The Makedonian phalanx -- why such depth?

[Paullus Scipio]

.....getting back on-topic, and away from guards units....

Paralus wrote:

As the battle is underway the chariots charge the Macedonian lines and the phalangites, as ordered, form into synaspismos (phalangos sunaspizousês) and duly beat their shields with their sarisae (tais sarisais pantôn tuptontôn tas aspides). The results are mixed but largely in their favour. After this, for those chariots that continue, the phalangites do indeed open their ranks and allow the chariots through.

This, on the theory supposed in this thread, makes for much movement of ranks or, should I say, half and “quarter” files. On that theory the phalanx advances to within striking distance and then the rear eight rush up into pyknosis (eight deep) so as to be “closed up for action”. This former rear eight – obedient to the king’s orders – split down by fours and rush forward so as to form synaspismos and bang sarisae on shield. This done – and many chariots turned – each second four then rushes back to the rear and then each second eight rush back to form “open order” so as to enable the phalanx to perform the action of “opening up” so as to allow the chariots through.
One imagines the sprinting of thousands of fully armed Usain Bolts – carrying sarisae – demonstrating the precision timing of the chorus line of 42nd Street

We have here an attempt to ridicule, rather than reason, but if we take away the hyperbole of terms such ‘rush forward’ and ‘rushes back’ ‘Usain Bolts’ etc, the first part is inherently probable – that the Phalanx began in ‘open/normal’ order sixteen deep, then closed to ‘close order’ eight deep as it advanced, and finally formed ‘locked shields’ four deep.

However it must be plain to anyone that they didn’t reform ‘open’ order to let the chariots through since a four-horse chariot is rather wider than the three foot gap between soldiers in ‘open’ order !!

In fact, our sources describe something rather different. Arrian says they were largely countered by the Agrianes and Thracian javelin-men who formed the usual light infantry screen ahead of the Phalanx, but that a few got through, to no effect, because the Phalanx had orders to “break formation” to create gaps through which they passed harmlessly, to be dealt with by the army’s grooms etc

Curtius has the chariots charge successfully against the light infantry (IV.15.4) and has them “in scattered flight”, then later (IV.15.14) has them charge upon the Phalanx, as Paralus describes….

.

Curtius (4.15.14-15) adds the detail of the Macedonian formation resembling a ramparts:
[…] the chariots had now charged the phalanx, and the Macedonians received the charge with a firm resolve, permitting them to penetrate to the middle of the column..Their formation resembled a rampart; after creating an unbroken line of spears, they stabbed the flanks of the horses from both sides as they charged recklessly ahead.


I would guess – given this is accurate – that the movement of these armed Usain Bolts must have resembled so many thousands of Rubic’s Cubes in constant motion!

Curtius then goes into gory detail of the scythes lopping limbs etc

Diodorus (XVII.58.2) has the phalanx in synaspismos beat their shields with their sarissae as ordered previously (XVII.57.6) and the horses duly shy away, some crashing into their own ranks. The Phalanx opens "wide gaps" and the chariots are channelled through these, to be killed in the rear by javelins, but like Curtius he goes into gory hyperbole of severed heads and limbs.

These accounts can be reconciled somewhat. I believe that the Phalanx probably did get down to a four deep ‘synaspismos’, and since our sources speak of “breaking formation” and “wide gaps” – hence certainly not the normal drill movements - we can envisage the line ‘splitting’ in front and folding back each side of the split at right-angles to create a gap, perhaps some 10-20 yards wide, whenever a chariot broke through the light infantry screen. This would create a corridor lined each side for 5-10 yards by close-packed phalangites. The chariot horses would head for this as if drawn by a magnet, no matter what their drivers did, since horses will not generally run into ‘solid’ walls, especially when they are bristling with ‘sarissae’. Once the chariot had passed, it would be easy enough for the line to fold back – and this whole process would be a lot easier with a line just four deep, rather than sixteen or even eight deep….

I also prefer Arrian’s account with no casualties to the hyperbole of Curtius and Diodorus, since even with spears sticking out the front, the horses would have had to impale themselves before the scythes could take effect, unless some unlucky light infantryman got side-swiped…..