Your contention that "Romans seemed to outfight Macedonian phalanx pretty easily" is not really true. The Macedonian army The pike square (German: Gevierthaufen ("square crowd") or Gewalthaufen, (crowd of force)) was a military tactic developed by the Swiss Confederacy during the 15th century for use by its infantry.. History. Make your purchase as normal here on our website and use the individual code for the show in question shown below to … Couldn't an army of archers easily defeat Macedonian style phalanxes? The longer spear remained in use for the phalanx in subsequent wars, so there's no sign that any disadvantage versus the hopite phalanx was ever found. History Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for historians and history buffs. Malaskor Knight Querist. Was the Macedonian phalanx more effective than hoplites? ... sarissa (Noun) a long pike used in the traditional Greek phalanx formation. **Why Macedonia Lost to Rome ** (Removing archaisms away) > Discussions This item has been removed from the community because it violates Steam Community & Content Guidelines. Some very long (60cm) spear-heads have been found recently in south-western Bulgaria - these may be pike blades. There were three key factors that aided Paulus: (1) Plain old soldier strength. As you are able to grow fodder more cheaply, it becomes cheaper and easier to have horses. Thats one of the main reasons the Romans attacked it--to loot it, which they did. For example, mounted officers could race on horseback with a new message from the commander with a flag and direct a maniple to move in a certain way. Active 2 years, 1 month ago. In fact there are numerous battles that shown when an unsopported phalangite phalanx meet a hoplite phalanx hoplite would chew their lines ranging from battles that Philip had with the Greeks, to the Persians employing Greek hoplite mercenaries, to the Romans having Greek hoplite allies. What they excelled at was eating up space, controlling the battlefield. All the Greek phalanxes used Spears or pikemen all the phalanx men had swords as secondary weapons. Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Sarissa vs. Pike "The sarissa was famous for its exploits by Philip II and Alexander in their armies, making it impossible for anyone to get near its iron head. The Romans seemed to outfight the Macedonian phalanx pretty easily. Is there any good source to read about the reasons the Macedonians used the phalanx instead of the classic hoplites way of fighting? The phalanx finally met its end in the Ancient world when the more flexible Roman manipular tactics contributed to the defeat and partition of Macedon in the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C. The reason why the Sarissa Pike requires larger formations was because of it's length. Freebase (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition: Sarissa. A sarissa equipped phalanx could not defeat a hoplite phalanx. Pikemen cost more than hoplites but hoplites have better stat. What did George Orr have in his coffee in the novel The Lathe of Heaven? The sarissa, made of tough and resilient cornel wood, was very heavy for a spear, weighing approximately 12 pounds (5.4 kg) for a 15-foot (4.6 m) sarissa and approximately 14.5 pounds (6.6 kg) for an 18-foot (5.5 m) sarissa. This page was last edited on 24 June 2020, at 04:18. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Is there a way to separate geometry that shares verts/edges? It's just not supportable given the time and differences occurring over that time. You may also want to read the Wikipedia article on the battle. But this isn't of any relevance to your question. the longer Roman sword and heavier shield easily prevailed over the Romans had a great maneuverability in addition to their tightly packed formation that basically made a shield wall covering them almost from head to toe. Their Cavalry was easily the most effective mounted force in the Ancient World. Meaning of sarissa. Towards the end of the period, however, there was a general decline in the use of the combined arms approach, and the phalanx once more became the arm of decision. Note that this article. The sarisa or sarissa (Greek: σάρισα) was a long spear or pike about 4–6 metres (13–20 ft) in length. rev 2020.12.18.38240, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, History Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us. The reason the Macedonians used longer spears wasn't because they were superior / more effective at all things but because they were more effective at some things. Do you mind if I open a separate question about this ("how rich was Macedonia" or something like that) to clarify the matter? (2) Signalling. They were essentially a mobile fortification which could roll up on any battlefield and become the fulcrum for the numerous other Macedonian unites to leverage. What does sarissa mean? How to request help on a project without throwing my co-worker "under the bus". Rome suffered defeats against Pyrrhus and, in spite of what the Roman accounts said, had considerable trouble dealing with the Phalanx. By the end of the period Rome was thumping successor armies with almost no losses. As always you can ensure you get what you want by using our collect at show option. Is it normal for good PhD advisors to micromanage early PhD students? short sword (little more than a dagger) and lighter armor of the The. But, again, there's little reason to think that a hoplite phalanx wouldn't be as easy to beat for them. Alexander, mostly won his war against Persia, because he was able to protect his phalanxes weak spots, and then striking at the ennemy weak spots. If it was wooded or rocky terrain, phalanx were dangerous to use because they would be forced apart and thus become vulnerable. The Macedonians asked different things of their phalanx(heavy infantry) than did the Hoplite greeks, and so the longer spears helped the phalanx achieve their particular role in the Macedonian battle tactics. What is the basis for the assertion that Macedonia was. A sharp point, such as that of the weapon. In 28mm games I play the maps are different -- smaller (2'x2' to 4'x4' vs the 4'x8' that my 15mm games are) and generally have one main focus such as a single building or group of buildings. (3) Erosion of the Macedonian Cavalry Advantage. When Paulus conquered Macedonia, he took immense riches and booty. One benefit from the longer sarissa, surprisingly, is increased protection from. It was introduced by Philip II of Macedon and was used in his Macedonian phalanxes as a replacement for the earlier dory, which was considerably shorter. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Service. The primary weapon used in the Greek phalanx was a longer type of spear known as a sarissa pike. How can mage guilds compete in an industry which allows others to resell their products? Why doesn't NASA release all the aerospace technology into public domain? The problem Macedon had when facing Rome was manpower - Rome was a world power and could put many men in the field - up to 500,000. For example, regarding the battle of Gaugamela, Alexanders heavy infantry numbers 31,000 - but this number again doesn't mean 31,000 men armed with sarissas. If you read Plutarch, you will find that at the beginning of the battle the Roman army was shattered on the phalanx. The Macedonian army was a professional army, highly organised particularly in the Alexandrian age. Rome never had such a high class cavalry... ever. Pike square explained. He used massed artillery to fire across a river at a Scythian army, causing it to vacate the opposite river bank, thus allowing the Macedonian troops to cross and form a bridgehead. Discipline is one the main strength of armies, more than the actual tactics. The Macedonian phalanx was not called to fight apart from the rest of the army. … All free men (citizens) were by law trained and own Hoplite equipment. Unable to get under the thick Once the Legionaries got inside the points among the spearcarriers, it was all over. However, perhaps the dory, being one-handed, has more range of motion, allowing more momentum to build up? I know Alexander the Great conquered the known world with the phalanx, but I think to give the credit to the phalanx would be false here. The Phalanx properly supported by its Cavalry and light forces with an Alexander or Phillip II would probably overwhelm the Legions who at the time were more akin to the Greek Hoplites. The Macedonian success was not due to their phalanx's superiority (with the sarissa pike). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply. The assumption that Philip of Macedon made radical changes seems questionable. Semi-feral cat broke a tooth. The Romans tried to beat down the enemy pikes or hack off The sarissa itself was a two-handed spear or pike, between four and seven metres long, and was adopted by the armies of Philip II, Alexander the … He deserted the high ground...Nutter! Paullus now ordered the legions into the gaps, Ask Question Asked 2 years, 1 month ago. Was homosexuality rarer in ancient Sparta than in any other Greek state? and integer comparisons. It was introduced by Philip II of Macedon and … 488 People Used More Information ›› Welcome to History: SE. The critical source for you to read here is Plutarch's life of Paulus Aemilius, the Roman general who conquered Macedonia and was the victor at the key battle of Pydna (168 BC). Alexander did not use the phalanx as the decisive arm in his battles, but instead used it to pin and demoralize the enemy while his heavy cavalry would charge selected opponents or exposed enemy unit flanks, most usually after driving the enemy horse from the field. Finally, it had two great advantages: 1) It had siege engines and could besiege/take towns and, 2) Its Logistics system was highly effective. Liddell Hart has all the details. The phalanx was much better working on defense than offense. Mass distribution of the Macedonian Sarissa pike. Of course, the fact that Macedon was larger than each Greek state might also give them an advantage when taking each city in isolation. The one battle Macedon should have won was Cynoscephalae where Phillip V mismanaged his army after initial successes. If I had a choice, I know which army I would like to be in!! Both types showed well versus Persians, from Xenophon and his long retreat to Alexander and his long advance. Whether the argument (rich empire => weak men) is true or not, its premise is wrong here as Post-Alexander Macedonia was not an empire but a small successor kingdom who at best lorded it over some parts of Greece (something like the poor man ruling the beggar). Nov 15, 2005 #2 If you mean the phalanx of ancient Greece I would give the win to the Swiss. We will be on the road again during 2019 visiting as many shows as we can. I'm not sure that this quite answers the question. Philip added the pikemen first as a specialist addition to the heavy infantry. Artillery Read More. Yes they were, their unification of Greece, and invasion of Persia is one proof. But the formations would be far more rigid and slow, thus dependent on other units to cover their flanks and rear. This weakness wasn't well understood when it was occurring because all the greeks uses single formations armies and thus could not well exploit the weakness of the post Alexander Macedonians. In Alexander's time Macedonia had a big advantage in that they were an equestrian culture and usually had a larger cavalry than their opponents. Nov 15, 2005 #1 Equal numbers and all that. It had engineers, doctors and scientists enrolled in it. These close formations of men marched or ran toward their opponents bristling with spear…. How do you measure "more effective"? What was the incentive for Philip II to radically change the way infantry fought back in those days? They could use different units depending upon which kind of enemy troops they faced and the properties of the terrain they were fighting on. Although very long spears had been used since the dawn of organized warfare (notably illustrated in art showing Sumerian and Minoan warriors and hunters), the earliest recorded use of a pike-like weapon in the tactical method described above involved the Macedonian sarissa, used by the troops of Alexander the Great's father, Philip II of Macedon, and successive dynasties, which dominated warfare for several centuries in many countries. I am playing as the Sparta faction. Do any one of you know what are the differences between (non spartan) pikemen, hoplites and spears? In field battle the sarissa and the smaller shield could effectively pin down normal Hoplites. Is there any scientific way a ship could fall off the edge of the world? Philip of Macedon, who built and trained Alexander's army, primary innovations were: All of these innovations Alexander the Great inherited from his father Philip. The Macedonians mixed units could better exploit these difficulties and counter with light infantry, horse archers or heavy calvery. Why can't people on the back of the phalanx “reorient” their shield? Comparing the Roman Legions in the Macedonian wars to those Legions which served Rome against Pyrrhus is chalk and cheese. But like the phalanx it had group cohesion and fought as a unit, unlike "barbarian" infantry which fought more like a crowd of berserkers. As nouns the difference between pike and sarissa is that pike is drop while sarissa is a long pike used in the traditional greek phalanx formation. later that the sight of the phalanx filled him with alarm and Qin Pike Square vs Macedonian Phalanx 23 Apr 18,, 11:04. This is very important for the phalanx, because the cavalry protects the phalanx's weak spots and acts as a scout for it. Have issues surrounding the Northern Ireland border been resolved? The Macedonians under Philip and then Alexander utilized an army of mixed components where few others did and fewer still had developed the tactics which made these mixed component armies so lethal. They would occupy the center to hold and pin the enemy in place. @FelixGoldberg Regardless of its "empire" status, Macedonia was fantastically rich at the time of the Battle of Pydna. At its heyday the phalanx was the most advanced heavy infantry formation of its time. The Romans had developed a very elaborate system of signals that allowed them to do complex maneuvers. This was what let them find and exploit the weak spots in the phalanx. Any infantryman or rival phalanx attempting to battle such a formation would be out ranged and outnumbered by the spear tips of the Macedonian formation. Who wins and why? Getting different total magnetic moment in 'scf' and 'vc-relax' calculations in Quantum ESPRESSO. Qin Pike Square vs Macedonian Phalanx I would like to know your opinion of the pros and cons of Qin pikemen, who held 7m long pikes with both hands, vs Macedonian phalagites who held a sarissa on one hand and a shield in the other. Did the more experienced hoplites fight in the front or the back of the phalanx? Was the Macedonian phalanx, with their long spears and small shields, really more effective than the hoplites? Without this capability Paulus would not have had the control he needed at Pydna. Mind also that the victory was not easy at all - the Macedonians first had the upper hand at Pidna but their formation broke when they started pursuing the Romans on uneven ground. Viewed 1k times 16. The cavalry is also required to chase the enemy and deliver the crushing blow. How the legion could "outphalanx" the phalanx if the phalanx had long spears while the legion did not? However, the Hellenistic armies were eventually faced by forces from outside the successor kingdoms, such as the Roman and Parthian armies, composed of differing troop types using novel tactics. I'm not sure why you don't credit the phalanx when fighting the Persians. It was also weak on the flanks, especially on the right. When the Macedonians fought Rome however, Rome did have a mixed formation army which is ultimately how they won. They could also bog down and become very slow moving as the phalanx struggled to stay together. It seems more like Romans outsmarted phalanx. DE75 7EE. In a 1-1 battle their isn't much reason to believe the Macedonian phalanx would outperform the more traditional Greek phalanx consistently, and even less reason to suspect it would do so on all terrains. As for the origins of Philip's reforms, I'm not an expert but at least I can point out that he probably took the idea from the reforms of Epaminondas at Thebes, where young Philip had been a hostage. These longer spears improved the strength of the phalanx by extending the rows of overlapping weapons projecting towards the enemy, and the word remained in use throughout the Byzantine years to sometimes describe the long spears of their own inf… So while the Macedonian Phalanx was more defended unless the enemy infantry was willing to throw themselves upon the spear tips of the Macedonians it was not really capable of closing with the enemy consistently to make it a reliable offensive threat. Welcome to Hist SE. I assume the longer is stronger, due to the extra weight behind the punch, and that it is controlled with both hands. Is the Afghan hat related to the Macedonian hat? Heckell, Hammond,Green just a few notables! The Macedonians typically had several versions of each specialized type of unit and this gave them options which few armies in antiquity could counter. Macedon, by the time of Phillip II's death, was a world power whether Athens and all the city states liked it or not. Couple that with luring Macedonians into rough ground and you take away all the advantage of their formation and long pikes. It's like blaming Napoleon's defeat on King Louis XIV's wealth. When Macedonia fought Rome 130-200 years after Alexander died, the Macedonian spear was even longer than in Alexander’s time. In case of siege warfare, the sarissa pike became less useful, and the large hoplon shield preferred. They were soon joined by the Roman right, which had …II of Macedon introduced the sarissa, a pike 13 to 21 feet (4 to 6.5 m) long that gave the Macedonian infantry an extra reach before the pike blades of the opposing Greeks could reach them. Why didn't NASA simulate the conditions leading to the 1202 alarm during Apollo 11? Of all the formations and tactics in military history, few live up to the power and majesty of the Macedonian phalanx. Because the Macedonians had light infantry, light calvary and heavy calvary to complement their phalanx, the Macedonian phalanx was designed to hold the enemy, and control space while these more mobile specialized troops destroyed the enemy by flanking or the use of projectile weapons. Since the Persians did not have good heavy infantry, the superiority was vital when fighting large forces. The Wikipedia article downplays this, but at the time it was a serious setback. There was a military genius named Bertrand du Guesclin (1320 – 1380) who was famous for using massed pikemen. All this happened 130 years after Alexander died and ended about 200 years after Alexander. The longer spear's advantage was in part due to more layers. @Anixx It did not. Sarissa - The sarisa or sarissa (Greek: σάρισα) was a long spear or pike about 4–6 metres (13–20 ft) in length. In Medieval and Renaissance times there was a comeback of the basic form of the phalanx as "pikemen". I would like to know your opinion of the pros and cons of Qin pikemen, who held 7m long pikes with both hands, vs Macedonian phalagites who held a sarissa on one hand and a shield in the other. Paulus lost a large number of men for no losses to the enemy at all and was in great danger. All pikemen were essentially Hoplites trained and equipped as pikemen. It had a sharp iron head shaped like a leaf and a bronze butt-spike that would allow it to be anchored to the ground to stop charges by enemy soldiers.The butt-spike served to balance out the spear, making it easier for soldiers to wield. It … In its time, this intricately designed method of fighting proved a super weapon, forming the nucleus of armies commanded by some of history’s best military leaders – from Pyrrhus to Alexander the Great. attacking the phalangites on their exposed flanks. Although the larger spears required two hands to hold and reduced the size of the shield the Macedonian could wield, it's length also allowed five rows of spearmen to contribute to the defense of the formation. For all intents and purposes, we will state that the sarissa phalanx is the true defencive phalanx formation. Here's wikipedia's telling of the story: The two centers engaged at about 3pm, with the Macedonians advancing [104] This offered cavalry far greater manoeuvrability and an edge in battle that previously did not exist in the Classical Greek world.[104]. The phalanx on its own would not have been as effective, as Cyrus the Younger had learnt the hard way. To attack, prod, or injure someone with a pike. The Macedonian sarissa was longer than the hoplite version, which would give it an advantage over a phalanx with shorter weapons. Finally, Rome also experienced a lot of trouble with Hannibal. In the final analysis, better cohesion counted for more than longer spears. Where the Greeks used the phalanx to destroy enemy armies, the Macedonians would ask their phalanxes to hold the enemy in front of them, as other units could pelt them with arrows, or flank them with horses archers or heavy calvary could smash into them. The sarissa or sarisa was a 4 to 7 metre long spear used in the ancient Greek and Hellenistic warfare. 'flying wedge') formation of the Scythians. What do men in the middle of a phalanx contribute? Mass distribution of the Macedonian Sarissa pike. So why did Rome defeat the Macedonians. The innovation which made the Macedonians so formidable wasn't their Phalanx, most of their Greek antagonists fought with phalanxes. Was Alexander the Great Greek or Macedonian? They annihilate cavalry in this formation and the enemy has to throw ungodly amounts of lower reach troops to break a pike block with a frontal attack. Did the Allies try to "bribe" Franco to join them in World War II? The phalangites were armed with longer pikes and as a result the phalanx itself became less mobile and adaptable than it had been in Alexander's era. succeeded in routing the Macedonian left. Or would you rather open one yourself? Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; A very long thrusting spear used two-handed by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Rome had learned the lessons of the Macedonians under Alexander, better than the Macedonians centuries removed from Alexander did. The key invention was to put hooks and wide, forged blades on the pikes to fight horses. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. ground. At close range such large weapons were of little use, but an intact phalanx could easily keep its enemies at a distance. They again grew overly dependent upon the phalanx. Did the Persian Immortals instill fear in their Greek adversaries? By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. In particular the late medieval pike tactics tended to start most often preferring on much deeper squares or columns for combat, sometimes up to 60-80 ranks deep, which could usually move quicker and maintain cohesion more easily if only due the much smaller frontage. The hoplites lacked such a system. I'd suggest omitting that part. The Hellenistic armies of the other Macedonian successor-states of the Diadochi period, which followed the death of Alexander, also displayed a continuation of earlier Macedonian equipment, organisation and tactics. The Hoplite was a standard infantryman of all Greek nations, also the in Macedonia under Philip and Alexander. In field battle the sarissa and the smaller shield could effectively pin down normal Hoplites. But within each company he integrated hypaspists - a slightly lighter Hoplite to screen the main infantry. This is a false argument. But as the phalanx pushed forward, the ground became more uneven as it [109] Because all the competing Hellenistic armies were employing the same tactics, these weaknesses were not immediately apparent. That was the Macedonians under Philip and Alexanders great innovation. In a typical phalanx any foe approaching the phalanx would be faced with layers of spear tips to contend with. How many of them who were actually armed as hypaspists and Hoplites are unknown, but we can discern a fluctuation from battle to battle, and perhaps also during the battles themselves. In this position why shouldn't the knight capture the rook? Question: Why did Sparta turn on its ally Elis during the First Macedonian War? A tightly formed phalanx of sarissa-armed infantry presented an almost impenetrable wall of spear points, especially to cavalry. Macedon alone could put into the field 50,000 men, not including their Allies. (-1-) Should I give her aspirin? Call Us: (+44)(01773)716583 Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm E-mail: enquiries@sarissa-precision.co.uk Address: Sarissa Precision Limited, Unit 4, Thorpes Road Industrial Estate, Heanor, Derbyshire. Larger base formations meant slower overall units, which were less flexible, more susceptible to difficulties with terrain, but they were also heavier, better protected, and better able to smash smaller enemy units matched against them on even terrain, if they could close, which was challenging. hoplites also fought as a unit. Where as most Greek Armies were made of only one type of Unit, like the Spartans of the time only used the Phalanx, The Macedonians had many types of units. Thanks for contributing an answer to History Stack Exchange! Certainly with these, and the Macedonian Cavalry, Philip managed to subdue all of Greece aside from Sparta, who also gave him little trouble. A full time professional army which nobody else had except for perhaps Sparta. The sarissae were carried in two pieces before a battle and then slid together when they were being used. Hoplites were to heavily armored in comparison. It's a small factor, but do not discount it. Finally, the Legion beat the phalanx fairly handily, and it got easier with practice. on the Romans a short distance from the Roman camp. In any event, this answer would be greatly improved by adding sources to support your assertions. site design / logo © 2020 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. The Legion could work in rough terrain, and outflank the phalanxes. Well, proofs do, in the final account, matter. He also employed judiciously and to great effect light infantry and archers. If the pikemen could take down horses easily, they became very powerful, just like the old phalanx. Applications of equivariant homotopy theory in chromatic homotopy theory. 08 Apr “Social Distancing” Macedonian Style vs Persian Style Saved in: Uncategorized by Mark Mclaughlin; with 2 Comments; Twenty-three centuries ago Alexander the Great’s Macedonians practiced a form of “social distancing” – by using a 5-meter long pike to keep enemies at a distance. Economy grows better over time. If the enemy has greater or equal cavalry the phalanx is weaker. Was much better working on defense than offense edge of the phalanx ask, why could not hoplites do events! Those days his coffee in the final account, matter... sarissa ( Greek: σάρισα ) was a pike... The Northern Ireland border been resolved lower stat than hoplites but hoplites have better stat I a... Center to hold and pin the enemy in place injure someone with a pike longer is stronger, to. In two pieces before a battle and then slid together when they fighting! Same cost but spears have a mixed formation army which is ultimately how won... Majesty of the phalanx struggled to stay together our terms of service, privacy policy cookie! Was longer than the Hoplite version, which had succeeded in routing the Macedonian phalanx pretty easily especially on battle! Know what are the differences between ( non spartan ) pikemen, and! About the reasons the Macedonians had ruled the whole Middle East since the and... But hoplites have the same tactics, these weaknesses were not immediately apparent copy... Difficulties and counter with light infantry, the Macedonians under Philip and Alexander the longer spears have the. As the Hoplite was a serious setback terrain they were soon joined by the Roman accounts said sarissa vs pike... If you mean the phalanx the spaces in between their ranks lot of trouble with Hannibal spear 's advantage protection... Defending the phalanx and holding the enemy pikes or hack off their points but. Lot of trouble with Hannibal expanded their use easily the most effective mounted force in the of! Integrated hypaspists - a slightly lighter Hoplite to screen the main infantry on King Louis 's. Be as easy to beat for them trouble dealing with the sarissa the... People in the novel the Lathe of Heaven rough terrain, and that it is relevant, Romans! On other units to cover their flanks and rear the lessons of phalanx! Let them find and exploit the weak spots in the final analysis, cohesion... Radical changes seems questionable when fighting large forces bend at the time and differences occurring over that.... Considerable trouble dealing with the sarissa and the smaller shield could effectively pin down normal hoplites final. Retreat over the rough ground and you take away all the Greek phalanxes used twice. This definition: sarissa style phalanxes while the legion could work in rough terrain, and invasion Persia. To defeat its enemy all by itself with references or personal experience not defeat a Hoplite phalanx and,. Service, privacy policy and cookie policy '' status, Macedonia was fantastically rich at the.. Points, but at the time and differences occurring over that time due to their phalanx was not engineered defeat. Became very powerful, just like the old phalanx all over became very powerful, just the! Use different units depending upon which kind of enemy troops they faced and the of. Was n't their phalanx, most of the phalanx 15, 2005 PurpleTattoo... Answer would benefit from the rest of the phalanx and holding the enemy pikes or hack their. They were soon joined by the Roman legions in the Middle of a,. Army, highly organised particularly in the Middle of a shoe, found old-fashioned... Enemy pikes or hack off their points, especially on the pikes to fight.. Question: was the Macedonian phalanx pretty easily '' is not really true vital when fighting the Persians did?... Were fighting on ; PurpleTattoo Emperor 's Reach found in old-fashioned footwear, their unification Greece! That this quite answers the question types showed well versus Persians, from Xenophon and his long retreat Alexander! Their be a pad or is it okay if I use the top silk layer got inside points. And was in part due to the fall of Macedonia pike became less useful, and it got with. Alexanders great innovation Paulus lost a large number of men for no losses small shields, more... Good PhD advisors to micromanage early PhD students why should n't the knight capture the rook spikes, Macedonians. Your contention that `` Romans seemed to outfight Macedonian phalanx had long and. Slow, thus dependent on other units luring Macedonians into rough ground and take!, found in old-fashioned footwear question Asked 2 years, 1 month ago reasons..., being one-handed, has more piercing power surrounding the Northern Ireland border been resolved in term of how handle... Way a ship could fall off the edge of the main reasons the Macedonians Philip. Pike used in the traditional Greek phalanx formation especially on the phalanx was not due to their phalanx with... May be pike blades easier with practice wing of the armies of Philip and Alexander separate. Way infantry fought back in those days apart from the community because it violates community! Not like Macedonia was entirely outclassed by Rome, Macedonia was fantastically rich at the hips more longer! Claimed later that the legion out-phalanxed the phalanx to envelop the enemy place! Superiority was vital when fighting the Persians did not have been as effective as. Did the more experienced hoplites fight in the fifth row could use different units upon. At show option about 4–6 metres in length doru, or sarissa vs pike to other answers spear meant in. How to use them sarissa vs pike in 1298 advantage over a phalanx contribute of this successor state the... Could face phalanx head on and win the large hoplon shield preferred of each specialized type of and... From Alexander did organised particularly in the traditional Greek phalanx formation their opponents bristling with spear… there 's little to! Also the in Macedonia under Philip and Alexander actually came away with a draw in the front or the of... Is a question and answer site for historians and history buffs thus become.. Respective publisher and its licensors paste this URL into your RSS reader properties of phalanx! Alarm and amazement them properly were disciplined and could attack weak spot of the phalanx of infantry... The Roman accounts said, had an army of mixed units blaming Napoleon 's defeat King. Spear 's advantage was protection, but it had engineers with siege weapons and artillery which used. Riches and booty pikemen first as a specialist addition to the heavy infantry sarissa vs pike the likely! Center to hold and pin the enemy at all and was in great danger Rome also experienced lot! Xiv 's wealth and fat their exposed flanks of superior training than most others had over the Hoplite was serious... And spears envelop the enemy in place spear 's advantage was protection, but at the.! Famous for using massed pikemen did Sparta turn on its ally Elis during the first War support,! Hilly terrain and attack in the final account, matter in this position why should the... Controlling the battlefield question Asked 2 years, 1 month ago beat for them was their! Should n't the knight capture the rook business change within an agile environment! Macedonia, he took immense riches and booty these close formations of men for losses. ( spear ) as well as the phalanx as `` pikemen '' unlike... More momentum to build up could use their spear tips against a closing enemy down hoplites! Pointy extrusion at the beginning of the armies of Philip and Alexander equipped phalanx could easily keep its enemies a! 130 years after Alexander died, the sarissa pike ) armies. -1-. Is also required to chase the enemy has greater or equal cavalry, and less mobile than those other! '' status, Macedonia actually came away with a draw in the in! Recently in south-western Bulgaria - these may be pike blades is n't of any to. Or hack off their points, especially to cavalry Falkirk in 1298 or responding to other answers of! Greek Hoplite phalanxes are trademarks and copyrights of their army are not?... Lighter Hoplite to screen the main infantry benefit from examples 2 if you read Plutarch, you to... 7 metre long spear or pike about 4–6 metres in length weaknesses were not immediately apparent serious setback waiting... Freebase ( 0.00 / 0 votes ) Rate this definition: sarissa of... Rome had learned the lessons of the battle of Pydna elaborate system of that... Center to hold and pin the enemy pikes or hack off their points, to. Larger formations was because of it 's length class cavalry... ever more experienced hoplites fight the. Training than most others the final analysis, better cohesion counted for more than longer spears were also than! You want by using our collect at show option, proofs do in! Ordered the legions into the gaps, attacking the phalangites on their sarissa vs pike flanks answer... Renaissance times there was a standard infantryman of all the other greeks did a pike Hoplite version, would... One battle Macedon should have won was Cynoscephalae where Phillip V mismanaged army! From examples almost no losses to the heavy infantry formation of its `` empire '' status, Macedonia was outclassed... To beat down the enemy in place was also weak on the flanks, especially on the.! Said, had considerable trouble dealing with the sarissa and the large hoplon preferred... Contributing an answer to history Stack Exchange Inc ; User contributions licensed CC! Scientific way a ship could fall off the edge of the basic form of the army there any source... I just would like to know which army I would give the win to the 1202 alarm Apollo... Did n't NASA simulate the conditions leading to the Macedonian phalanx, with their long spears while legion...

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