29.03.2005, 20:13
Peltasts and Archers and other Mercenaries
The unusual thing about the rise of the Macedonian army was that all aspects of the army were reorganised at once, especially the missile support and light infantry. In the past, new tactics or new ways of equipping troops came sporadically and focused on one type of troop in an army at a time. Iphicrates was able to fight tradition and create a new peltast style of fighting that became more popular in Greece- but this was going against the grain of Greek tradition. His new style troops defeated the Spartans in a running fight and the "Iphicratean" mercenaries became sought out and employed as mercenaries, especially in Persia. Epaminondas showed that cavalry and light troops had a role in pitched battles even against the most disciplined Hoplites. Further in the past there were anecdotal instances where light forces had beaten heavy troops all on their own.
During the Peloponnesian War, Athenian light infantry had forced Spartan Hoplites to surrender at Spacteria island. The disasterous Athenian rout at the hands of Aetolian skirmishers in 426 B.C. further showed that heavy troops needed to have plenty of skirmishers and missile troops of their own to keep these Psiloi at bay, especially in rugged terrain where phalanxes had difficulty.
Philip, absorbed all these lessons of military history (unlike most ancient generals) and began to create through alliances and hiring mercenaries a strong light infantry screen and missile support for his heavy troops. He at once gained close ties with Crete and hired their archers, who were the best in Greece.
They used a composite bow and fired a broad bladed arrow. Cretans are noted as wearing red tunics. They also carried shields, unusual for archers, and were noted for their ability to go hand to hand with enemy light troops---something that must have been rare for other archers. Cretans were also noted for being into everybody else’s business. Philip created a mercenary archer regiment which became known as the "Macedonian archers". But Macedon isnt famous for it’s archery heritage, so these fellows were probably recruited from other provinces.
The close proximity to Thrace meant that Macedon was constantly at war with them. Many Thracians also fought on the Macedonian side as allies or mercenaries. In earlier days the Thracian carried small semi-circular or round wicker shields called Peltas, hence their name. Greek light skirmishers without shields were driven off by the showers of javelins from these Peltasts and a number of Hoplite armies suffered from the inability to close with them in hand to hand. Peltasts had become a standard troop type in all Greek armies by the time of Philip. Many Thracian Peltasts carried an unusual weapon called a Rhomphaia which was a sickle shaped blade attached to a pole, apparently there was a longer and heavier version which was wielded in two hands and was as effective as an axe.
The Thracians in the Macedonian army wore helmets and now carried a larger oval shield called a Thureos, some of them still wore their long decorated cloaks as seen on Classical Greek vase art, but most now wore regular tunics for practical day to day mercenary work.
The most important light infantry contigent in the Macedonian army were the Agrianians. Alexander had a small body of these- usually less than a thousand strong but their effectiveness far exceeded their numbers.
They were related to the Paeonians but were hillmen rather than horsemen. Noted for their fierce hand to hand charges and their accurate javelin fire these troops were the first line, screening the "heavies" from harassing enemy skirmishers, chariots and other threats. The Agrianians are described as having tatooed bodies like the Celts, and they also dyed their beards blue. They carried swords, a thureos shield, and a bundle of cornel wood javelins. Some Agrianians also served as slingers.
Throughout Alexander’s campaigns he constantly created "task forces’ for lightning raids, and the Agrianians were always picked to join the guardsmen and the cavalry on these missions. The Agrianians stuck close to the Companions and would infiltrate into their melees and pull the enemy horsemen from their mounts.
Solid infantry combined with numerous elite cavalry made the Macedonian army a formidible foe, but the addition of crack units of light infantry made this army the first ever to have a true combined arms force. This made the Macedonians the most flexible army up to that time, and in the hands of extremely capable generals like Philip, Alexander, Antipater, and Antigonus almost unbeateable.
The unusual thing about the rise of the Macedonian army was that all aspects of the army were reorganised at once, especially the missile support and light infantry. In the past, new tactics or new ways of equipping troops came sporadically and focused on one type of troop in an army at a time. Iphicrates was able to fight tradition and create a new peltast style of fighting that became more popular in Greece- but this was going against the grain of Greek tradition. His new style troops defeated the Spartans in a running fight and the "Iphicratean" mercenaries became sought out and employed as mercenaries, especially in Persia. Epaminondas showed that cavalry and light troops had a role in pitched battles even against the most disciplined Hoplites. Further in the past there were anecdotal instances where light forces had beaten heavy troops all on their own.
During the Peloponnesian War, Athenian light infantry had forced Spartan Hoplites to surrender at Spacteria island. The disasterous Athenian rout at the hands of Aetolian skirmishers in 426 B.C. further showed that heavy troops needed to have plenty of skirmishers and missile troops of their own to keep these Psiloi at bay, especially in rugged terrain where phalanxes had difficulty.
Philip, absorbed all these lessons of military history (unlike most ancient generals) and began to create through alliances and hiring mercenaries a strong light infantry screen and missile support for his heavy troops. He at once gained close ties with Crete and hired their archers, who were the best in Greece.
They used a composite bow and fired a broad bladed arrow. Cretans are noted as wearing red tunics. They also carried shields, unusual for archers, and were noted for their ability to go hand to hand with enemy light troops---something that must have been rare for other archers. Cretans were also noted for being into everybody else’s business. Philip created a mercenary archer regiment which became known as the "Macedonian archers". But Macedon isnt famous for it’s archery heritage, so these fellows were probably recruited from other provinces.
The close proximity to Thrace meant that Macedon was constantly at war with them. Many Thracians also fought on the Macedonian side as allies or mercenaries. In earlier days the Thracian carried small semi-circular or round wicker shields called Peltas, hence their name. Greek light skirmishers without shields were driven off by the showers of javelins from these Peltasts and a number of Hoplite armies suffered from the inability to close with them in hand to hand. Peltasts had become a standard troop type in all Greek armies by the time of Philip. Many Thracian Peltasts carried an unusual weapon called a Rhomphaia which was a sickle shaped blade attached to a pole, apparently there was a longer and heavier version which was wielded in two hands and was as effective as an axe.
The Thracians in the Macedonian army wore helmets and now carried a larger oval shield called a Thureos, some of them still wore their long decorated cloaks as seen on Classical Greek vase art, but most now wore regular tunics for practical day to day mercenary work.
The most important light infantry contigent in the Macedonian army were the Agrianians. Alexander had a small body of these- usually less than a thousand strong but their effectiveness far exceeded their numbers.
They were related to the Paeonians but were hillmen rather than horsemen. Noted for their fierce hand to hand charges and their accurate javelin fire these troops were the first line, screening the "heavies" from harassing enemy skirmishers, chariots and other threats. The Agrianians are described as having tatooed bodies like the Celts, and they also dyed their beards blue. They carried swords, a thureos shield, and a bundle of cornel wood javelins. Some Agrianians also served as slingers.
Throughout Alexander’s campaigns he constantly created "task forces’ for lightning raids, and the Agrianians were always picked to join the guardsmen and the cavalry on these missions. The Agrianians stuck close to the Companions and would infiltrate into their melees and pull the enemy horsemen from their mounts.
Solid infantry combined with numerous elite cavalry made the Macedonian army a formidible foe, but the addition of crack units of light infantry made this army the first ever to have a true combined arms force. This made the Macedonians the most flexible army up to that time, and in the hands of extremely capable generals like Philip, Alexander, Antipater, and Antigonus almost unbeateable.