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Sarissa
The sarissa or sarisa was a long spear or pike about in length. It was introduced by Philip II of Macedon and was used in his Macedonian phalanxes as a replacement for the earlier dory, which was considerably shorter. These longer spears improved the strength of the phalanx by extending the rows of overlapping weapons projecting towards the enemy. After the conquests of Alexander the Great, the sarissa was a mainstay during the Hellenistic era (4th–1st centuries BCE) by the Hellenistic armies of the diadochi Greek successor states of Alexander's empire, as well as some of their rivals. Composition and utility The sarissa is made of two core parts: a long wooden shaft and a metal tip. A third part that may have existed for some sarissas was a metal spear-butt at the reverse end. The metal butt of the sarissa could be used to safely stow it in the ground without damaging the shaft when not in use. Two types of wood are favored as likely candidates for the shaft: ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a long thrusting spear formerly used in European warfare from the Late Middle Ages and most of the early modern warfare, early modern period, and wielded by infantry, foot soldiers deployed in pike square formation, until it was largely replaced by bayonet-equipped muskets. The pike was particularly well known as the primary weapon of Spanish tercios, Swiss mercenary, German Landsknecht units and French sans-culottes. A similar weapon, the sarissa, had been used in classical antiquity, antiquity by Alexander the Great's Ancient Macedonians, Macedonian phalanx infantry. Design The pike was a long weapon, varying considerably in size, from long. Generally, a spear becomes a pike when it is too long to be wielded with one hand in combat. It was approximately in weight, with the 16th-century military writer John Smith (High Sheriff of Kent), Sir John Smythe recommending lighter rather than heavier pikes. It had a wooden shaft with an iron or steel spearhead affixed. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macedonian Phalanx
The Macedonian phalanx () was an infantry formation developed by Philip II from the classical Greek phalanx, of which the main innovation was the use of the sarissa, a 6-metre pike. It was famously commanded by Philip's son Alexander the Great during his conquest of the Achaemenid Empire between 334 and 323 BC. The Macedonian phalanx model then spread throughout the Hellenistic world, where it became the standard battle formation for pitched battles. During the Macedonian Wars against the Roman Republic (214–148 BC), the phalanx appeared obsolete against the more manoeuvrable Roman legions. Development In 359 BC, following the Macedonian defeat by the Illyrians, which killed the majority of Macedonia's army and King Perdiccas III of Macedon, Perdiccas' brother Philip II took the throne. Philip II was a hostage in Thebes for much of his youth (367–360), where he witnessed the combat tactics of the general Epaminondas, which then influenced his restructuring of the in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dory (spear)
The dory or ''doru '' (; ) was the chief spear of hoplites (heavy infantry) in Ancient Greece. The word ''doru'' is first attested in the Homeric epics with the meanings of "wood" and "spear". Homeric heroes hold two (, plural of ) (Il. 11,43, Od. 1, 256). In classical antiquity, the dory was a symbol of military power, possibly more important than the sword, as can be inferred from expressions like "Troy conquered by dory" (Il. 16,708) and words like " () (spear-won) and " () (spear-taken). The spear used by the Persian army under Darius I and Xerxes in their respective campaigns during the Greco-Persian Wars was shorter than that of their Greek opponents. The ''dory''s length enabled multiple ranks of a formation to engage simultaneously during combat. The ''dory'' was not intended for throwing, such as a dart or javelin. However, its aerodynamic shape allowed the dory to be thrown. Because it had evolved for combat between phalanges (the plural form of ''phalanx''), it wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minor Markle
Minor Millikin Markle III (1935 – May 30, 2016) was an American scholar of ancient history, in particular the archaeology of Ancient Macedonia. He worked with the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos and wrote a number of papers interpreting Andronikos's various finds, and attempted to reconstruct replicas of the weapons and equipment found in the tombs and barrows Andronikos excavated. His work was influential and widely cited, in particular his reconstruction of the sarissa, the Macedonian pike. In his later life, he worked as a Senior Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. Biography Minor M. Markle III was born in 1935 as the eldest child of Minor and Mary Markle. Two younger sisters would later join the family, Carolyn and Marilyn. He grew up in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He studied English literature at Miami University in Ohio. With the aid of a Fulbright scholarship, he attended Magdalen C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hellenistic Armies
The Hellenistic armies is a term that refers to the various armies of the successor kingdoms to the Hellenistic period, emerging soon after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, when the Macedonian empire was split between his successors, known as the Diadochi (). Initially, the Hellenistic armies were very similar to those commanded by Alexander the Great, but during the era of the Epigonoi (Ἐπίγονοι, "Successors") the differences became obvious, with the Diadochi growing to favor large masses of soldiers rather than smaller, well-trained ones, and weight was valued over maneuverability. The limited availability of Greek conscripts in the east led to an increasing dependence on mercenary forces, whereas the Hellenistic armies in the west were continuously involved in wars, which soon exhausted local manpower, paving the way for Roman supremacy in the region. The major Hellenistic states were the Seleucid Empire, Ptolemaic Egypt, and Macedonia under the Antigon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spontoon
A spontoon, sometimes known by the variant spelling espontoon or as a half-pike, is a type of European polearm that came into being alongside the pike. The spontoon was in common use from the mid-17th century to the early 19th century, but it was used to a much lesser extent as a military weapon and ceremonial implement until the late 19th century. Description Unlike the pike, which was a very long weapon that was typically long, the spontoon on the other hand was much shorter and only measured around in overall length. Generally, this weapon featured a more elaborate head than the typical pike. The head of a spontoon often had a pair of blades or lugs on each side, giving the weapon the look of a military fork or a trident. There were also spontoon-style axes which used the same shaped blades mounted on the side of the weapon with a shorter haft. Italians might have been the first to use the spontoon, and, in its early days, the weapon was used for combat, before it became mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manolis Andronikos
Manolis Andronikos () (October 23, 1919 – March 30, 1992) was a Greek archaeologist and a professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Biography Andronikos was born on October 23, 1919, at Bursa (). His father originated from the island of Samos, while his mother was from Imbros. Later, his family moved to Thessaloniki. He studied philosophy at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and in 1952 became a professor of Classical Archeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Later he continued his studies at Oxford University with professor Sir John D. Beazley from 1954–1955. He came back to the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1957 where he taught Archeology first as instructor and later (1964) as professor. He was married to the school teacher Olympia Kakoulidou and loved reading poetry, especially Kostis Palamas, Giorgos Seferis, and Odysseas Elytis. He was the founder of a local cultural group named ''Art'' (). Manolis Andronikos condu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vergina
Vergina (, ) is a small town in Northern Greece, part of the Veria municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey, population exchanges after the Treaty of Lausanne and was a separate Municipalities and communities of Greece, municipality until 2011, when it was merged with Veroia under the Kallikratis Plan. Vergina is best known as the site of ancient Aegae (Macedonia), Aigai (, , Latinisation of names, Latinized: ''Aegae''), the first capital of Macedon. In 336 BC Philip II of Macedon, Philip II was assassinated in Aigai's theatre and his son, Alexander the Great, was proclaimed king. While the resting place of Alexander the Great is unknown, researchers uncovered three tombs at Vergina in 1977 – referred to as tombs I, II and III. Tomb I contained Philip II of Macedon, Philip II, Alexander the Great's father, tomb II belonged to Philip III of Macedon, Alexander the Great's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cubit
The cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was primarily associated with the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Israelites. The term ''cubit'' is found in the Bible regarding Noah's Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, and Solomon's Temple. The ''common cubit'' was divided into 6 palm (unit), palms × 4 Finger (unit), fingers = 24 digit (unit), digits. ''Royal cubits'' added a palm for 7 palms × 4 fingers = 28 digits. These lengths typically ranged from , with an ancient Roman cubit being as long as . Cubits of various lengths were employed in many parts of the world in ancient history, antiquity, during the Middle Ages and as recently as Early modern Europe, early modern times. The term is still used in hedgelaying, the length of the forearm being frequently used to determine the interval between stakes placed within the hedge. Etymology The English word "cubit" comes from the Latin language, Latin noun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Somatophylakes
''Somatophylakes'' (; singular: ''somatophylax'', σωματοφύλαξ) were the bodyguards of high-ranking people in ancient Greece. The most famous body of ''somatophylakes'' were those of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great. They consisted of seven men, drawn from the Macedonian nobility, who also acted as high-ranking military officers, holding command positions such as General officer, general or chiliarch. Alexander the Great appointed Peucestas as eighth ''somatophylax'' after the Mallian Campaign, siege of Malli. Under Alexander the Great (Note that this list is speculative in several cases and would be disputed by scholars. For example, Hephaestion was probably not named as early as given below. The only ''complete'' list of Alexander's bodyguard in the original sources is found in Arrian (6.28.4), upon the extraordinary appointment of Peucestas in Carmania.) ;336–334 *Aristonous of Pella, Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Arybbas (somatophylax), Aryb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
