The Makedonian phalanx -- why such depth?

[Paullus Scipio]

Paralus wrote:

My, my… we are sounding dogmatic this morning. I hope it is not as a result of the shocking weather up your way (that you are in communication indicates your survival – without damage one is to hope). Perhaps you had testosterone rather than sugar in your coffee this morning!!??

No No, not dogmatic at all….just a little peevish that an old ‘bete noire’ has raised it’s ugly head again……and no, I didn’t have an extra teaspoon of ‘testosterone' in my TEA this morning ( I seldom drink coffee) :lol: :lol:

I would note my use of the two descriptives: “definitely” and “would appear”. If you are alleging that Philip’s pezhetairoi are “definitely” aspis carriers, then I disagree. It is not definite.

No, just more probable than not – one can seldom be ‘definite’ about anything in ancient history of course. You will note that I use descriptives similar to your own …’seems to be’ ‘probable candidate’ etc

I would suggest that indicates a certain “flexibility” and the ability to adopt different martial techniques.

Certainly, but I could never understand the logic of why that made them somehow differently equipped – on most of those ‘special missions’ elements of the sarissaphoroi/Phalanx went along too, and as most scholars seem to now accept, when such a force is described as ‘light armed’ it means that the bulk of the force are light troops, even though elements of the ‘heavies’ such as the Hypaspists or Phalanx are present, or else it refers to them foregoing sarissa – battlefield weapon only – for their traditional longche.

There is the possibility that the king’s Royal foot Guards - somatophylakes as Ptolemy evidently referred to them as on occasion – may be the aspis-armed troops about the king.

If this is a serious suggestion, then I guess you are grasping at straws! Since I know you have had a debate concerning somatophylakes elsewhere, like Alexander at Gaugemala, I’m not going to fight on your pre-prepared ground, :wink: so I’m not going there save that the term is usually used of a group of 7 or 8 inner Bodyguards to Alexander ( save once when Diodorus refers to 50 pages as somatophylakes, probably an incorrect usage)