Also the violence he saw in Alexander Alexander the Great served as king of Macedonia from 336 to 323 B.C. How Close Was Alexander to Conquering Southern Italy? Number 1 is my personal favourite. Alexander appointed Coenus, one of his generals, to supervise the rebel's activity while the Macedonians rested for the winter of 328 B.C. Philip completely restructured the army. at Gordium, Phrygia, Alexander the Great, unable to untie the knot, sliced it with his sword. With trade and the Greek world expanding, for political and economic reasons, each city had to learn to defend itself. Wasson, D. L. (2014, April 04). For most of his campaigning life, Alexander and his army traversed the various terrains of inland Asia – lands on many occasions hostile to him and far away from seas and navigable rivers. For the first time, the Greeks met elephants in war. It is believed Parmenion – Alexander’s ill-fated second in command – filled such a role until his execution in 330 BC. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. As with the previously abandoned hoplite phalanx, the new army was designed to attack and remained a purely offensive weapon. Indeed, it appears armour was sometimes even discarded to avoid discomfort during these marches. https://www.ancient.eu/article/676/. This lightened the soldier’s pack as they did not require cooking utensils. Heavy Cavalry: from 1,700 to 2,100 riders Recently, a ground-breaking study by Donald Engels concluded how the Macedonian king most likely achieved this. Nevertheless, even with this change, Alexander always prioritised having his army as light as possible throughout his campaigns. Zopyrion’s Scythian Expedition: Macedon’s Teutoburg Forest? Exploring the Essential Question: How did Alexander build his empire? For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. report. There were two divisions of the cavalry - the Companion and the prodromoi - the latter was the more flexible and versatile Balkan cavalry which was used primarily as scouts. If Alexander wanted his troops to conduct a swift, march, then the food each soldier would take with him was usually pre-cooked –mostly biscuits, fruit and if possible, salted meat. Greek Hopliteby Johnny Shumate (Public Domain). In particular, the Persian army lacked archers and slingers, so it could not engage at a distance. It is possible Philip’s reforms were the inspiration for Marius but that is for another article. What Alexander did value and perhaps what kept his army smaller, was the mobility and speed gave military advantage. The tent was guarded at all times by a special detachment of hypaspists. Alexander now sent much of his army to Carmania (modern southern Iran) with his general Craterus, and commissioned a fleet to explore the Persian Gulf shore under his admiral Nearchus, while he led the rest of his forces back to Persia by the southern route through the Gedrosian Desert (now part of southern Iran and Makran now part of Pakistan). (2010), Philip II of Macedonia: Greater than Alexander, Lincoln. How did Alexander the Great motivate his army.? In Alexander’s army there were 2 elite groups, the Agrianes (javelinmen) and the Kretans (archers), but also units of Thraikians and Illyrians. For additional protection he wore a helmet (most often the Corinthian style), covering most of his face except for a t-shaped opening that exposed his eyes, nose and mouth (unfortunately, it did not allow for peripheral vision); Philip would replace this with a Phrygian helmet that allowed for better hearing and visibility. Greece was emerging from a dark period in its history - the troubling times of the poet Homer. No other Greek city-state other than Sparta was able to keep an army permanently mobilised. This forced Alexander to acquire supplies via land. Every taxis was broken into distinct subdivisions. It was the birth of the citizen-warrior. Alexander was the son of King Philip I of Macedonia. In 336 B.C.E., at age 20, Alexander became king of Macedonia when a political rival assassinated his father. By the time of his death, he had conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks. ( Public Domain ) In order for Alexander to afford this army, he had to either disband a portion of it to save money, risking much in doing so, or go on the march to salvage his kingdom. Write a letter home to a friend or family member in Macedonia. It was a risky investment to say the least. Yet his untimely death at Babylon in 323 BC, aged only 32, brought a swift end to these bold plans. Besides the obvious, there was logic behind what they did; each soldier would no longer be loyal to a particular province or town as now he would be loyal only to the king. Karunanithy, D. (2013), The Macedonian War Machine 359 – 281 BC, Barnsley. The armies were not intended to stay out in the field for long durations at a time. 3. He therefore decided to round his troops up to make one great … Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and Michigan State University and University of Missouri. Be sure to leave a like!}. His use of the phalanx and cavalry, combined with an innate sense of command, put his enemy on the defensive, enabling him to never lose a battle. The city itself was like an armed camp. Although Alexander’s baggage train experienced alteration during his conquest, the primary tasks of the skoidos remained the same. Army pay was meager but was paid promptly. Alexander thus underlined his Panhellenic policy, already symbolized in the sending of 300 panoplies (sets of armour) taken at the Granicus as an offering dedicated to Athena at Athens by “Alexander son of Philip and the Greeks (except the Spartans) from the barbarians who inhabit Asia.” (This formula, cited by the Greek historian Arrian in his history of Alexander’s campaigns, is noteworthy for its omission of any … Having heard news of a Theban revolt for instance, Alexander marched his army south from Lake Lynchitis to Boeotia – some 500 miles – in thirteen days. The detail of the Alexander Mosaic showing Alexander the Great. Continuously, he would recruit these animals throughout his campaign; they were then spread throughout his army to supply the men – animals being attached to every dekas units. Wheat, barley and millet – all were available throughout Asia and India. You have Alexander, they Darius. For a weapon he carried a thrusting spear of five to eight feet in length. Instead, he would acquire intelligence about the region – information such as its topography, routes, climate and resources – before deciding his next move. Books Alexander’s Empire after His Death . Obviously, the length of the sarissa made it difficult to handle, demanding both strength and dexterity. The greatest of Alexander's battles in India was at the river Hydaspes, against king Porus, one of the most powerful Indian rulers. The Tyrian's recognised this as a Macedonian ploy to occupy the city and refused, saying instead that Alexander was welcome to sacrifice to Heracles in old Tyre, which was built upon the mainland. Yet none of this would have been possible if Alexander had not skilfully organised his forces throughout the campaign and so this article will cover the logistics of his Macedonian army. Alexander realised this and soon adapted the logistics system he had inherited from his father to suit his new theatres of war. Answer Save. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. To be successful he needs the support of a well-trained army who will follow him regardless of the cost whether it be a stunning victory or hopeless defeat. This new style of fighting was primarily offensive, advancing in a line into the center of the opposing enemy. Philip and Alexander were able to do this because: 1. The pezhetairoi were in the center; the hypaspists were to their right with the cavalry on either flank. Clearly, they did their jobs well-- 2,300 years after the life of Alexander the Great, he remains a person of reverence. We hear Alexander tasked these men with clearing obstacles and constructing roads to aid his army through difficult terrain. Their speed and endurance were much greater than oxen and this suited his desire for light, fast marches across harsh terrain. Click here for Johnny’s website where you can find more of his artwork. Philip’s changes did not stop there. Yet he would also incorporate another animal to carry supplies. (The Phoenician god Melqart was roughly the equivalent of the Greek Heracles.) The force that under the command of Alexander the Great invaded and conquered the Persian Empire, thus ensuring the extension of the Hellenistic culture to most of the world known at that time, was composed in total from 40,000 Experienced and well-armed fighters.. a) Cavalry. Permitted booty was fair and significant -- thus his soldiers were well motivated to win battles. Two powerful city-states rose to dominate Greece. The reason for the act was never discovered. Consequently, Alexander found himself continuously tasked with ensuring his army maintained sufficient supplies. During his time of leadership, he united Greece, reestablished the Corinthian League and conquered the Persian Empire. The fundamental fighting unit became the taxes which usually comprised 1,540 men and commanded by a taxiarch. He would then either launch a lightening campaign against the region with a small elite force, while the rest of his army remained behind in a safe, resourced base awaiting the pacification of the region; or he would split his forces into smaller units that would gain supplies by either sacking settlements or foraging. Your letter should include the following: • Sensory details and concrete language about your experiences. The hoplite now became a pezhetairoi or foot companion. A taxis was composed of three lochoi (each commanded by a lochagos) or 512 men apiece. In the festival procession Philip was assassinated by a young Macedonian noble, Pausanias. How the Aetolians Resisted a Superpower (Blog #1). Alexander’s charismatic leadership and brilliant use of cavalry secured his immortality, and signalled the end for his wily foe, the Persian ruler Darius III. 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