Evolution of Helenistic Infantry

[TTRouble]

Came across a really interesting article on the evolution of Helenistic Infantry, esp the reforms carried out by the Athenian general, Iphikrates.

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/luke/ueda-sar...hikrates1.html

What interested me was that:

1. A new type of hoplite "Iphikrates hoplite":

"he on the contrary exchanged peltae for the round ones (peltam pro parma fecit), for which reason the infantry have since been called peltasts, in order that the soldiers might move and charge more easily when less burdened. He doubled the length of the spear and increased that of the swords; he changed the character of their armour (loricarum), giving them linen in place of bronze or chain armour (pro sertis atquae linteas dedit). "

2. Philip II of Macedon, training his Macedonian soldiers to be proficient in the use of both javelin and pike :
"Philip ensured that his men were trained in the use of both weapons, and carried whichever was the most appropriate for the occasion, so that his infantry could fulfill the role of both hoplite and peltast as need be.34 When marching through broken country, javelins were carried: Polyainos relates how when Onomarchos' Phokian's ambushed Philip's men, they were able to fight back at a distance. "

"It is perhaps notable that the only times Polybios mentions 'peltasts' in the Seleucid army they are on one occasion described as leading an assault through a breach in a wall (10.31.11), and on the other as being 10000 strong (10.49.1). Elsewhere Polybios tells us that the elite portion of the Seleucid phalanx was 10000 strong and that most of them were called Argyraspids. It seems likely that these men were 'peltasts' in exactly the same manner Antogonid pikemen were 'peltasts' - they could be rearmed for certain missions"

3. A new unti type - euzonoi (unencumbered, or lightly equipped) - somewhere in between thureophoroi and the traditional skirmishers.

4. Thureophoroi as heavy infantry : "Other hoplites, whether classical or 'Iphikratean', were mostly replaced by either such pikemen, or else by 'thureophoroi' who differed from the hoplites they replaced only in the type of shield they carried - they were heavy infantry, not skirmishers.


Cheers

TTRouble

[Binshuy]

cool story bro

[russik112]

I have read of this before but thanks for charing ;D

[tone]

We've tried to follow this reasonably well - hence the Basilikoi Peltastai (royal peltasts) that appear in the successor armies are the equivalent in terms of stats to the Agema phalangites / argyraspides, and our peltasts = euzenoi with oval shield and phrygian helmets