methods, maneuvers, attacks. Some additional meaning of the preparation was the determination and excellent physical condition. Philip makes his soldiers to marsh on paths long 60 km, with full battle equipment, food and other equipment for daily use. He paid special attention to the discipline. For not being disciplined he punished not just regular soldiers, but high-ranking officers too. Philip II connected the success and the discipline of the army with their economic and social concern. He considered that unsatisfied soldier couldn't fight for the interest of the state.

Besides what was mentioned so far, Philip II engaged the best trainers for educating and training. In his yard he formed a military-political school for defense for royal or chosen youth. Those were boys aged 14-20. They lived together with the other children from the palace. They escorted the king while hunting, and in games, keep guard and had separate tutors.

From that corps young boys prepared themselves to be young commanders of the Macedonian army. As Philip implemented military diplomacy and military skills that was thought in Teba from Pelopidas and from Epajmijonda, for teacher Alexander engaged Aristotelian who was born in Macedonia, in city of Stager and whose father Nikomax was a doctor in the palace of Amanita III, father of Philip II. Among the first students that graduated at this academy was, the son of Philip-Alexander the Great, Ptolemus, Hefastion, Krater, Harpal, Nearh and others. Some practise trainers were Parmenion, Antipater and other distinguished generals of Philip. So the best commanding army was created who commanded with the most powerful army in the world. That is one of the reasons why Alexander the Great is the unique creator of the New World environment and was not defeated once in his life.
The military organization of the Ancient Macedonians was centralized. Supreme commander was the King. He was a holder of the plans and actions, except if he wanted to transfer some special commands. The King was surrounded from tribe’s representatives that were called his friends (hetaeras).
The King chooses military collaborators from them. They were with a Macedonian origin, honest, with great capabilities, courage and loyal to the King. After some period he accepted not only Macedonian. They came from Royal families, distiguinshed warriors, loyal and courageous. According to some hystorics there were approx 800 with Philip II, and with Alexander the Great 3300.

The Phalanx as a formation existed long time, but Philip using lot of innovations, created a new type. He reorganized the phalanx the phalanx he armed the soldiers with long swords 5,5 m long in 16 lines.

The phalanx was even more powerful organized on this way.

The Macedonian phalanx was formed into three levels: brigade, company and platoon. The brigade had 1500 warriors formed on a territorial principle. The company 250 and the platoon 16. The spear has hold with both hands. The mobility was larger on that way. Philip implemented lot of modifications in the tactics as well. The attack was always to the right wing of the enemy. Previously the tebanian leader put emphasizes on the left, Philip on the right, with a maneuver of slanting movement of the enemies’ left wing.

The Macedonian army was consisted of two kinds: army and navy-fleet. The army was consisted of services and specialties. Basic were infantry, cavalry and engineers. Specialties were: heavy, medium and light infantry; heavy and light cavalry, and the engineers were divided by special tools they used, as catapults, bridge builders, roads etc.

The difference between heavy and light infantry and cavalry was in their equipment and armament that is their speed. Light infantry had short swards, smaller shields, and lighter suit of armor that increased their mobility, but decreased their capability for emerging. Heavy infantry that is phalanx was armed with 5,5 m long swords large shields, with high capability of emerging.

Every free Macedonian, peasants had obligation to walk or to ride a horse, and the King decide who and where to be called for a training or war. The country was divided in 6 counties... Each of them formed a brigade of 1500 (taxes). The brigade consisted of companies, and those of platoons. The cavalry consisted of escadrons 2000 people, and those from companies up to 200 horse riders.

Philip II besides this formation developed siege technique and aplicated it on the Balkans for the first time. He modernized the catapult, and his engineers produced the so-called torsion catapult, with greater power than the one that existed before that time. He developed so-called opsiege train for opsaiging towns.
Alexander the Great later on in his campaign used that kind of a technique. Philip II reorganized the fleet but, “although Macedonia was the greatest exporter of wood, up to the end of Argeadi dynasty, it didn’t have significant fleet that it is some how unusual. But the Macedonian coast was naturally protected. During three months, in Aegean Sea, from the middle of June to September from south to north etetistic winds are blowing and make the sailing impossible and attack also’.

The need for a fleet appears for the first time in the time of Alexander III who since the very beginning has used the fleet of the defeated people, and after that builds his fleet. This process continued with his inheritance. The Macedonian army was Constant and professional, with strong cohesion. It can participate in war during the whole year, not just in summer as the Greek. The Macedonian army that was formed by Philip II was the most organized and the most powerful army that ever existed.

The reform in the Macedonian army that Philip executed was equipping the army with the most sophisticated weapons and protective military equipment. Serial production of weapons equipment and tools provided formation of specific military formations, different technical procedures, and preparation of a certain strategy. The commanding system was modernized. On that way, very recognized Macedonian skill was developed up to the level of perfectionity..

Weapons and military skill in Macedonia through history
Written by: D-r Vance Stojcev