The Makedonian phalanx -- why such depth?

[PMBardunias]

If Scipio is basing his theories on passages in the Cyropaedia then I must ask him to give us the quotes; not because I think they will prove flawed but because I have no access to that work and even at uni did not relish the 'wade'.

Paul's analysis of the following drill is spot on as far as I am concerned. My issue is how this translated into drill on the battlefield- when, where, and by whom is was used. You'll note that they do not initially double down to files of 6, but stop at files of 12 as I believe they normally did in battle formation. Paul, not without reason, believes that because they were moving into dinner they would have stopped in the penultimate, opened order. I think it more likely that in going to 6 then display a capability to double once beyond what they would normally do on a battlefield. Significantly the move to 6 is seperated from the rest textually and I have noticed it is left out of some translation- troubling for my faith in the other translations. I posted the greek in case someone literate can take a look for us.

[Xen. Cyrop. 2.3.21] from Persus at Tufts

And once he saw another captain leading his company up from the river left about in single file and ordering when he thought it was proper, the second division and then the third and the fourth to advance to the front; and when the lieutenants were in a row in front, he ordered each division to march up in double file. Thus the sergeants came to stand on the front line. Again, when he thought proper, he ordered the divisions to line up four abreast; in this formation, then, the corporals in their turn came to stand four abreast in each division; and when they arrived at the doors of the tent, he commanded them to fall into single file again, and in this order he led the first division into the tent; the second he ordered to fall in line behind the first and follow, and, giving orders in like manner to the third and fourth, he led them inside. And when he had thus led them all in, he gave them their places at dinner in the order in which they came in. Pleased with him for his gentleness of discipline and for his painstaking, Cyrus invited this company also with its captain to dinner.

With another doubling up of ranks, they assume a front of sixteen men and a depth of six:

Finally in these groups of six each, they are led, single file, in to dinner.

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