Military Revolution of Philip of Macedon
Pre-Philip Macedonians were never part of Hoplite system
Mercenaries
Change from citizen army to mercenary army
Recruit soldiers from all nations
Use specialist non-Macedonian troops
Administration
Creation permanent infrastructure
New money economy of
Banking and administration
Economic foundation of Macedonian army
Regular pay
Permanent standing army
Resources
Macedonian has good farm land
Horse breeding country
Mines of Crenides; exploits the local gold and silver mines
Predatory army
Has to campaign constantly to gain plunder to maintain army
Absorb conquered regions into new state
Classical war allowed defeating, but not destroying enemy
Logistics
Lightens armor of phalangite (sarisa)
Decreases pack animals and wagons
Men must carry own supplies (replacing weight of armor)
Move up to 35 miles (50 km) a day
Siegecraft
Starving out fortresses or cities before fourth century
Ramps and ladders
Could take up to three years
Spartans were unable to storm fortifications of
New developments
Rams
towers
Artillery
Bolt shooting gastraphetes by Dionysius I, tyrant of
DS 14.42.1, siege of Motya
Stone throwing torsion catapult, 340 BC by Philip’s engineers
300 yard range, 100 pound stones
Military Science
Professionalization of warfare
Experienced commanders as mercenaries and teachers
Military as form of philosophy
Origin of military manuals
Xenophon
The Cavalry Commander
On the Education of
Cyrus
Aeneas the Tactician
Military
Preparations (lost)
On the Defense of
Fortified Positions
Many from Hellenistic and Roman Periods
Most lost
Some anachronistic manuals survive from Roman times
Command and Control
Command from horseback
Hoplite commanders fought in battle line
Trumpet signals
Mounted messengers
Infantry
Origins of Phalanx
Hoplite formation was called phalanx
Reforms of Iphicrates, 375-373
Athenian
mercenary general in Persian service
Recruits
20,000 men, but only 8000 hoplites
Arms
other 12,000 as Persian infantry but with 5.5 m (18 foot) pike = sarisa
Sarisa was designed to allow a less trained and lighter armed soldier face a hoplite
This
is to prevent light infantry from having to engage heavy infantry
Adopted by Philip in his reforms of 359 BC
Macedonian Phalanx
Pez-hetairoi = “foot companions”
Equipped by state
Light armor: leather or quilted, bronze helmet
Sarisa = 18 foot pike, heavier point
Held underhand, Needs two hands to use = can’t hold shield
Allowed it to be held back from center point = 6 foot
12 foot reach = 8 feet more than hoplite spear
First four or five ranks could level spears = 100% more spear heads
Smaller shield slung from shoulder
18 foot pike prevented hoplites from closing with phalanx
didn’t need as heavy armor
Standing army with constant training allowed greater flexibility than phalanx
Hypaspists
Elite infantry
Halfway between phalanx and hoplite
Large shiled (highly ornamented)
Heavy armor
Shorter pikes
More individualistic tactics
Assault infantry to open gaps caused by cavalry
Hoplites
Mercenaries with traditional hoplite equipment
Tactical adaptation to Alexander
Cavalry
No stirrup, horseshoe, or good saddle and equipment
Horses were small ponies by modern standards
Expensive
Horses expensive
Required grazing that could feed family of six
No more than 5% in hoplite armies
Heavy Cavalry = Companions (hetairoi)
Macedonians always had excellent cavalry
Good plains for breeding
Horse riding tradition among aristocracy
The hetairoi = Companions
Innovation of using the lance (mounted sarisa) by cavalry rather than javelin
armored
exploit gap in enemy lines
Use as major attack unit
Against light troops or gaps, not against heavy formed troops
Charged in wedge-shaped formation
Light Cavalry
Thessalians
light or no armor
javelins as weapon
scouting, pursuit, skirmishing
Later use of Asian cavalry
Persians
Scythians
Light Infantry
Peltasts
Lightly armored
small crescent shield of wicker or leather (peltai)
javelin
original Thracian tribal mercenaries
System spread among Greeks
Slingers
Long leather sling
Heavy stones or lead bullets
Range 300-350 yards
Deployed behind infantry with indirect fire
Long training and tradition
Foreign mercenary sources
Rhodians
Baleric islands under Romans
Archers
Use of the composite bow
Requires great strength and training
Muscles tire after a while
Range 200-300 yards
Expensive
Can’t penetrate hoplite armor
No Greek tradition
Use of foreign mercenaries
Scythians
Cretans
Missile weapons were viewed as cowardly by Greeks
Homer: “cowardly arrows”
Honor requires that you face enemy
Phalanx was cowardly too
Archidamus of Sparta on hearing of the catapult
“Man’s martial valor is of no value any more”