05-29-2010, 10:05 AM
Quote:I don't believe the two macedonian formations were in contact, but as he says close in one after the other. This does not change when they are pushed back down the hill- not until the special 'double-phalanx in close order" is formed. Thus, they both go back down the hill, but the rear unit is not engaged in fighting. When the rear unit reached the flat, they made a stand, and the forward phalanx fell back onto them and stopped retreating.
I think they were definitely in contact. Polybius describes the diphalaggion as epallelon. He uses diphalaggion in his criticism of Callisthenes (12.20.7) where he says that Alexander would more logically have use a "proper" diphalaggion or tetraphalaggion (this was actually what he did though not "properly" according to Polybius!). That he felt the need to qualify Doson's diphalaggion with "close one upon the other" would indicate there was no gap.
The peculiarity is not the formation formed before the final charge but the double phalanx - as Walbank observes. In 2.69.9 that final process has the phalangites "closing up the ranks of their pikes" (as Walbank notes for the phalangites are to become epallelou - close one after another in double phalanx). They have closed up from the rear and "charge" the Lacedaemonians in close order.
Paralus|Michael Park
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους
Wicked men, you are sinning against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander!
Academia.edu
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους
Wicked men, you are sinning against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander!
Academia.edu
