Why was the Hellenic Macedonian Army so good?
In the 4th century bc, the Macedonian army was the best in the world.
It was remarkable, mainly, because it was a standing army. No other Greek city-state other than Sparta was able to keep an army permanently mobilised.
Philip and Alexander were able to do this because:
1. The gold mines at Amphipolis provided the money
2. The lush valleys of the ‘Highland’ areas of Macedonia provided pasture for thousands of war horses
3. Tens of thousands of slaves – captured in wars – did the farm-work whilst the Macedonian men served in the army.
The Macedonian army was tough:
* Women were not allowed into the camp
* Some cavalry were placed behind the army to kill anybody who tried to run away
* Soldiers were made to wash in cold water
* Even the officers had to march, up to 30 miles a day, carrying 30 days’ supply of flour
* They were allowed only one attendant for every ten men
* They were taught to manage on very little food, and on campaign were expected to ‘live off the land’
* Long periods were spent drilling and manoeuvring; this was especially crucial for the cavalry, which Alexander commanded, which was able as no other cavalry of the time to wheel round and change the direction of attack.
A Nation Used To Warfare
A long-term factor in Alexander’s success was that Greece had been continually at war for at least a century and a half; the Greek were a nation used to warfare, practiced to it and hardened by it. (Remember that Philip had learned his warcraft in the Theban Army under Pammenes, the leader of the Sacred Band of Thebes.)
And this was not just true only for land-battles, but also sieges – Philip had hired Polyeidus of Thessaly, who invented many siege machines, including the twisted bow-string, the covered battering ram, and a huge siege tower (Polyeidus’s pupil, Diades, was with Alexander at Tyre).
* * *
Affordable Wordpress website host at
www.greengeeks.com Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=124397.0
