Macedonian Sarrisa

[Paralus]

...I think you are at cross-purposes, guys. Inaki was talking about Philip V(221-179 BC) who fought Rome , but Paralus is thinking (mistakenly) of Philip II, (359-336 BC) Alexander's father......

Yes indeed. Apologies. Wrong Philip.

At Cynoscephalae Philip had some 16,000 phalangites, seven thousand "lighter armed" and 2,000 cavalry. Rather light indeed. As well, his Greek "allies" had deserted to the Romans - especially Nabis of Sparta. This bloke, having married his sons off to Philip's daughters to seal the alliance, accepted Argos as his plaything from Philip (marvellous reward for its steadfastness) and promptly allied himeslf with Rome.

The army that took the field against Falmininus was not that with which he began the campaign. As I wrote in an earlier post, this was no fourth century Macedonian levy. Several had deserted already after the botched attempt to contain Flamininus' landing and more, one suspects, will have done so given the abject refusal of the Thebans and other Greeks to join the fray.

Philip - like other Macedonian "successors" before him - would bet the lot on the one decisive encounter. Like Lysimachus, Antigonus and Antiochus III, he was no Philip II or Alexander and nor were his troops of the calibre of those two.

One phalanx was successful, the other...well we know how it ended up - cut to pieces engendering a mass surrender. That later, unknown in Alexander's time and Philip II (except for the defeat in the Sacred War c353), would become something the Macedonians would reprise - with gusto - at Pydna as they deserted Perseus.