scholarly journals The Macedonian-Illyrian Border as the Origin of the “Military Miracle” of Philip II and Alexander the Great

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-21
Author(s):  
A. A. Kleymeonov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
The Military

New knowledge versus consensus – a critical note on their relationship based on the debate concerning the use of barrel-vaults in Macedonian tombs

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Chilidis
Keyword(s):  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
Critical Note ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Shared Property ◽  
Structure Knowledge ◽  
Military Campaign ◽  
The Military ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Barrel Vaults

The association of Tomb II at Vergina, Greece, with Philip II initiated a debate concerning the use of barrel-vaults in Macedonian tombs. The accepted theory at the time held that, since no Macedonian tomb was dated prior to the last quarter of the 4th century BC, Macedonians copied the barrel-vault from the Persians after the military campaign of Alexander the Great in Asia, and therefore Tomb II should be dated to a later period. After an intense dispute, fresh archaeological evidence proved that this theory was false. This article examines the ways we structure knowledge in archaeology from hypothesis to theory that can develop to consensus, and how later consensus exercises a conservative influence on the production of new knowledge. New evidence that contradicts consensual theories is approached with stronger hostility and is confronted with higher demands of confirmation. I suggest that the same amount of scrutiny should be applied to the established theories, which are not unchangeable representations of reality, but conventionally shared property of archaeologists.

OVERCOME AND UNAVOIDABLE BARBARISM: DISCIPLINE OF THE MACEDONIAN INFANTRY IN THE AGE OF PHILIP II AND ALEXANDER THE GREAT

2021 ◽  
pp. 360-388
Author(s):  
А.А. КЛЕЙМЕНОВ
Keyword(s):  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Corporate Identity ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
Intensive Training ◽  
Disciplinary Problems ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Military

Цель исследования заключается в анализе дисциплинированности македонской пехоты эпохи великих завоеваний IV в. до н.э. Задачами являются рассмотрение мероприятий Филиппа II, направленных на повышение дисциплины в македонской армии, определение их эффективности, выявление сути дисциплинарных проблем, характерных для фалангитов времен Филиппа и Александра. Исследование опиралось на всесторонний анализ античных письменных источников, сравнительно-исторический метод, метод контент-анализа. Определено, что традиционно для пешего ополчения царства Аргеадов, как и для аналогичного компонента вооруженных сил соседних «варварских» народов, была свойственна низкая дисциплинированность. Посредством интенсивных тренировок, введения системы поощрений и взысканий Филиппу II удалось привить македонским пехотинцам дисциплину, высокий уровень которой был продемонстрирован в войнах за господство на Балканском полуострове, а затем подтвержден в период Восточного похода Александра. Базисом дисциплинарных мотивов фалангитов следует считать выгоды от принадлежности к царской армии и сформировавшуюся корпоративную идентичность. Тем не менее, большое военное значение корпуса македонских пехотинцев и его сплоченность сделали возможными и массовые выступления, в ходе которых воины открыто протестовали против военно-стратегических и политико-административных решений монарха, не соответствующих интересам войска. The main aim of this research is the analysis of the Macedonian infantry discipline in the period of the great conquests of 4th century BC. The research objectives are the review of Philip’s II actions to improve the Macedonian army discipline, the determining their effectiveness, the identifying the essence of disciplinary problems which are connected with the phalangites of Phillips and Alexander’s times. A multi-faceted approach to the ancient narrative sources, methods of comparative historical analysis and content analysis have been used. It defends that traditionally for infantry militia of the Argead Kingdomas well as for a similar component of the neighboring barbarian societies’ armed forces the law discipline was typical. Through intensive training, the introduction of a system of rewards and penalties, Philip II managed to instill for the Macedonian infantry discipline which high level was demonstrated in wars of domination in Balkan Peninsula and confirmed during the Alexander's Asian expedition. The phalangites’disciplinary motives were based on benefits of belonging to the royal army and an established corporate identity. However, the great military importance of the Macedonian infantry and their unity made possible mass demonstrations, during which the military protested against the military–strategic and political–administrative decisions of the monarch, which did not correspond to the interests of the army.

Was There a Military Revolution at the End of Antiquity?

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Conor Whately
Keyword(s):  
Late Antiquity ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
Second Century ◽  
Sixth Century ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
Gradual Evolution ◽  
Military Revolution ◽  
Principal Parts ◽  
The Military

Abstract In a book on Justinian’s wars of conquest, Peter Heather has argued that Rome’s ability to wage war in the sixth century CE was helped, to a large degree, by the military revolution that took place in Late Antiquity, which consisted of two principal parts: an increased deployment of Roman soldiers to the eastern frontier, and a shift towards Hunnic tactics. In this essay, however, I argue that these claims are misguided, and using five criteria set out by Lee Brice in an article on military revolution during the reigns of Philip II and Alexander the Great of Macedon, I show that the changes which Heather argues in favour of had begun long before Late Antiquity. Instead, what we see is the continued gradual evolution of Rome’s military, with the Roman state shifting troops to the east from the beginning of the imperial era, and the first documented implementation of steppe-inspired changes dating to the second century.

scholarly journals The influence of Xenophon’s didactic writings on the military leadership practice of Alexander the Great

Hypothekai ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 113-140
Author(s):  
Alexander Kleymeonov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The Political ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Military Leader ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
Art Of War ◽  
Local Elite ◽  
Combined Use ◽  
The Military

The article examines the influence of Xenophon’s didactic works on the military activities of Alexander the Great. It is re-vealed that messages from ancient sources containing direct in-dications of the fact that Alexander was familiar with Xeno-phon’s works are either fundamentally unreliable or subject to different interpretations. Nevertheless, a comparison of the rec-ommendations proposed in “Kyropedia” and other Athenian au-thor’s writings the with Alexander’s practical activities reveals obvious similarities in their views on training military personnel, organizing competitions in military skill, providing soldiers with richly decorated weapons, and caring for the sick and wounded. A set of coincidences is associated with the political and admin-istrative activities of Alexander, who, like Cyrus the Elder in Xenophon’s writings, demonstratively showed mercy towards the vanquished, attracted representatives of the local elite to the ser-vice, wore clothes traditional for a conquered country. A large number of similarities, good education of Alexander and the popularity of Xenophon’s writings in the second half of the 4th century BCE allow us to conclude that the Macedonian king was familiar with the works of the Athenian author. However, the components of Xenophon's didactic legacy associated with the methods of warfare do not correlate well with Alexander's mili-tary leadership practice. The fundamental differences are re-vealed in the armament of the cavalry and their tactics, the depth of the infantry formation, the role of army branches on the battle-field. They were caused by a significant breakthrough in the art of war that took place in Macedonia during the time of Philip II. This breakthrough also led to the emergence of new tactics that provided for crushing the enemy not with a frontal attack of heavy infantry, but through the combined use of various types of troops. Alexander as a military leader was raised under the con-ditions of a new, more developed military art. Thus, the over-whelming majority of Xenophon's recommendations, which de-scribed the cavalry as a purely auxiliary branch of the army and considered the classical hoplite phalanx a decisive force in battle, were clearly irrelevant for him and therefore ignored.

Patterns of Politics in Ancient Greek Athletics

2021 ◽  
pp. 108-123
Author(s):  
Panos Valavanis
Keyword(s):  
State Formation ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Political Capital ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Ancient Greek ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
Elite Status ◽  
The Status ◽  
Group A ◽  
Chariot Racing

Greek athletics were of high political significance in view of their place in religion and communal festivals. This is reviewed in terms of votive offerings; the status of a group, a ruler, or an individual within a community; interstate rivalries, colonization and state formation; elite status, kudos, and political capital, especially in chariot-racing. The examples of Cleisthenes of Sikyon and the Alcmaeonids of Athens, among others, are discussed. The rivalry of Athens and Sparta in athletics and chariot events is also examined, e.g. the cases of the Spartans Lichas, Cynisca, and Agesilaus, and the Athenian Alcibiades. The participation of ‘peripheral’ Greek cities (Italy, Sicily, Cyrene) in Panhellenic games bolstered their Greek identity and served their rulers too. Macedonian rulers, e.g. Alexander I, Philip II and Alexander the Great, notably took part in Greek games for the fifth century on, and so asserted their Greek identity and their domain. The Panathenaic Games served political aims not only for Athenian elite, but also for Ptolemies and Macedonians.

Farewell to Freedom

2020 ◽  
pp. 9-28
Author(s):  
Ian Worthington
Keyword(s):  
Classical Period ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Military Establishment ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
The City

After a survey of Athens at the height of its power in the Classical period, the chapter focuses on the rise to power of Philip II of Macedonia, how he expanded his kingdom, his relations with Athens, and his eventual military establishment of hegemony over Greece. Conditions in the city, especially during the Lycurgan era, are covered. On Philip’s death, that hegemony continued under his son, Alexander the Great. When Alexander died, the Greeks, led by Athens, revolted against Macedonian rule in what is called the Lamian War. The Macedonian general Antipater re-established Macedonian control, and punished Athens, including installing a garrison in the city, curtailing democracy, and reducing the number of citizens. This was the start of the Hellenistic era, commonly seen as a slump in Athens’ fortunes.

ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΑ: Notes on the Macedonians of Philip and Alexander

1957 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 3-10
Author(s):  
G. T. Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Fourth Century ◽  
Solid Metal ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Hellenistic Period ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
Military Aid ◽  
Expensive Equipment ◽  
Metal Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Military

It seems uncertain whether the Macedonian infantrymen of Philip II had breast-plates or not. How much it matters, too, is also perhaps uncertain, though obviously it mattered not a little to the men themselves at the time, whether or not they carried on them that combination of strength and of weight, of moral comfort and physical encumbrance, that a breastplate meant to the man inside it. There may perhaps be something in this question, too, for the social historian as well as for the military specialist.That Greek hoplites of the archaic period normally wore breastplates appears from vase-paintings, especially those proto-Corinthian examples which show combats not of individuals but of opposing phalanxes: it appears, too, from Tyrtaeus. Xenophon in theAnabasis, when he makes a passing remark about casualties on one occasion, gives the same impression about the Ten Thousand, who were predominantly a hoplite force. But breastplates were not uniform. Metal ones could vary greatly in weight, and there were variants (πĩλοι, σπολάδες) that were probably quite light in metal, on linen or leather. It has been suggested with some likelihood that in the fifth century the solid metal type virtually went out of use. If this were so, then the peltasts of the early fourth century would represent a logical development from a hoplite who had already become lighter than of old. It would seem logical for the pekast to have no breastplate at all, an arrangement incidentally that might suit well the mercenaries of the day who often were peltasts, and who were often poor men unlikely to own expensive equipment. But in spite of their occasional spectacular successes even against hoplites, the peltasts did not supersede them, so far as can be seen, in the citizen armies of the Greek cities. Indeed in the Hellenistic period still, in a treaty of about 270 B.C. between the Aetolians and the Acarnanians, the clause providing for reciprocal military aid distinguishes between three classes of infantry: (1) those who wore breastplates (πανοπλίαν), (2) those wore τὸ ἡμιθωράκιον, and (3) those who had no defensive armour (ψιλῲ). The first class is presumably, still, the hoplite.

Painted Decoration Studies in a Fourth Century BC Vergina Tomb

2007 ◽  
Vol 1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Pavlidou ◽  
A. Kyriakou ◽  
E. Mirtsou ◽  
L. Anastasiou ◽  
T. Zorba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fourier Transform ◽  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Fourth Century ◽  
Wall Paintings ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Northern Greece ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
Painting Materials ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Wooden Furniture

AbstractAegae, the first capital of the Macedonians, in Northern Greece, is being excavated since 1938. The most impressive finds come from the unlooted tombs of the Great Tumulus, where the grave of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, was discovered. Not far from the Great Tumulus, in the “Tumuli cemetery”, the most ancient part of the graveyard (1000-700 B.C.), recent excavations brought to light three looted graves dated in the mid-fourth century B.C., with very interesting finds such as weapons, gilded wreaths, pieces of jewelry, remains of decoration of wooden furniture, ceramic vases broken in small pieces and wall paintings. This paper describes studies carried out on the binding and the painting materials used for the decoration of the above wall paintings and ceramic vases. The characterization was performed through Optical Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Microscopy (SEM-EDS). It was found that the fresco technique was used, while all the pigments were identified. The results are discussed and related with other findings in that period in the Greek area

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