The Macedonian Phalanx: Equipment, Organization & Tactics from Philip and Alexander to the Roman Conquest

Richard Taylor

12.2020 г. · Pen and Sword Military

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An overview on one of the most successful infantry formations used by Alexander the Great and his successors to dominate the ancient world.

The Macedonian pike phalanx dominated the battlefields of Greece and the Near and Middle East for over two centuries. It was one of the most successful infantry formations of the ancient world, only rivaled by the manipular formation of the Roman legions. The phalanx was a key factor in the battlefield success of Alexander the Great and after his death dominated the armies of his Successors (the Diadochoi), who ruled from Greece and Egypt to the borders of India. Richard Taylor gives an overview of the phalanx’s development, organization, equipment and training. He analyses the reasons for its success, with an emphasis on case studies of the many battles in which it was used, from Philip II’s reign to the Mithridatic Wars. He discusses whether the famous defeats by the Romans necessarily mean it was inherently inferior to the manipular legion tactics, and considers what other factors were in play. The clear, accessible and well-researched text is supported by diagrams and battle maps, making this an outstanding study of this mighty formation.

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Dr Richard Taylor holds BA and DPhil degrees in Ancient History from Oxford University. His doctoral thesis won the Hellenic Foundation prize for best UK thesis in classics and ancient history (and forms the basis for part of The Macedonian Phalanx ). He has published a number of articles on ancient history and warfare in Slingshot , the journal of the Society of Ancients. He has worked in publishing and IT, and is currently employed at a UK university.