"Confusion over Macedonian units and titles" Topic

Last weekend they had the movie 'Alexander'on one of my local channels. I know that the movie got a few bad reviews but something about it makes me want to renew my interest in the period and start gaming it. A couple of years ago I was looking at the WAB pubs on the period and looking to start but a situation in life took over. I have read several works of fiction and history about Alexander and his campagins and at times confused over the types of units and titles.

I know that the phalanx is the main infantry force of the army and is used to pin the enemy. Now there is the Hypaspists – a type of phalanx?, used to maintain contact between the main phalanx and the Companion Cavalry at the breakthur point? Sometimes on different websites I see the terms Agyraspid Hypasists and/or Agema Hypasists?

Peltasts = Light Infantry?

The Siliver Shields; are these the Hypaspists or the senior regiment of the phalanx. The same with the term of Foot Companions?

For the Cavalry Companions I see they have a elite of the elite in the Royal Sqn – Alexanders' bodyguard?

The Hypaspists may have fought equipped as phalangites, or as fast-moving hoplites as depicted in the film and possibly on the Alexander sarcophagus. Agyraspid and Agema are later Sucessor terms.

Peltasts in the film means light infantry, but confusingly was later applied to phalangites (who used a similar round shield).

The silver shields is a term later applied to Alexander's veteran phalangites who were equipped with silver plated shields. They were a match for any other phalanx, even into their sixties.

There were several squadrons of cavalry companions; Alexander led the largest.

Hope this helps!

simon

Phalangites: heavily armed pikemen. (The Silver Shileds were the elite.)

Hypaspists were lighter armored than the phalangites (no leg greaves). The emphasis was maneuver. Often used spear or pike, but other weapons attributed in historical sources. Wargamers outfit hypaspists almost exclusively as spear/pikemen.

Peltasts were light infantry. Generally not equipped to directly face hoplites or phalangites unless from a flanking position.

Cavalry (3 types)

Prodromoi: Generally part of the skirmish screen advancing in front of the regular army to the right and left flank. (Javelins and shields.)

Thessalian: Medium cavalry with short spear assigned to hold left flank. (I'm not sure if shields were used.)

Companion Cavlary: Heavy offensive cavalry often lead by Phillip II or Alexander on the right flank used to crush enemy after the phalanx had engaged and pinned the enemy into place. (No shield, long 9-12 foot lance: xyston.)

Hypaspists and peltasts often followed in the wake of the Companion Cavalry to dispatch broken troops.

Alexander II (Philip's brother) founded the Foot Companions or "Pezetairoi". These were a phalanx unit. According to livius.org, there were six battalions of Foot companions, each 1,500 men strong, the backbone of the phalanx. I would deduce that the Foot Companions were the principle group of phalangites.

Theres a lot of confusion over the way we interpret some of these document.
I dont think you should read the term 'hypaspist' as any particular troop type. They were a picked group of men who could perform several military functions when the need arose.
I think we get too hung up on modern descriptive categories for ancient terms.
So, they were equipped as phalangites in line of battle,also as lighter armed (peltast style? though they may have kept any armour they had) troops for assaults on cities,rough terrain,fast raids etc whenever the need arose.
Alexanders bodyguard in the companions were probably the macedonian nobility he grew up with and trusted.

The Companion Cavalry were noble. Philip and/or Alexander fought with the agema, the royal bodyguard. This constituted one of the eight Companion Cavlary units (about 250 men) or one of three hypaspist units (1000 men) when fighting on foot.

As Yoricke states, the hypaspist were a versitile, elite troop. In contrast, many of the Foot Companions would have been regular troops with limited training outside the phalanx. Both could use the sarissa and shield when called on, but the hypaspist was most useful in loose formation or in pitched infighting.

For a good general overview on Macedonian forces and their opponents throughout the time period, take a look at John Warry's Warfare in the Classical World (get the gorgeous illustrated edition if you can).

For Alexander himself, try Robin Lane Fox's masterful biography Alexander the Great.

And for a good fiction read, Stephen Pressfield's The Virtues of War is terrific.

I agree with most of the above except Prodromoi who are generally accepted to be lance (xyston) armed cavalry (without cuirasses). After Guagamela they were absorbed into the Companions. There were also shielded Thracian light cavalry in Alexander's army which is probably what Religon is thinking of.

The Thessalians were shieldless heavy cavalry armed with javelins.

Some of the Companions would have been nobles, but I doubt all, as there were quite a lot of them! Also the Prodromoi were later merged into them so they can't have been all that exclusive! ;-)

Simon

There's a summary here that looks rather good:

link

Cheers

Simon

Thanks gents for the info.

BigRedBat, that's a useful link.

cheers

edward w

It was useful; I learned today that Agema referred to Alexander's bodyguard. I'd previously thought it to be a later term.

The movie has its moments. The main battle gave some impression what Guagamela must have been like. One thing that struck me was the dust, which I'm modelling into some of my units. If it was that dusty on the day, it would have been very hard to appreciate what was going on!

Simon

Also look at:

link

Click on "Macedonian Unit Organisations".