The "Fred thread": the Argead Macedonian Army

[Paullus Scipio]

To quote J. K. Anderson:

Most important of all is the frieze from the monument of Aemilius Paullus at Delphi. This has been convincingly interpreted as showing actual incidents of the Battle of Pydna on 22 June 168 B.c., and it includes three examples of "Macedonian" shields whose embossed decoration is very similar to that on the south wall of the Tomb of Lyson and Kallikles. These are all carried by infantrymen, which removes the temptation to argue that the occupants of this rich sepulcher might have served in the cavalry.

One of the two (whether it was Lyson or Kallikles who bore the embossed bronze shield, we cannot say) was certainly an infantryman, but the other individual interred in the tomb very well may have been a cavalryman.

Yes, indeed, for the corselet is definitely that of a mounted man, despite Anderson's quote, for he has overlooked the significance of this . It is clear also that high-ranking Macedonians, led by Alexander in person on occasion, fought both as Companion cavalry and on foot in full panoply with shield etc on occasion. It is likely that being wealthy they had equipment for both. Earlier, we mentioned senior officers/Phalanx commanders fighting on foot in the front line and I recall that Ptolemy Lagos ( friend of Alexander and future pharoah) was certainly skilled with the sarissa - apparently using one to blind an elephant in both eyes on one occasion while defending a fort against Perdiccas (Diod XVIII.34), and being wounded while fighting on foot taking a hill-fort in India on another occasion (Arrian IV.24)