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Macedonian cavalry vs infantry
#4
(10-04-2016, 01:31 AM)Bryan Wrote: "Antiochus from his position on his right wing had noticed that the Romans, trusting to the protection of the river, had only four squadrons of cavalry in position there, and these, keeping in touch with their infantry. had left the bank of the river exposed. He attacked this part of the line with his auxiliaries and cataphracti, and not only forced back their front, but wheeling round along the river, pressed on their flank until the cavalry were put to flight and the infantry, who were next to them, were driven with them in headlong flight to their camp." Livy, 37.42

The Roman infantry at Magnesia weren't hit by a frontal charge, there were only four squadrons/turmae of Roman horse on the left wing, approximately 120 horsemen, these were routed by Antiochus' cavalry, who then wheeled and threatened the Roman flanks, who routed immediately in panic and fled to their camp. There is  no actual mention of the Seleucid even making contact with the Roman infantry. Appian only says that Antiogus' right broke through the Rome left's line, causing great mayhem. 

In addition, based on the standard battle formation of the Roman army's infantry, the left wing infantry at Magnesia was likely not actually Roman, but Socii allies of the Ala Sinistra. However, Appian describes the Romans in front, in triplex acies, with the Latins Socii behind, also in triplex acies, making for six lines of infantry, but this doesn't sound plausible at all, especially since those six lines doesn't include skirmishers, and elephants station in the rear, which would add even more to the depth, and take away from the width of the line, which needed everything they could since Antiochus' army was massive. . 

Justin, 31.8 states that in fact one of the Roman legions was beaten back and fled to their camp.  Bar-Kochva in his book on the Seleucid Army, takes this view and believes that Seleucid heavy cavalry staged a frontal charge on the Roman legion and routed it (based largely on his calculations of the frontages of the opposing armies, and which units he believes faced each other).  Appian's statment that "Antiochus, on the right, broke through the Roman line of battle, dismembered it, and pursued a long distance," also seems to imply a frontal charge more than a flanking movement.

I'm not sure I agree with this interpretation, but there are ancient and modern historians who believe that one of the Roman legions was indeed routed at Magnesia, possibly by a frontal cavalry charge.
-Michael
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Messages In This Thread
Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by Rizzio - 10-03-2016, 05:06 PM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by JaM - 10-03-2016, 06:07 PM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by Bryan - 10-04-2016, 01:31 AM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by Lysimachos - 10-05-2016, 04:28 AM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by Bryan - 10-05-2016, 03:55 PM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by JaM - 10-05-2016, 02:18 PM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by Bryan - 10-06-2016, 02:08 AM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by JaM - 10-06-2016, 02:06 PM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by Rizzio - 10-06-2016, 04:15 PM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by Bryan - 10-07-2016, 04:01 PM
RE: Macedonian cavalry vs infantry - by JaM - 10-06-2016, 05:11 PM

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