Why was the Macedonian army so effective?

In simple terms, the Macedonian army was split between the cavalry and the infantry. Ultimately this meant that in any given metre of the Macedonian line, there would effectively be dozens of men fighting simultaneously. This made the phalanx a daunting unit for shock warfare, with maximum force being brought to bear.

How effective is the phalanx formation?

The phalanx formation reached its height of effectiveness in the conquests of Alexander the Great who was able to move large bodies of men very quickly and whose brilliant strategies on the field made skillful use of the formation, but the phalanx steadily declined in use after Alexander’s death.

How did the phalanx help Alexander the Great?

The phalanx used the “oblique line with refused left” arrangement, designed to force enemies to engage with soldiers on the furthest right end, increasing the risk of opening a gap in their lines for the cavalry to break through.

What Macedonian leader is considered one of the greatest conquerors in history Why?

Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great was one of history’s most celebrated conquerors. Born as heir to the Macedonian King, his great ambition led him to take on the high Persian Empire. At its height, Alexander’s empire stretched all the way from modern-day Italy clear to the Himalayas.

How did the Macedonians use the phalanx?

Where the Greeks used the phalanx to destroy enemy armies, the Macedonians would ask their phalanxes to hold the enemy in front of them, as other units could pelt them with arrows, or flank them with horses archers or heavy calvary could smash into them.

Why did the Phalanx have longer spears than the hoplite Greeks?

The Macedonians asked different things of their phalanx (heavy infantry) than did the Hoplite greeks, and so the longer spears helped the phalanx achieve their particular role in the Macedonian battle tactics.

What made the Macedonians so formidable in battle?

The Macedonians under Philip and then Alexander utilized an army of mixed components where few others did and fewer still had developed the tactics which made these mixed component armies so lethal. The innovation which made the Macedonians so formidable wasn’t their Phalanx, most of their Greek antagonists fought with phalanxes.

How did the Roman legion out-phalanx the phalanx?

At its heyday the phalanx was the most advanced heavy infantry formation of its time. The Romans were able to beat it (at the battle of Pidna, for example) because their manipular legion was more flexible while enjoying a strong cohesion just as the phalanx did. So you can say perhaps that the legion out-phalanxed the phalanx.