01-22-2011, 12:16 AM
I'm still developing my views on the Macedonian pike phalanx, but am becoming more comfortable with the idea that one wing (normally the right) was initially occupied by dory-armed hoplites (hypaspists and, on occasion, mercenaries). I think that this was the case throughout Philip II's career and, perhaps, Alexander III's as well (though here I'm still researching). Otherwise, cavalry fronted by light infantry seems to have been the method used to protect the heavy infantry's flanks. Once pikes got so long that penetration by hoplites became very impractical (likely in the period after Alexander's death), this probably changed (at this point, small teams of elite hoplite might have taken position on the ends of the line more as flank guards than elements of the heavy phalanx proper). As I say, my thoughts remain in flux on this thorny subject and I look forward to the ongoing discussion here to enlighten me.
It\'s only by appreciating accurate accounts of real combat past and present that we can begin to approach the Greek hoplite\'s hard-won awareness of war\'s potential merits and ultimate limitations.
- Fred Eugene Ray (aka "Old Husker")
- Fred Eugene Ray (aka "Old Husker")
