Reinforced, the Romans drive the Antigonids up the hill, until they're forced to the crest. The Triarii may have all worn mail. Rome's crisis of command had the Second Macedonian War off to a bad start, and there was every indicator that it would mimic the First in an end not particularly favorable to Rome. Justinus discusses the battle in his Epitome of the Philippic Histories, and mention is also made in the Chronicle of Eusebius and in Orosius' History Against the Pagans. 1. Philip’s alliance with Hannibal earned Rome’s lasting enmity, and was resolved in a stalemate with the Peace of Phoenice in 205 B.C. Enter your email address below to sign up to our General newsletter for updates from Osprey Publishing, Osprey Games and our parent company Bloomsbury. and the Third Macedonian War of 171 B.C. In 198 B.C. You take the role of the Roman army as it moves to defeat the Macedonian army of King Philip V of Macedon. Initially, over the objections of the Aetolians, who wanted harsher terms, Philip surrendered his younger son Demetrius as a hostage, along with other friends, and paid an indemnity of two hundred talents. NOTE: Livy says they dropped their pikes and charged with swords, and is widely believed to have mistranslated Polybius. The countryside shifted gradually, more hostile to the Antigonids, more friendly to Rome. 7.) © 2017 Osprey Publishing Limited. The Roman victory in the Battle of Cynoscephalae ( 197 BC ) marked the end of the Second Macedonian War between Rome and Philip V, king of Macedon.The battle is considered one of the best examples of manipular Roman legion superiority over the Macedonian phalanx in terms of flexibility and combat maneuvering. The Antigonids would ideally deploy their phalanx in four strategia (brigades) in a line, with the most veteran units to the right (likely the peltasts). It was the site of the victory (197 bc) that ended the Second Macedonian War when the Romans under Titus Quinctius Flamininus defeated Philip V of Macedon. We also know that legions of this period (including the alae "wings" of the socii) had around 300 cavalry attached to them, which would give a grand total of 28,000 infantry and 1,600 cavalry – 29,600 men. The consul Publius Sulpicius Galba had fought without distinction in the First Macedonian War, and continued his lackluster performance in the second. The Romans would have deployed their troops in a triplex acies of three lines—the hastati (green/young men), the principes (more veteran troops), and finally the triarii (hardened veterans). The three lines would be deployed in ten staggered maniples (handfuls), with a maniple-wide gap between each one. It may have been a single brigade of approximately 4,096 men, or some other partial unit. The two armies skirmished and maneuvered in Thessaly, with Philip finally marching west in the direction of Scotussa, a fertile region, where Philip hoped to supply his army. The Battle of Cynoscephalae, 197 BC, settled once and for all the age-old dispute of phalanx versus legionary warfare. 6.) The battle on the hills grew fierc… This bought him four months during which the rest of the treaty was negotiated. Even better, Scotussa was near the road to Palaepharsalus, which meant Philip's army could be in contact with his line of supply to the north, and also perhaps to troops he had garrisoned to the south in Pharsalus. Our literary sources for Cynoscephalae are comparatively good when you consider the general state of ancient material. The Battle of Cynoscephalae (Greek: Μάχη τῶν Κυνὸς Κεφαλῶν) was an encounter battle fought in Thessaly in 197 BC between the Roman army, led by Titus Quinctius Flamininus, and the Antigonid dynasty of Macedon, led by Philip V.. Prelude. Battle of Cynoscephalae.webm 20 s, 1,156 × 810; 2.52 MB Bitwa pod Kynoskefalaj (197 pne)-1 faza.png 275 × 281; 21 KB Bitwa pod Kynoskefalaj (197 pne)-2 faza.png 296 × 281; 20 KB He stationed the right of his army behind the war elephants and held them in position, and sent the left half of his army to the aid of his beleaguered covering force. 11.) Attitudes quickly soured, however, when Rome occupied "the Fetters of Greece," three pivotal fortresses at Corinth, Chalcis and Demetrias. Dr Alexander Meeus and Karl Soundy must be thanked for their help in preparing this. The shield was heavy, around twenty pounds, and roughly two and a half feet wide by four feet long. We also know that Rome's Aetolian Greek allies sent them 400 cavalry and 6,000 infantry, while the Athamanian Greeks sent 1,200 infantry. De Slag bij Cynoscephalae was een slag in de Tweede Macedonische Oorlog die gevochten werd tussen Rome en Macedonië. Observing that the arriving Antigonid troops (under Nicanor) were strung out and disorganized, he ordered his right to charge up the ridge, with the elephants in front. [33.18]In every direction alike Philip's fortunes were sinking. The Roman right pursued the fleeing Antigonid left. was the decisive battle of the First Macedonian War, and was the first of a series of victories won by Roman legions over the Greek phalanx that ended three centuries of Greek dominance on the battlefield.. 13.) The Phalanx halved its frontage and extended its depth as Livy notes (33.8.14). Death of Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epophanes Antichus III the Great Philip V of Macedonia For the phalanx is like an animal of invincible strength as long as it is one body and can keep its shields locked together in a single formation; but when it has been broken up into An ancient place, cited: BAtlas 55 D2 Cynoscephalae Show place in AWMC's Antiquity À-la-carte , Google Earth , or Pelagios' Peripleo . Consuls served for a year, and it's likely that Flamininus was aware of this ticking clock and acting to prosecute the war before it ran out. He then ordered his force to lower their pikes and charge. The Battle of Cynoscephalae (June 197) became famous because Roman legions, commanded by Titus Quinctius Flamininus (the portrait is from the museum of Delphi) defeated king Philip V‘s Macedonian phalanx.The army that had once been the best in the world and had defeated Persian kings, Indian raja’s, and Sogdian nomads, now had to recognize that the legions were better. info@ospreypublishing.com Geography. This propaganda move worked, and Rome enjoyed a detachment of Greek sympathy from Philip, transferring to Rome. How did the war start? )&oldid=55773599, Wikipedia:Geen afbeelding lokaal en wel op Wikidata, Creative Commons Naamsvermelding/Gelijk delen, 16.000 soldaten in de falanx, 1500 huurtroepen, 4.000 peltasten, 2.000 lichtbewapenden van. Officers or wealthier soldiers may have worn a bronze muscle-cuirass in place of the linothorax. 4.) In addition to a moral victory for Rome, Flamininus killed 2,000 Antigonid troops and captured Philip's baggage. That night, a soaking rain fell, resulting in a thick mist the following morning. +44 (0)1865 727022. Attacked from both front and rear, the Antigonid right broke, and a general rout ensued. 10.) We can agree with Livy's assessment that Antias exaggerates, as, even if those were combined casualties, it would mean the utter annihilation of both armies. 12.) We know little of how the OOB played out on the ground, but can extrapolate from general knowledge of Roman and Antigonid deployments from this period. At the battle of Cynoscephalae, known, in military terms, as the "encounter battle", the legions of Flamininus attack the phalanx of Philip V, while they are still in the deployment phase, routing them. Methods/Techniques Rome Macedon New way of Rome Old way of Greece When? Let me bring you up to speed on the Battle of Cynoscephalae. Mike, I echo c-bone's comments and really can't wait for the book. His worries about the Rising power of Rome. The superior impact/solidity of the double-depth phalanx, and momentum imparted by the downhill charge gave Philip the advantage, and he drove the Romans back down the ridge toward their camp. 5.) It matches Plutarch's assessment that Flamininus had over 26,000 soldiers, and that the opposing forces were roughly the same size. The battle of Cynoscephalae Weapons they used What? We’re working our tails off, and this is still one of the most incredible trips of our lives. Livy definitively states the number of captives at 5,000, while Polybius says it was not less than 5,000. The combat engaged about 26,000 men on each side. 197 BC. Need a translated version? Battle of Cynoscephalae. Flamininus shadowed the Antigonid king, hoping to force a decisive battle when the ground was suitable. Philip had 16,000 phalangites—heavy infantry in full panoply, armed with the long pike, 2,000 "peltasts" (an elite corps of probably phalangites, named for the pelte shield they carried), 2,000 Thracians (armed either skirmishers or light "shock" close-combat troops), 2,000 Tralles (Illyrians, most likely armed as skirmishers), 1,500 mercenaries of various nationalities and 2,000 cavalry, for a total strength of 25,500 men. These numbers match Livy's statement that the armies were about equal, but conflicts with his statement that the Romans were stronger in cavalry. In 201 BC, Rome won the Second Punic War against Carthage. We are on less firm ground for Flamininus, but we do know that the Roman consular army of this period usually consisted of 2 legions, with an equal number of socii (Italian allied troops, usually armed and organized along legionary lines). Philip responded by dispatching his Thessalian and Macedonian cavalry, as well as all his mercenaries (except the Thracians) to reinforce his own troops. Philip received his retreating force, and integrated them on the right of his newly arrived troops, and deployed them double-depth (32 ranks deep). The Aetolians were waved off, and Philip was required to relinquish his conquests in the Balkans, Greece and Asia Minor. Command and Control (C2) would have been largely centralized in the monarchical Antigonid phalanx, resulting in a rigid force designed to deploy once and hold position thereafter. At this point Nicanor, hurrying with the rest of the phalanx, crested the ridge and saw what was happening and hurried to help. Philip also pursued a war with Athens—at that point a Roman ally. This is, sadly, not saying much. Roman C2 was pushed out largely to the centurio level (2 officers roughly equivalent to a modern company-grade officer) who commanded each maniple. Flamininus, seeing that the forcing back of his force was adversely impacting the morale of his entire force, sounded the general engagement. Description: English: An animation showing the events of the Battle of Cynoscephalae. Vasso Noula, the Special Archaeological Consultant to the Mayor, joined us for our battlefield walk and provided us with both local knowledge and expert consultation. Many historians ignore the writings of the 12th C. Byzantine writer Joannes Zonaras, arguing that he writes too far from the event to be considered a primary source. It was also a contest primarily between two iconic, culturally-representative and distinct formations: the Antigonid phalanx with their twenty-one foot pikes (sarissa), and the Roman legion with their short swords (gladius hispaniensis) and javelins (pilum). I’m writing this from the balcony of the Hotel Titagion in the mountains of Agrafa. We're guided by Polybius' original account of a legion around 4,200 infantry, but also by Livy's account of 2,000 hastati (the front line shock troops of the Roman legion) with Flamininus at Thebes, indicating a larger (possibly by 40%) legion, as Polybius' description has 1,200 hastati. Phase I. Illustrating. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. They approached from opposite sides. The Antigonids were one of the great “Successor” (diadochi) dynasties descended from Alexander the Great’s generals, who squabbled over his empire after his death in 323 B.C. Some may have worn the lorica hamata, a mail cuirass, heavier and more expensive. Val van het West-Romeinse Rijk, Burgeroorlog tussen Antonius en Octavianus, https://nl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slag_bij_Cynoscephalae_(197_v.Chr. Unfortunately, Neither Antias nor Claudius' original annals survive in anything or than fragmentary-referential form. The Battle of Cynoscephalae, fought in 197 B.C., ended the second of Rome’s four Macedonian Wars, securing a place in history for the Roman consul Titus Quinctius Flamininus, checking the power of the Antigonid King Philip V, and imposing a brutal peace that laid the groundwork for the Third Macedonian War against Philip’s son Perseus. The Battle of Cynoscephalae was an accidental engagement, with neither general ready for, nor desiring a pitched battle, fought over terrain that suited neither side. Rome finally demanded that Philip cease his attempts to annex the holdings of Ptolemy, leave Athens alone, and settle things with Pergamum and Rhodes. The Battle of Cynoscephalae was a decisive engagement between the Roman Republic and the Antigonid Dynasty of Macedon. The Greek allied infantry may have been armed as thureophoroi (light, missile-capable, shock-troops equipped with the thureos shield) or as skirmishers. Further reading. 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