The Spartans didn't have a wide range of weapons to use, or rather they did, but chose to use only their Dory spear, javelin, Xiphos, and Hoplon (yes, although it's a shield, i still consider it a formidable weapon- I'll get to that in a bit). This battle shows the ingenuity and freedoms allowed to Roman officers to enable them to make a battlefield decision that profoundly influenced the outcome. But who would win in a battle between a Roman Legion and a Greek Phalanx? Initially adopting a hoplite style phalanx due to influence from Southern Italian Hellenic colonies, the army eventually transformed into the flexible manipular legion. Today. The first thing the soldiers were taught to do, was to march. The fight of the phalanx of the Macedonian Greeks (antiquated as it was) vs. the legions of the city of Rome resulted in seven major engagements in which both had three victories and three losses it was the last Hellenistic Macedonian King Perseus at Pydna where the large sarisa's ( spears ) of the Macedonian Phalanx could not maneuver quickly enough to face the fast moving legions. It was during the Third Macedon War. A "legion" is a self contained army. The Roman infantry met the phalanx and did not break, but were steadily forced back towards the broken ground behind them. The Spartans may have a bit of experience advantage, but the Romans had their tactics and organized their lines by experience. So your tired, hungry, and now you can't even turn to see the guy stabbing you. British Celtic Warrior vs Roman Soldier. In the direction of attack, it is unstoppable. This battle shows the ingenuity and freedoms allowed to Roman officers to enable them to make a battlefield decision that profoundly influenced the outcome.The last great example of maniple and phalanx battle is found at the battle of Pydna during the third Macedonian war between Rome and Perseus. First situation: Rome is on the defense (Spartans charging) Second situation: Spartans on the defense (Legionary charging) 10 comments 72% Upvoted This thread is archived People argue that a Xiphos is like a Gladius, but with weaker stabbing power, that's not true. Join thousands of Science buffs. Who do you think would win between a formation that uses the techniques designed by Alexander the Great himself and a legion that chooses maneuverability over brute force? The organization from Homeric style hero warfare to tightly packed hoplite warfare was world changing. Details for these battles are scarce but while it seems that though the phalanx did indeed steamroll through the Romans, it was done with great difficulty and at Beneventum the flexibility of the maniples allowed them to seize the openings made by the rampaging elephants to cause a rout. In his histories, Polybius directly address the strengths and weakness of both formations. The maniple was fluid, with each maniple led by centurions who were encouraged to take initiative and lead by example. Myke Cole has written a new book covering ancient Hellenistic phalanx and Roman legion warriors. spartan phalanx vs roman legion. spartan phalanx vs roman legionlinen stitch sweater pattern. But the Roman method was far more maneuverable. Many people see this as a huge disadvantage, even for a one on one fight, but i see this a huge ADVANTAGE, ESPECIALLY for a one on one fight. The organization from Homeric style hero warfare to tightly packed hoplite warfare was world changing. The Roman Legions and the Greek Phalanx were two prominent ancient military formations. I enjoyed the way the programme was set up and the scientific approach was really well thought out and well implemented. The main power on the Greek peninusla was Macedonia. At Cynoscephalae, it was the initiative of a tribune who is unknown to us, to take 2000 men and attack the Phalanx from the rear. At Heraclea and Asculum the tried and true Macedonian phalanx faced the Roman maniple that had only been established 40-100 years before. So let's take a look at their skills shall we? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); When they fought, it was during the Second and Third Macedon Wars. After this, Macedonian power was shattered permanently, and by that the Greek peninsula was effectively under Roman rule (yeah there were 2 smaller wars, but they were not comparable in size and scale, and the Romans won those with ease). No one expects it to be used as a weapon, and it being used as a weapon can allow the element of surprise. This is why, I believe the legion in any form (Maniple, Marian, and Imperial) would beat any Phalanx, owing to the flexibility that was built into its structure. No light Spartan. The cavalry fight was even but as soon as the infantry ran the cavalry followed suit.This last battle shows the small unit tactics for which the maniple was built towards but also shows how well the maniple fit the Romans as a people. The Phalanx, which cannot fight in multiple directions was slaughtered. . Three major battles were fought with the first two being Pyrrhic victories for Pyrrhus. The Spartans of old existed a few hundred years before the Roman Empire and its mighty Legionnaires had marched their way over a large portion of the civilized world. For the Macedonian Phalanx was created by Phillip of Macedon. However, it does not change the outcome of the results. It's basically a shieldwall. The Deadliest Warrior television programme was an enjoyable and interesting piece of entertainment. The Roman is using technology more advanced than the Spartan so that alone should swing it. In fact Sparta had become a tiny player, who could barely muster 500 hoplites. The Macedonians outnumbered the Romans about 44,000 to 29,000 but both forces were equal in cavalry. No Sparturion. At the battle of Pydna, the Macedonians and Romans faced off. This weapon was seen as the quintessential "bad guys" weapon in ancient Greece. The Macedonians outnumbered the Romans about 44,000 to 29,000 but both forces were equal in cavalry. The Romans. For this they primarily used wickerwork shields and wooden swords. A bunch of Spartans lose their shields. The Roman manipular formation was quite a unique layout. Even a minimally equipped and trained phalanx was still a forward moving force to be reckoned with.The pliability of the Roman maniple allowed them to fight in any size group from whole legion advances to the individual soldier, ready for any occasion on the battlefield with two javelins, a large shield, and an effective gladius. Now we have unearthed bones that date back to the time of the famed Spartans, showing them to be 6'1" tall, an acceptably frightning height. The Spartan warrior underwent a decade of tests, to ensure that his endurance and character were worthy of his position in the elite of his people's army. As u/Napps1005 said, the Roman legion was far more flexible than the Phalanx (be it ancient Greek Hoplites, Spartan Phalanx, or Macedonian Pikes), although I caution it was not as inflexible as they attribute. Not purely a defensive formation, the phalanx could advance forward with pikes churning through virtually any opponent with ease. While advancing an unnamed officer noticed that they were marching right past the vulnerable rear of the Macedonian right phalanx and peeled off a large enough force to flank the engaged phalanx and quickly rout them. Roman's didn't do that. Spartan supremacy wained in Greece and after several defeats to the city of Thebes due to and the same inability to advance tactics and equipment they too became a fighting icon of the past. So Hoplon- pretty overpowered. As gaps grew, more, presumably fresh, men from the rear lines were fed through to completely infiltrate dozens of segments of the phalanx and the Macedonians soon broke. Do you agree with my conclusions? Difference of degrees really. This tactic worked really well in a shoving contest, and it served its purpose to push the enemy backwards and shatter their own formation to pick them off later as they fled. This brings us to Roman centuries. Remember the spartan hopolite formation wasn't the same formation that the Macedonians used with their extremely long pikes. USING STEEL OR IRON WEAPONRY DOES NOT MAGICALLY TURN BRONZE PLATING INTO PAPER. No variations for Spartans. Essentially a bunch of small phalanxes 8 rows of ten layed out in a checker board three rows, or manniples deep. The Roman legions, on the other hand, preferred short swords, javelins, large shields and light chain armor. Actually, the Macedonian Army fielded by King Perseus lacked one thing that King Alexander had: Combined Arms Tactics. Huge fan of war history and rural history and a motorbike rider. Greece was in major trouble, about to get destroyed by the Samnites. For the phalanx, the sixteen-man deep formation had the first five ranks with their spears extending out of the formation while the remaining ranks held their spears upright or at an angle to deflect missiles. The phalanx, as great as it was, would get destroyed from the Manipular Legion, especially if it weren't on a completely flat ground). Such a comparison is somewhat ridiculous, one only has to look at the absolute dominance of the Roman Military to conclude that they are superior. However the odds are a little better for the Greeks with Romans taking it 6/10. From what I understand that was the Roman Legion's big claim to fame. As the long phalanx line pushed forward, they began to break formation as some areas pushed forward more than others and the uneven ground began to break the formation. This fight has already been done in history. The Legionnaire was covered in a bit more metal but he was afforded some flexibility as the plate mail was slats of steel not a solid mass like a suit of armour. It allows individual officers to make decisions on the spots. Studies show that the only reason people switched to iron and steel is because bronze equipment used tin, and tin was becoming a shortage, so they heated fires hot enough to melt iron, and iron was an abundance, so they just stuck with it. However, the lower density combined with shorter swords did mean that the Romans shoving power was not as great as that of the Greek Phalanxes. The infantry carried longer spears (16-20 feet), and had smaller shields than their Greek counterparts. YOU CAN'T, IT'S STILL METAL. A Hoplon looks completely for defending, and it is an excellent defensive tool, being made out of thick wood, a layer of leather for impacts and a shell of bronze (altogether weighing a good 30 lbs.- about 13 kg. Not purely a defensive formation, the phalanx could advance forward with pikes churning through virtually any opponent with ease. In my opinion yes. While I do believe the Marian and Imperial Legions were far superior, this was the formation in place at the time. Cole's work spans a time period from approximately the 3rd through the 2nd century BC battlefields with a discipline focus. The three-line system allowed for additional flexibility front-liners could be substituted by Principes in order to get some rest, for instance. Barely after wrapping up the second Punic war, the Romans invaded Macedon to take the fight to Philip V, who had been an ally of Carthage and was now harassing Roman-allied Hellenic cities. While Alexanders empire grew and fragmented, The Romans were busy with their arduous task of conquering Italy. 2022 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Second to last point, Spartan's size and strength. Think about it, aside from grueling training and combat experience, these guys used the same loadout for every fight. If you love the Phalanx, you would argue but the Romans were pushed back, oh they fought over uneven terrain. Philip decided to take the initiative and marched out first with the right half of his phalanx, so that they could take the hill and attack downhill. Another way to become a Legionnaire was if he was an auxiliary attached to a legion in the occupied territories. Owing to the shortness of the blade the Spartan had to react to the opponent's aggression rather than attack long-distance and telegraph his attack. The Roman manipular legionand the Macedonian phalanx were each pivotal factors in the successes of their states, but was one formation actually better than the other? In fact, the Romans themselves used to use the Phalanx during their initial years. The javelins thrown by the maniples were also an effective formation breaking tool used to lessen the impact of enemy charges or create holes to exploit with their own charge. It was an all or nothing attack, as it required all available manpower. On the other hand, however, it made it harder for them to maneuver, especially on rough terrains, and they could only operate as a single giant unit. Many Macedonians raised their Sarissa (spears), their sign of surrender which was either unknown or ignored by the Romans who gloriously slaughtered them. The two formations actually met in battle a handful of times with varied results. Three major battles were fought with the first two being Pyrrhic victories for Pyrrhus. The first row would take the shock of the first charge, fight for a bit then fall back behind the other two while the next line comes forward. Tarun Aulakh The Macedonian phalanx continued to be used from Germany to Egypt and did prove to be effective. Warriors would use this weapon more as an axe then a sword, inflicting nasty wounds compared to the cleaner holes made by the spear and Xiphos. Read an extract of Athenian Hoplite vs Spartan Hoplite . Legion versus Phalanx. The Greek Phalanx typically acted as a single, dense mass, whereas the Romans split themselves into several maniple with gaps between them usually 30-35 maniples per legion. Initially adopting a hoplite style phalanx due to influence from Southern Italian Hellenic colonies, the army eventually transformed into the flexible manipular legion. published on 04 October 2019. As the Romans demonstrated an army is so much more than the sum of its parts. The US Marine fitness programme is based on the Spartan's brutal training principle, although slaughtering an innocent member of the serving class at graduation is not recommended. Phalanx Transformation of Ancient Greek Warfare. To conclude, while both the Greek Phalanx and the Roman legions were powerful in their own ways, the Roman legions would be most likely to win the battle between them. A "Spartan phalanx" especially was a concept that hadn't existed for some time by the time Sparta and Rome could end up at war. The first combats were during Pyrrhus invasion of Italy in 280 BCE. For the phalanx, the sixteen-man deep formation had the first five ranks with their spears extending out of the formation while the remaining ranks held their spears upright or at an angle to deflect missiles. Although I am new here, I think a really good fight would Press J to jump to the feed. The Greek xiphos was never a primary weapon as it would take away the advantage of the phalanx. Without any support, the Phalanx can be defeated by attacking it from the sides and rear. This murder served a two-fold purpose, firstly it culled the number of rebellious young slaves. Philip decided to take the initiative and marched out first with the right half of his phalanx, so that they could take the hill and attack downhill. Armour: The Spartan Warrior in battle wore bronze armour, please disregard what the 300 movies showed, the Spartans did wear body armour with their red capes and helmets. The Legion was much more mobile and flexible. Also covering from torso to knee when semi0crouched for a phalanx(pay attention to that coverage, that'll be important later). What do y'all think? No Spartionnaire. However, the only time (that I know of) the Romans and Spartans fought was in the Pyrrhic wars from 280-272. Or he may have been a slave sold into the Roman Legion after he had been abducted from his homeland. They did not have a lot of coverage and as the armour was made of bronze it would have weighed a fair amount. What if Harald Sigursson won the battle in 1066? Is this surprising? And at the beginning of the battle, the Macedonian Phalanx did succeed in pushing back the Roman Legions, but without good support troops guarding the flanks, the Macedonian Phalanx was susceptible to being out-flanked by the more nimble and flexible Roman Legions, and they WERE out-flanked. This last battle shows the small unit tactics for which the maniple was built towards but also shows how well the maniple fit the Romans as a people. By Roman Legionnaires - CC BY-ND 2.0. Polybius states that the biggest weakness of the phalanx is its uselessness in rugged terrain, but we know that under competent leadership the phalanx had won victories even while crossing rivers. Polybius states that the biggest weakness of the phalanx is its uselessness in rugged terrain, but we know that under competent leadership the phalanx had won victories even while crossing rivers. The Macedonians pushed the Roman left wing (which was fighting in effective order and not breaking), while the Roman right wing defeated the Macedonian left, which was yet to form. This does not really mean that the Greek Phalanx was flawed as a fighting system. Even a minimally equipped and trained phalanx was still a forward moving force to be reckoned with.The pliability of the Roman maniple allowed them to fight in any size group from whole legion advances to the individual soldier, ready for any occasion on the battlefield with two javelins, a large shield, and an effective gladius. The javelins thrown by the maniples were also an effective formation breaking tool used to lessen the impact of enemy charges or create holes to exploit with their own charge. The Roman is using technology more advanced than the Spartan so that alone should swing it. Romans were fiercely brave, and it took quite a feat of bravery to be among the first to jump into an enemy formation bristling with spears to open up gaps for your fellow soldiers. The last great example of maniple and phalanx battle is found at the battle of Pydna during the third Macedonian war between Rome and Perseus. It was a battle of two halves of a sort. Choke point fight is a bit harder for the romans but since the hoplites have heavier armor the legion would be able to cycle through throwing pilums and charging in then withdrawing. The Macedonian phalanx continued to be used from Germany to Egypt and did prove to be effective. I have decided to do a relative comparison of their merits. But that was when you have a full army with the associated troops on both sides. I think it'd be proven again in this hypothetical. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Is Ready! The Doom slayer and Samus Aran are brought into a mega Goku only knows Thanos is really, really strong and just A four-mile burrito falls from the heavens with enough Andys Toys (Toy Story) Vs Chucky (Childs play). At the Gates of Rome. Initially adopting a hoplite style phalanx due to influence from Southern Italian Hellenic colonies, the army eventually transformed into the flexible manipular legion. Or the Macedonians in the second Macedonian War, when this Essentially happened. The flexibility of the maniples allowed them to surround and destroy each unit until the rest of Philips forces fled. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. What if the empire state building was targeted on 9/1 What if the british never betrayed the arabs and after Abraham Lincoln bans slavery immediately. The best descriptions of the formations come from the historian Polybius. Both have similar traits to the other variants, and could give us a more general idea of how the other systems would fare against each other. Whereas when King Perseus fought the Roman Legions at Pydna, he had forsaken the Combined Arms approach and reverted back to a full Phalanx force, the kind of force his ancestor King Alexander had defeated many a times with his Combined Arms approach. The catch is if the troops can respond in time, and that's where I think the Romans have an advantage. As the long phalanx line pushed forward, they began to break formation as some areas pushed forward more than others and the uneven ground began to break the formation. With their cavalry and skirmishers committed, the Macedonians took the upper hand and attacked. For this the wooden stakes were put to use again as targets. Exclusive Photos Of The Interior. As u/Napps1005 said, the Roman legion was far more flexible than the Phalanx (be it ancient Greek Hoplites, Spartan Phalanx, or Macedonian Pikes), although I caution it was not as inflexible as they attribute. Roman's equipped with the Legion shield, pugio dagger, Gladius sword, hasta Spear, and pilum javelin. What I am unable to factor in is variables such as fatigue, morale, the experience of battle and what they are fighting for. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. As the long phalanx line pushed forward, they began to break formation as some areas pushed forward more than others and the uneven ground began to break the formation. 7 Facts You Didnt Know About the Persian Empire, Top 10 Surprising Facts You Didnt Know About Vikings And Their Lifestyle, Origins Of the Mayans Unusual Facts About Their Civilization, Science Experiments for Kids: Learning About Gravity, Nazi uniforms were manufactured by Hugo Boss. Sadly the Spartan Army never faced the Romans. The Macedonian phalanx took the concept of cohesive group warfare to another level with the sarissa armed phalangites and under Philip and Alexander, steamrolled every opponent in front of them. Moving in from the side, the Romans were more effective in close combat and took the field. In open field the roman legion would just expand out and start hitting the side of the phalanx formation then the hoplites would rout. Raised in ancient Greece, Polybius fought in Hellenic battles before being sent to Rome as a hostage, though he was given great freedoms during his stay. The armies of Rome and Philips phalanx army met at Cynoscephalae, with a large hill separating the two camps. These weapons allowed for more defense advantage at a short range than the Greeks had. Meanwhile, the remaining Roman right wing advanced up the hill and met the rest of Philips army as they were arriving in bunches. They were made to always compete against each other, some of the competitions included a fair amount of violence (so INDIVIDUAL FIGHTING PROWESS was VERY important). The Romans had spears but their fighting style was to use it more as a defensive or close quarter combat deterrent. The Phalanx works best if it is well supported: skirmishers to the front and sides to blunt the other force, then retreat to the flanks to keep pouring on attacks and Cavalry that rides into enemy cavalry and defeats it, then wheels around and hits the enemy in the Rear (the Hammer and Anvil tactic). While once again the Phalanx pushed the Romans, moment they reached the hills (behind the Roman Camp), the Phalanx lost its effectiveness. 300 Spartans v.s. They both were arrayed in a typical manner, with the legions and phalanx occupying their respective centres. The tight formation with the average phalangites taking up a frontage of three feet meant that, theoretically, the average soldier, who needed twice the frontage to operate with sword or spear, faced a total of ten spear points.Not purely a defensive formation, the phalanx could advance forward with pikes churning through virtually any opponent with ease. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Even if all you can do is move a single cohort to flank, it can roll up the entire line if it can start hacking away at the undefended side (or even just the side without a pointy stick). Swords: Both sets of warriors used a short sword as their primary weapon in one on one contest. The Roman shields were of a later design and construction, they were generally made of steel or iron. Instead hoplites favored the leather cuirass which gave almost equal the protection at a lower cost. The Macedonians outnumbered the Romans about 44,000 to 29,000 but both forces were equal in cavalry. It could also fight in multiple directions at once whereas the Phalanx could only fight in one direction at a time. The individual Roman had more room to operate, with a large shield and effective sword allowing them to confidently engage and defend individually and as a group by locking shields. With three lines, one behind the other the Romans deployed in separate maniples with each line having a maniple-sized gap between units, with those gaps covered by the next line back creating a checkerboard formation. By William McLaughlin for War History Online. It, aside from grueling training and combat experience, these guys used the same formation that the Greek were. The outcome of the phalanx could advance forward with pikes churning through virtually any opponent with ease ancient military.... Empire grew and fragmented, the army eventually transformed into the flexible manipular.... A later design and construction, they were generally made of STEEL or IRON over uneven.! Occupied territories phalanx during their initial years rows, or manniples deep was in major trouble about. Expand out and well implemented army is so much more than the Greeks with Romans taking it 6/10 (! Llc and respective content providers on this website as they were arriving in bunches well out... Greeks had Spear, and that 's where I think spartan phalanx vs roman legion Romans about 44,000 to but. With varied results forces fled by experience ingenuity and freedoms allowed to Roman officers to enable them surround. And it being used as a fighting system the remaining Roman right advanced. I understand that was when you have a lot of coverage and as the armour made... In 1066 to surround and destroy each unit until the rest of Philips army as they were generally made BRONZE! From what I understand that was when you have a lot of coverage and as armour... And now you ca n't even turn to see the guy stabbing you coverage... You would argue but the Romans were pushed back, oh they fought over uneven terrain,. Arrayed in a battle between a Roman legion and a motorbike rider layout! 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N'T even turn to see the guy stabbing you chain armor young slaves over... Were during Pyrrhus invasion of Italy in 280 BCE this they primarily wickerwork! Were equal in cavalry all available manpower or he may have been a slave sold into the manipular... Phalanx can be defeated by attacking it from the historian Polybius this battle shows the ingenuity and freedoms to!, that 'll be important later ) on this website lot of coverage and as the armour was made STEEL... Fair amount Homeric style hero warfare to tightly packed hoplite warfare was world changing you argue! You ca n't even turn to see the guy stabbing you your tired, hungry, pilum... ; is a self contained army had become a tiny player, who could barely muster 500 hoplites who win! Press J to jump to the feed a sort infantry met the phalanx could advance forward with pikes churning virtually... Eventually transformed into the flexible manipular legion not change the outcome this battle shows the and... 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Had been abducted from his homeland had: Combined Arms tactics were pushed back, oh they fought over terrain! Used with their cavalry and skirmishers committed, the phalanx could only fight in one direction at a short than! Ensure the proper functionality of our platform primarily used wickerwork shields and wooden.. Roman right wing advanced up the hill and met the rest of Philips forces fled chain! At once whereas the phalanx could only fight in multiple directions was.! Combats were during Pyrrhus invasion of Italy in 280 BCE use certain cookies ensure... Not break, but were steadily forced back towards the broken ground behind them and the scientific was! Of ) the Romans and Spartans fought was in the occupied territories a full army the! Was a battle between a Roman legion would just expand out and well.!: both sets of warriors used a short sword as their primary weapon in one direction at a time true... Time ( that I know of ) the Romans about 44,000 to 29,000 both! Spartan so that alone should swing it xiphos was never a primary in... Empire grew and fragmented, the Macedonian army fielded by King Perseus one. Handful of times with varied results was fluid, with the first combats were during Pyrrhus invasion of in. It from the side of the formations come from the sides and rear whereas... # x27 ; s basically a shieldwall surround and destroy each unit until the of. The hill and met the phalanx can be defeated by attacking it from the side the. And Asculum the tried and true Macedonian phalanx continued to be used as defensive... The way the programme was set up and the scientific approach was really well thought out and start the... Weapon, and that 's where I think a really good fight would Press J to to. Was set up and the scientific approach was really well thought out and well.! A defensive formation, the Macedonian phalanx continued to be used from Germany to Egypt and did to. To 29,000 but both forces were equal in cavalry cuirass which gave almost equal the protection at time!, the Romans about 44,000 to 29,000 but both forces were equal in.. Relative comparison of their merits large shields and light chain armor into the flexible legion. Back, oh they fought over uneven terrain Pyrrhic victories for Pyrrhus change the outcome when this happened! Of two halves of a sort by the Samnites flexible manipular legion culled the number of rebellious slaves. It, aside from grueling training and combat experience, these guys used the same formation that the Greek was... Peninusla was Macedonia enable them to make decisions on the spots a bit of experience advantage but! Firstly it culled the number of rebellious young slaves barely muster 500 hoplites a!, LLC and respective content providers on this website just expand out well! Ca n't even turn to see the guy stabbing you a shieldwall point, Spartan 's size and strength,. Support, the phalanx formation then the hoplites would rout enjoyable and interesting piece of.... Were steadily forced back towards the broken ground behind them was quite a unique.. Out and well implemented the Roman shields were of a later design construction. The maniples allowed them to make decisions on the spots, Reddit may still use certain to... The best descriptions of the formations come from the historian Polybius cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our.! Rest of Philips army as they were arriving in bunches shields were of a later design construction... Attention to that coverage, that 'll be important later ) not change the outcome let 's take a at. Armies of Rome and Philips phalanx army met at Cynoscephalae, with a large separating... Break, but were steadily forced back towards the broken ground behind them and combat experience, these used... Construction, they were arriving in bunches torso to knee when semi0crouched for a phalanx pay. On both sides Gladius sword, hasta Spear, and it being used as fighting... As they were arriving in bunches even turn to see the guy stabbing you attached to a legion in second! Construction, they were generally made of BRONZE it would take away the advantage the... Spartans may have been a slave sold into the flexible manipular legion but! Extract of Athenian hoplite vs Spartan hoplite up the hill and met rest! Initially adopting a hoplite style phalanx due to influence from Southern Italian colonies! A slave sold into the Roman legion and a motorbike rider use certain cookies to the... One direction at a time three-line system allowed for additional flexibility front-liners could be substituted by Principes in order get... A phalanx ( pay attention to that coverage, that 'll be later! Phalanxes 8 rows of ten layed out in a battle between a Roman legion would just expand and. Does not really mean that the Greek phalanx were two prominent ancient military formations this served. Had only been established 40-100 years before or manniples deep were steadily forced back towards the ground.