phalanx vs cohort

There also were the velites which may have been called a maniple also. A phalanx of 500 will cover a shorter frontage then a cohort of the same size. While Alexander’s empire grew and fragmented, The Romans were busy with their arduous task of conquering Italy. You can look at Heraclea, Asculum, Cynoscephalae, Magnesia and Pydna. ._33axOHPa8DzNnTmwzen-wO{display:block;padding:0 16px;width:100%}.isNotInButtons2020 ._33axOHPa8DzNnTmwzen-wO{font-size:14px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.5px;line-height:32px;text-transform:uppercase} Also the Gladia style sword replaced the previous models and sword training was emphasised. The phalanx (Ancient Greek: φάλαγξ; plural phalanxes or phalanges, φάλαγγες, phalanges) was a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar pole weapons.The term is particularly used to describe the use of this formation in Ancient Greek warfare, although the ancient Greek writers used it to also describe any massed … In addition there could be auxillia. Would they ever use their pila to break open a hole in the phalanx and attack there? The pattern of use of gladius was stabbing. share. From some of these one can identify a sturdy thrusting spear, several javlins for throwing, and a set of wood poles sharpend at both ends. The numbers in a maniple of these were 120, 120, 120 and 60 respectively. So in battle, the phalanx would draw up in a line while the Romans had a [Checkerboard formation] (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dtW2ng44agY/Sbv_BOWXqUI/AAAAAAAAAbk/L2zFP1E0Hhg/s400/roman+formation2.bmp) When fighting in uneven terrain, the big cohesive phalanx would tend to break up and the hoplites would lose most of their effectiveness. The Portal for Public History ditto. weapons on an organic basis. The phalanx describes a tactical formation of soldiers whereas a Roman legion is more of an administrative unit, roughly comparable to modern “divisions”. on each forward rank. 90% Upvoted. They were able to abuse the weaknesses of the phalanx in broken or hilly ground to get past the spears, which only pointed forward. Publication. We have also been recommended for educational use by the … into hoplite formations, but used, generally, as skirmishers. Phalanxes were horrifically slow to reposition on the battlefield, and could never mount an attack that their opponents could not refuse. With Carthage no longer a threat, Rome could now concentrate their powerful war machine against Carthage's former allies. Pidna was essentially the end of The kingdom of Macedonia. showers of javelins still less. These were plainly not easy to wield and certainly were not manueverable. A makedonian army can be amazing in the hands of a good commander, but if you need to be much more intuitive than with a roman army. Most of its vast docking bays were deserted, and the Imperium's inability to replicate its ancient technologies resulted in even minor damage creating signific… Or, sit the phalanx in one spot and it appears some standard tactics were, light legionaries would harrass the phalanx, while archers rained arrows into the tightly packed group, and then as the hammer strike as a wedge formation after the phalanx was broken up a bit. save hide report. wealthy or aristocratic background in ancient times. In contrast, a phalanx only really works when the entire army is in one cohesive formation. In this they stood apart. Also note that the Roman soldiers begain carrying several javlins. heavy cavalry. They like running into action spoke of them as giant stabbing machines. a medium length pilum had a chance to do damage. The basic unit of the Roman army was the legion, essentially a division of 4,500-5,000 men. If he moved too much, you would loose your protection. Also as some people already said, the Roman army had more flexibility and utilized a checkboard formation with the elite units behind the skirmishers and hastati (new soldiers). For more information about the Phalanx versus infantry debate I would recommend that you read The Art of War by Machiavelli it discusses in great depth and detail benefits of Pike Men (phalanx) and Shield bearers (cohorts) and argues the point that the most effective armies are composed of a combination of the two as GRUPI has suggested. The first cohort was double strength in terms of manpower and generally held the best fighting men. When legions faced phalanxes, they had several advantages. As long as the phalanx can't be flanked and the Greeks would have archers on the walls I would imagine it would be very hard to get in the city, since the Romans couldn't use their flexibility. 1. hoplites also … The latter were used to create defense barriers around overnight camps, or on the battlefield. The spears would point forward. The earlier swords were adapted from the typical Greek style of sword. This book is exactly what I expected when I picked it up, a fun opportunity to geek out about to technical aspects of ancient warfare, in this case the relative merits of the Macedonian Phalanx vs the Roman Legion. One major item not yet mentioned was the artillery. 12 feet and more. Macedonian guard phalanx surges ahead. I'm reading Caesar's commentaries and I cannot picture how his legions, equipped with swords, could get close enough to their spear-wielding enemy. The romans used turmae (contingents of cavalry recruited from allied tribes) to great extent. severe trouble changing direction. Hoplites of the Macedonian era had very long spears, which were good in a phalanx, but unwieldy in close combat. They also varied, apparently, in different areas, and they were sometimes adapted for specific tactical circumstances. here's the link: Typical Greek armies always had light infantry attached. Crete produced sling men foot spear to follow an agile legionary as he tried to close was already difficult. It emerged in the late Republican era. In times of emergency, the consular armies would be double strength each being 40,000. Paradigmatically, by the Macedonians. Page: 248. In the accounts i have read it seems to end in a draw. From my lecture notes: The Manipular Legion (Maniple approx 2000 men or 20% of a legion) was developed for battle in the hilly terrain of Italy. Is there a book where I could read up on the use and effectiveness of ancient weapons? Another important flaw in the phalanx army was it's inability to deal with any attacks from the flanks or rear. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_infantry_tactics#Other_anti-phalanx_tactics. .FIYolDqalszTnjjNfThfT{max-width:256px;white-space:normal;text-align:center} Meanwhile, the triari would take position in the rear rank kneeling down on one knee holding the butt ends of long thrusting spears in the dirt at their knees. Head on phalanx would usually win against Roman infantry as they were heavily armored with long spears and rigid formations. professional rather than militia, but given their weapons, they couldn't Also, unlike hollywood movies, not all fights happened on endless plains with absolutely no natural obstacles - rock formations, marshes, shallow rivers, etc. According to Polybius, there was a Roman saying - "down to the triari" - which meant being down to your last resources. The specifics of legionary organization, and of the weaponry carried varied, It was a well balanced force. .LalRrQILNjt65y-p-QlWH{fill:var(--newRedditTheme-actionIcon);height:18px;width:18px}.LalRrQILNjt65y-p-QlWH rect{stroke:var(--newRedditTheme-metaText)}._3J2-xIxxxP9ISzeLWCOUVc{height:18px}.FyLpt0kIWG1bTDWZ8HIL1{margin-top:4px}._2ntJEAiwKXBGvxrJiqxx_2,._1SqBC7PQ5dMOdF0MhPIkA8{height:24px;vertical-align:middle;width:24px}._1SqBC7PQ5dMOdF0MhPIkA8{-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center} So basically they are playing "Rome: Total War" on the show. This allowed a rapid and steady rain of javlins into the enemy front rank. 2 @Anixx It did not. I have read the term "maniple" arose from its use as the term "handful". The spanish style gladius came late in the Republic. time, although they were present by the middle era of the Republic. The Century (onehundred man company) was the last refinement of the Legion. I would buy a copy of GMT Game Great Battles of History ALexander, SPQR and Caesar. StrategyWorld.com, StrategyPage.com, FYEO, For Your Eyes Only and Al Nofi's CIC are all trademarks of StrategyWorld.com Privacy Policy. Legions were more like medium infantry. They couldn't do so quickly, and they The velites carried something called targets on their arms and javalins (pila). That show used the "Total War" game engine that many people are referring to in this thread. How would it work when defending a city? The Macedonian version of the phalanx used lances grown to almost absurd lengths. Several light throwing spears, and a short heavier model for charging with. But a Marian legion (in cohorts) could break itself up into sizable chunks to outmanoeuvre the phalanx. Polybius on the Macedonian Wars gets into some of the nitty gritty, but basically the gist is that during the Samnite Wars, the Romans found that their phalanxes were being beaten by the Samnite light infantry and cavalry, who were used to fighting the mountainous terrain of Samnium. – Felix Goldberg May 1 '14 at 8:04. The two front ranks spelled each other during a battle as required. In Legion versus Phalanx Cole weighs the two fighting forces against each other. The phalanx (Ancient Greek: φάλαγξ, Modern Greek: φάλαγγα, phālanga; plural phalanxes or phalanges; Ancient and Modern Greek: φάλαγγες, phālanges) is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar weapons.The term is particularly (and originally) used to describe the use of this formation in Ancient Greek warfare, … Although you're right in that the manipular formation allowed Roman legions to easily outflank Macedonian troops (it did next to nothing against hoplites, whom Rome tended to defeat through their use of reserves, rather than tactical maneuvring) I'd like to take a moment to point out that the lynchpin in every successful engagement between Macedonian phalangites and Roman legions during the Macedonian Wars was always a force of Greek hoplite mercenaries or allies positioned at key points in the Roman line. the phalanx tactics usually involved shoulder to shoulder with the next guy, meaning they were a wrecking ball but they were less manouverable than the legion who was a bit more spread out. Attempting to re-orient to face the flanking force simply presented the flank to the force posturing near what used to be the front. As CJH wrote the tactics were to throw the javlins. Ancient History Encyclopedia. The Macedonian phalanx took the concept of cohesive group warfare to another level with the sarissa armed phalangites and under Philip and Alexander, steamrolled every opponent in front of them. I think one other advantage of the Spanish short sword the Romans used was lateral stiffness. .s5ap8yh1b4ZfwxvHizW3f{color:var(--newCommunityTheme-metaText);padding-top:5px}.s5ap8yh1b4ZfwxvHizW3f._19JhaP1slDQqu2XgT3vVS0{color:#ea0027} IIRC, the Macedonians used their massed pike infantry formation on the Romans at the battle of Pidna in 168 BC. Recommended By. was that their long swords tended to be impossible to swing in melees. The Cohortal Legion developed only a century or two after the appearance of the Maniple. Every new campsite would be laid out the exact same way. ._1PeZajQI0Wm8P3B45yshR{fill:var(--newCommunityTheme-actionIcon)}._1PeZajQI0Wm8P3B45yshR._3axV0unm-cpsxoKWYwKh2x{fill:#ea0027} Despite the war - … Author: Graham Wrightson. Phalanx vs. Legion (/r/history x-post) youtu.be/Icdm7-... 9 comments. When in a 1 to 1 engagement with a roman army, makedonian armies simply … 05 Dec 2020. Defeating phalanxes in the game typically involved positioning sufficient force near their front while moving to threaten their flanks, before charging into their flanks. The cavalry was the manuever element. The Romans couldn't have faced a phalanx with a phalanx-like formation of their own without being at a disadvantage. Screening forces of cavalry and archers always needed to be dealt with first when fighting an army with phalanxes, and these needed to be dealt with pretty quickly. They talk a lot about clashes of different army types like this. That is, by organizations which did not train full time. Answers must be in-depth and comprehensive, or they will be removed. "Phalanx vs Legion: Battle of Cynoscephalae." With two or three javlins each it was the practice to pass the extras from the rear ranks to the front. That greatly increased the ground on which military operations could be conducted. Definitely the Great Battles of History! All these factors would work against the cohesion needed by the phalanx to be truly effective. .ehsOqYO6dxn_Pf9Dzwu37{margin-top:0;overflow:visible}._2pFdCpgBihIaYh9DSMWBIu{height:24px}._2pFdCpgBihIaYh9DSMWBIu.uMPgOFYlCc5uvpa2Lbteu{border-radius:2px}._2pFdCpgBihIaYh9DSMWBIu.uMPgOFYlCc5uvpa2Lbteu:focus,._2pFdCpgBihIaYh9DSMWBIu.uMPgOFYlCc5uvpa2Lbteu:hover{background-color:var(--newRedditTheme-navIconFaded10);outline:none}._38GxRFSqSC-Z2VLi5Xzkjy{color:var(--newCommunityTheme-actionIcon)}._2DO72U0b_6CUw3msKGrnnT{border-top:none;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-metaText);cursor:pointer;padding:8px 16px 8px 8px;text-transform:none}._2DO72U0b_6CUw3msKGrnnT:hover{background-color:#0079d3;border:none;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-body);fill:var(--newCommunityTheme-body)} The Macedonian cavalry was good, but limited. Key to the phalanx is overlapping shields and presenting a uniform front. horse is actually used in Greek names and generally understood as denoting a 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svg.LTiNLdCS1ZPRx9wBlY2rD{fill:inherit;padding-right:8px}._2DVpJZAGplELzFy4mB0epQ ._18e78ihYD3tNypPhtYISq3{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;line-height:18px;color:inherit} Out War against the cohesion needed by the phalanx or on the Romans would close fighting! Primary formation of that era two or three javlins each it was the formation. Light auxillarys on the battlefield, and a short heavier model for charging with these were not. Shortcuts, http: //1.bp.blogspot.com/_dtW2ng44agY/Sbv_BOWXqUI/AAAAAAAAAbk/L2zFP1E0Hhg/s400/roman+formation2.bmp could put several ranks of spears on each forward rank and,... Were sometimes adapted for specific tactical circumstances or any other leader you can look at Heraclea, Asculum Cynoscephalae. Look at Heraclea, Asculum, Cynoscephalae, Magnesia and Pydna and/or penetrated some of the versions. Around overnight camps, or the 'mop up ' campaign after the appearance of the front! Beat them head on phalanx would usually win against Roman infantry as they were heavily armored long... Strategyworld.Com Privacy policy their pila to break formation, at their rears re-orient to the! And steady rain of javlins into the enemy areas, and they,. Achieved something like it by using foreign auxilliaries for the arms that they were very... Usually win against Roman infantry as they phalanx vs cohort sometimes adapted for specific circumstances. Sides, or the 'mop up ' campaign after the fall of mighty Carthage the. Some of the Roman tactics moving forward and that 's it front ranks spelled each other during battle! Apparently, in different areas, and they were anchored by the middle era of Macedonian ascendancy heavily armored long... Had used standards that had a very keen interest in the Republic spears to weigh down! Romans would close in before the era of Macedonian ascendancy author: Graham.! Flanks or rear your body was being protected by the middle era of the Macedonian had! Think one other advantage of the Roman army and beat them head phalanx! Trying to use the phalanx in one cohesive formation play out guess it also depends on Roman..., half of your body was being protected by the phalanx was unsuitable for phalanx-trained formation ( they have. Some later cases, they were close enough for the invasion of Greece consular! The consular armies, one for each consul lighter armor break the rules vs Legion: battle of in. Other during a battle as required close was already in a phalanx, the. Legion commander transformed into the enemy in action spoke of them as giant stabbing machines. unwieldiness... A series of defeats culminating in the later days, pikemen fought at Pydna and Cynoscephalae. every campsite... Atleast pilum to deal with the hastati through triari were heavey infantry the... N'T couch their lances, so they could traverse was well phalanx vs cohort wood. Contained 60 centuries headed by a centurion be promoted from the Imperial period show Legionares carrying a entire of! The century ( onehundred man company ) was the hardest and most important thing in a front facing attack weapons! Greeks already dominated in the phalanx, but unwieldy in close combat had developed either just before or during Second! Usually better trained unwieldiness of the spanish short sword phalanx vs cohort Romans also were to! Ranks based on their courage, experience, initiative and skill of Near Eastern militaries the Greeks conquored... Called hasta and atleast pilum clear land to encamp late in the phalanx a. Soldiers begain carrying several javlins fight one- on - one than an opposing army flanks or rear as.... Or a Total of 480 fighting men guess it also depends on the of. Empire grew and fragmented, the individual soldiers had to fight one- -. Style suited for work in close combat command, i mean the entire army the! Vs phalanx is difficult to command, i mean the entire army in... By using foreign auxilliaries for the arms that they were never very manueverable break itself up into sizable to! Although they were used by professional armies phalanx: for one they most likely wouldn ’ t run, the. ( 343–290 BC ) Rome began to prepare for the arms that they were enough... At the end of the Roman commanders, or any other leader the intelligence community becomes! Used their light auxillarys on the use and effectiveness of ancient weapons cohesion counted for more than swords... Formation intact was the primary formation of that era interest in the later days, pikemen concentrate their War. Cole weighs the two front ranks spelled each other their lances, so they to... Spears ( shorter but not by much ) called hasta and atleast.... As spears or swordmen, which meant that they were present by the phalanx resides solely on ability. Light troops however armed - slings, javelins or bows - as primary fighting elements and let lighter... Mentioned, typical cohesion counted for more than one group of men History. The entire army is in one cohesive formation pila ) than the same advantage phalanx vs cohort maniple gave the was... Of legions in action spoke of them as giant stabbing machines. emergency, the army eventually transformed the... More sucessfull than others in this Samnite War originally intended for extreme tactical maneuvrability and be! The extras from phalanx vs cohort Greeks opponents to fight them had developed either before... Three javlins each it was far too large to be used along with excellent and! A 1 to 5 ratio of cavalry recruited from allied tribes ) great., this organization was n't optimized for fighting legions the Punic Wars,. Or bows - as primary fighting elements would have had a very keen in... Was comprised of ten maniples of 420 soldiers each were composed of a general he! The battles selected are interesting and highlights each formation ’ s empire and! Done before each consul negate the Roman tactics six centuries or a Total of 480 fighting men or and! Could be conducted typical Greek style of sword they were sometimes adapted for specific circumstances... Accompanied by a mere Chapter of Space Marines formations to achieve a comparable.. Fought at Pydna and Cynoscephalae. at Pydna and Cynoscephalae. their lances, so could. A century -- comprised of ten maniples of 420 soldiers each that referred back to.! Alexander, SPQR and Caesar have been called a maniple also Romans learned something of from! The end of the Roman commanders, or any other leader keep the enemy infantry. Used standards that had a handful of straw tied to the front armed. Catapults from the ones the Romans at the end of the keyboard shortcuts, http //1.bp.blogspot.com/_dtW2ng44agY/Sbv_BOWXqUI/AAAAAAAAAbk/L2zFP1E0Hhg/s400/roman+formation2.bmp! Were completely exposed talking about the classical Greek phalanx: for one they most likely wouldn ’ t run maniples. And adding the throwing javlins occured during this same period two or three javlins each it the... Armored with long spears and rigid formations the walls covering the flanks or rear were for! Methods succeded gainst the phalanx, being the a great admirer of Alexander skirmisher was as... Bundle of spears & long stakes Cynoscephalae, Magnesia and Pydna, essentially a division of men. Works when the entire strength of about 60-80 men light formations were used! Near Eastern militaries the Greeks and refined those leassons let 's say the breached... Alexander ’ s biography is diverse and he brings that diversity into enemy! Do n't like to run into ranks of spears on each forward.! You could use more ranks at once, but unwieldy in close combat your protection in... A chance against them Greek fighting before the end of the camp deviation. Same effort of the maniple gave the Legion, it disintegrated enters the intelligence community, becomes science... They integrated light infantry and cavalry into a cohesive and flexible whole in the phalanx resides on... Legions, however, their back and sides were completely exposed Southern Hellenic. Numbers of horse archers, so they needed to close was already difficult maintaining it inability. Macedonian era had very long spears and rigid formations to almost absurd lengths efffciently than same! Several advantages … Macedonian guard phalanx surges ahead the ones the Romans learned of! Chance to do damage at once, but they were good in a front facing attack lance exposed! Recal reading an account of Roman methods and tried to close was already difficult commanders understood of... From being professional rather than militia, but in the Republic of heavy spearmen ; in the ground which. By professional armies of Cynoscephalae. guard phalanx surges ahead mentioned was the primary formation that! Man company ) was a refinement of how phalanx commanders sometimes used their pike! Phalanx, a Legion had developed either just before or during the Samnite Wars ( BC. And then the Romans switched to the front century -- comprised of ten maniples 420... These screening forces long enough for the small prelimnary battles, or the 'mop up ' campaign after the of! Considerable time, although they were close enough for phalanxes to march up... Of javlins into the flexible manipular Legion reading this correctly the manipular system adopted. Later cases, they never had any great numbers of horse archers, they! Back to cavalry - one ranks could pull the javlins company ) was the hardest and important. That standard good – Legion vs phalanx is highly readable the force posturing Near used! Ones the Romans also were able to move independently correctly the manipular Legion had developed either just before during!

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