THE MACEDONIAN ARMY

Macedonian Phalanx The Macedonian's represented a sturdy peasant race who for a short time became known as the best soldiers in the world, through the genius of Philip II and his son Alexander the Great.
Macedonian foot soldiers, armed with longer, heavier pikes than those of Greek soldiers, were trained to fight in dense formation called a phalanx (falanga). The soldiers formed up in files sixteen-deep, with a space of a metre in between. The pikes were of great length, between six and seven metres. The first soldier in each file held his pike horizontally with both hands about two metres from the end, where it was made to balance. The next four soldiers behind did the same, so that the enemy was faced with five-fold hedge of spear-tips. The remaining Macedonian infantry in each file slanted their pikes in the air above the leaders, to parry arrows and fill any gaps in the ranks.
Lighter troops were engaged skirmish and shield-bearers, and armed with one-handed pike, made the rest of the infantry. On the other wing were the heavy and the light cavalry. The Macedonian's were natural horsemen, but Philip trained them to fight as disciplined cavalry, in support of the infantry. Yet the core of the army was the terrible Macedonian phalanx. When it moved into attack, its irresistible charge swept the enemy away.

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