The "Fred thread": the Argead Macedonian Army

[Paralus]

I think its better than redefining hoplite and phalangite to mean the same things. The fact that doruphoroi sometimes means "bodyguards" or "bully boys" does make it a little complicated. Probably the best would to go straight to English terminology: spearmen, pikemen, swordsmen.

I don’t see any problem with that. The issue remains though: usage. If Hammond is correct about Diodorus’ source for these passages – and I think he is, if not the person then certainly the strong pro-Athenian colour – then “spearmen” is more than likely being used in the way we’d describe a criminal’s guard of “gunmen”.

What about Luke Ueda-Sarson's argument for an Alexandrian taxis with a paper strength of 2,048?

That’s eminently possible. Rzepka (and many others) likely are correct in that Macedonia possessed six recruiting “districts” – certainly by later in Philip’s reign. His movement of peoples speaks to his “adjusting” population levels throughout the kingdom and likely for more than one reason. If that is correct then Rzepka is probably again on the mark when he writes that the invasion army will not have taken whole districts away; more likely a given number from each. If we suppose (as I did earlier) that the lochos or 256 man unit was the basic phalanx unit then taking six per district and leaving two of the “standing army” is practical. That would leave Antipater a little over 3,000 and, of necessity, some recruiting and calling up to do if the Macedonian levy was required. Without checking, the notices of Alexander’s requests for national reinforcements have the flavour of combing up what is available or enrolling those not called up.

Another point on that passage adduced as proof of hoplite-armed hypaspists by Markle (3.18.1-2):

Alexander despatched Parmenio with the baggage, the Thessalian cavalry, the Grecian allies, the Mercenary auxiliaries, and the rest of the more heavily armed soldiers, to march into Persia along the Carriage road leading into that country. He himself took the Macedonian infantry, the Companion cavalry, the light cavalry used for skirmishing, the Agrianians, and the archers…

Now, the heavy armed infantry are separated out and left behind and the hypaspists (as we find out later) are not among those. Therefore Markle deduces they are hoplite armed. It seems to have escaped his attention that the Greek allied hoplites are here described as being amongst the “more heavily armed”. If this passage is proof of hoplite armed hypaspists then one must suppose their hoplite arming was lighter than the Greek city state hoplite?