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Whilst it is difficult to try and equate military ranks from vastly different times and places, "battalion" is a bad translation of a Phalanx 'Taxeis/unit', which probably consisted of 2,000 men. ( Battalions generally number only several hundred men, and the equivalent might be the 'spei...

Forgive me, I was in error on some detail in attempting to support my view that the Macedonian cavalry took part in the action here at Chaeronea: I mentioned Coenus as one of the probable 'seasoned generals' sent by Philip to command with Alexander , and that he was one who would not be commanding ...

Could we maybe look at the Sparto-Macedonian war and the revolt of the southern mainland Greeks when they heard that Alexander had gone to be with his father? We know even less about those than Chaeronaea, but I don't recall cavalry playing a big role in either the sources or modern reconstructions...

Often wondered about that "feigned retreat". Polyaenus actually mentions this battle twice. In the second (4.2.7) he writes: Philippus, at Chaeroneia, knowing the Athenians were impetuous and inexperienced, and the Macedonians inured to fatigues and exercise, contrived to prolong the actio...

I have not seen Rahe's article, which this thread appears to draw on in support of an infantry clash at Chaeronea, but I do have the fine book by Gaebel , who references Rahe ; with regards to our subject, I feel they are too rigid in opining that cavalry could not break a solid infantry line, whic...

It is also possible that the surviving accounts draw on South Greek writers with the usual ideas about which soldiers should be glorified (rich Greek hoplites) and which ignored (barbarians and anyone who does not own land!) ... but again, this weakens the evidence that Alexander fought on foot, ra...

IMHO, Prince Alexander was at the head of the Companion Cavalry (along with the likes of Parmenio and Coenus et el) on the Macedonian left wing at Chaeronea, and they succeeded in slicing through - quite possibly in wedge formation - a ruptured Theban front created by the pezhetairoi . Hi James. Fa...

May as well bring it back to some sort of relevance.

Well, in that case Old Man...

Been a while since the kids looked that young! Thread's starting to resemble a travelogue. Best start looking for a date for those Hellenistic walls before you feel compelled to bring it back to the point! Nice reminiscing though.Had a marvelous Macedonian red in a restaurant in Delphi. Be nice to g...

Very much so - especially the Peloponnese.

Typical of Greece: the arable land is used and near every settlement is on a hilltop or mountainside! (Yes, there are other reasons). Did a trip back in 2007 and it was incredible how most towns are off any useful ground - some even clinging to edges!

Well, Mycenae is a hop, skip and a jump from Argos where Pyrrhos perished in last, yet again ill fated campaign. A date for the walls would indicate one way or the other though there is no literary note of Pyrrhos annoying the Mycenaeans that I can call to mind. The looting of the Macedonian royal t...

I do believe Elizabeth French might have confused her Macedonian kings. Pyrrhos lost the support of the Macedonians prior to his last disastrous campaign in the Peloponnese when, after securing Macedon, he allowed his Gauls to ransack the royal tombs. Alexander hardly had his father cremated and int...

So all our sources agree. It was won with a part of his army and the coup de gras delivered by those forces crossing after the main engagement. Our sources also indicate great difficulty in holding this territory. Macedonian suzerainty was no certain thing.