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Macedonia BEFORE Phillip's Reforms- List for Men of Bronze?  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
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Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

As I was researching Thessaly for Men of Bronze, some details were emerging about Macedonia and its military BEFORE Phillip II's reforms.

A Heavy cavalry tradition seemed to exist there prior to elsewhere in Greece, but I ma not finding too much detail about the rest of their military forces. Would some one care to point me towards some good places to look?

I will look at the usual suspects for Primary sources, but am interested in any other sources as well.

Thanks in advance.

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Made in gb
[MOD]
Villanous Scum







Best secondary sources are with out a doubt Sir William Tarn and Major General J.F.C Fuller (the bloke who invented armoured warfare). Fuller gives in depth details on the Alexandrian army but also shows how they evolved and he walks back the Philippian reforms to show what they were like before. For anyone who doesn't have his book I will transcribe below;

The army comprised three parts;
The Royal retinue of mounted nobles (Hetairoi - Companions) including a squadron paid for from the King's purse called the Royal Squadron who formed his bodyguard. The Companions were equipped the on the Thessalian model with linen cuirass and xyston.

The agema (who became the foot companions) which were a standing professional army and were equipped as either Hoplites or heavy Peltasts (this is a continuous problem with the Macedonian army as no one knows how the foot guard were equipped and opinions vary, arguments get quite amusingly heated on the subject as well).

The tribal levy, equipped with sword/spear and wicker shield. Of so little use that it is noted that Perdiccas II in battle with the Thracians did not even consider using them.

That's it, the pre-Philippian army in all its glory.
On numbers we are told that Phillip in his reforms "expanded the Royal Squadron by expanding it to eight squadrons each of 2-300 men" so it absorbed the rest of the Companions and they all became "Royal", we are also told that Phillip expanded the foot guard to the "strength of three battalions, each of 1000 men". For reference these became the Royal Army in Phillip's New Model Army.

On the levy we are told that the reforms formed them into six "territorial" battalions each of 1536men who became the phalanx when armed with sarissa .

So it seems likely that the pre reform army comprised some 1000-1200 horse, 1000 heavy foot and some 10000+ mob. There is no mention of peltasts, light horse, skirmishers, hoplites or siege train until after Phillip assumed control of the League of Corinth.


On parle toujours mal quand on n'a rien à dire. 
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

So, the Agema maybe formed up like Iphikratian style Hoplites.... I.e. we have no idea what they really are!

They could be the elusive heavy Peltast or just Hoplites with stripped down gear fr mobility or just straight up hoplites.

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Made in gb
[MOD]
Villanous Scum







Yep, its even been suggested that they were pikemen as well (both before and after Philip's reforms), it could even be that they changed equipment between battles, which is kinda WAAC...

Phillip and Alexander used them as the link between the pikeline and cavalry, often as a pivot of maneuver or as a 'harbour' for the cavalry. They also were used as the van in storming fortifications and as a rapid reaction force in guerrilla campaigns. It seems likely that they were armoured but not to the extent of a hoplite and that they were equipped with a thrusting spear because they couldn't perform their lynchpin role if they couldn't withstand the shock of a cavalry charge.

On parle toujours mal quand on n'a rien à dire. 
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

I actually found this one slightly easier to do than the Thessaly one, as there were resources discussing pre and post-reform military structures.

You can see what I came up with here:
https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2019/12/men-of-bronze-pre-reform-macedonia.html

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