The Army of Alexander the Great
The Political Reforms and Military Innovations of Philip II
Jan 23, 2009
The achievements of Philip II have long been recognised as instrumental in the military successes of his son Alexander, who as a result of his father's energies inherited a Macedonian kingdom more cohesive than ever before, and which possessed a military machine more formidable than anything the ancient world had ever seen.
The true significance of Philip's legacy and the impact it had upon the reign of Alexander has always been fiercely debated, but most historians do agree that ultimatly, Philip was 'the most immediate reason why Alexander ever became great.’(fox.72)
Philip II and Ancient Macedonia
Ancient Macedonia was a land of ‘impossible contrasts’(fox.28), where the fertile green plains and rich coastal towns of the lowlands seemed destined to be forever divided from the isolated tribes who inhabited the impenetrable mountainous regions of the North West highlands.
Unifying these contrasting worlds, which were conflicted, but also mutually dependant, - the lowlands looked to the highlands for defence while the former needed the lower plains to graze their sheep – under a centralised authority had always plagued previous rulers. However after thirteen years of Philip II, the highland and lowland nobility were steadily becoming more firmly united around their king.
Political Reform
Much of this was the result of Philip’s lucrative conquests to the East, which had not only given Macedonia the mines to yield a steady influx of gold coinage, but also new lowland territories which Philip chose to settle with highland chieftains and their young sons.
He therefore succeeded in binding the traditionally isolated highlanders more closely to the crown, and then incorporated them and their retainers into his own entourage as ‘honoured companions’, which formed the nucleus of the ‘Companion Calvary’ – now regarded as the finest unit of horseman ever to take the field.
Military Innovation
However Philip’s greatest achievement was the creation of Macedonia’s first professional standing army, which, excluding Sparta, was the only one in all of Greece. Occasionally, it only took the sight of the Macedonian formations, executing manoeuvres while chanting their ancient warcry of ‘Alalalalai’, for an enemy to break rank and flee, as Alexander himself found while on campaign in Thrace.
Philip’s conquests had also won him enough slaves to back this force and enable it to campaign all year round, while his military innovations made it the most formidable fighting machine in the ancient world. A masterful pragmatist, Philip adapted techniques he had learnt during his years in Thebes as a hostage and also while campaigning in his own kingdom against the Scyths and Thracians.
Foot Companions
Of all Philip’s different units, it was the foot companions who formed the backbone of the army. They marched in a solid phalanx and carried an eighteen foot long pike known as a Sarissa, which they wielded using both hands, and was capable of shattering enemy formations already partially broken by a cavalry charge. Their front ranks were made up of seasoned troops who could be relied upon to make contact with the enemy, while fresh recruits within the block of spears had no choice but to carry on forwards with the momentum.
Royal Shield Bearers
To link the foot companions and his cavalry, Philip developed a unit of royal shield bearers, who were mobile infantry capable of covering the exposed side of the foot companions – who only had a small shield slung over their shoulder for protection – and were better equipped for close combat. These troops could also function as commandos, and were undoubtedly some of the hardiest soldiers of the entire army.
Companion Cavalry
The companion cavalry were shock troops who charged in a wedge formation. They acted almost like a guided missile, first drawing off and ambushing the enemy cavalry, and then rapidly changing direction to slice into the their exposed flanks. Philip had rejected the more distant function of cavalry favoured by other Greek city states at the time, and adopted this more direct use which he had copied from the Thracians.
He complimented this force with axillaries of Cretan archers, peltists and slingers, which overall made his army the most balanced and effective fighting force in all of Greece. Like Gaius Marius who reformed the Roman army, Philip cut down its baggage train and made his men carry supplies. He also trained them to live of the land meaning that ‘for the first time in Balkan Warfare distanced ceast to matter.’(fox.73)
Alexander the Great
Although there is a lot to suggest that the extent of Alexander’s military success was down to the backing of this awesome military machine, that is missing the point that overall, its effectiveness depended on how well it was managed.
For one thing, the fluid mobility, timing and overall success of a unit like the companion cavalry depended on a leader who could provide a dashing example, and this was something Alexander never failed to deliver. He personally led every cavalry charge, and even – as Arrian tells us - wore the most gaudy eye catching armour to lure out the enemy’s strongest units.
Alexander was not only capable of masterfully managing his father’s forces; he consistently proved his military genius by evolving new tactics to suit the varied terrains he fought over. Philip may have provided his son with the means, but there is no doubt that it was Alexander’s sheer force of character that drove his army beyond the boundaries of the known world, and on a conquest even more epic than those contained within the pages of Homer.
Sources
Robin Lane Fox, Alexander the Great, Penguin Books, 1973
Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, Penguin Classic, 1976
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