The "Fred thread": the Argead Macedonian Army

[Paralus]

Paralus wrote:

Whilst that is most likely correct, it pays to be wary of the terminology. Almost always when Alexander is on foot he leads the agema of the hypaspists and others rather than the “cavalry companions”. Members of the hetairoi (Companion cavalry) noted in company with Alexander on foot do not readily come to mind - aside from the odd somatophylax (this is going to become confusing). Notices of royal hypaspists do though. More than once Arrian will call these royal hypaspists somatophylakes :

Indeed, confusion may reign ! Ptolemy was both a personal friend and 'Friend' ( one of the seven) of Alexander - and it was he who was the example of my post !

I do not think so. If by "Ptolemy was both a personal friend and 'Friend' ( one of the seven) of Alexander" you are referring to the Ptolemy I quoted earlier, you are incorrect. Ptolemy, son of Lagos, was an attested somatophylax. If we are to assume that Ptolemy, son of Seleucus, was one of the seven, why is it, after having been sent home with the newlyweds, he is demoted from that position to taxis commander at Issos where he dies? Ptolemy, son of Seleucus, is a royal hypaspist - not a somatophylax and was more likely promoted, upon his successful misson for reinforcements, to taxis commander.

Later Arrian states “Alexander with the Companions (hetairoi) got possession of the wall…”. As it is highly unlikely that Companion cavalry charged the wall from ship, Arrian plainly means those troops Alexander led: the royal hypaspists.

Not necessarily ! If those closest to Alexander served in 'concentric rings' so to speak, it is possible that for instance, a 'Friend' ( one of the seven closest personal bodyguards) such as Ptolemy Lagos served in that capacity, as an officer of the 'Agema/Royal hypaspists', a 'Companion/Hetairoi' of the Cavalry Guard, and as a Commander of a Brigade of the Phalanx, and would own equipment suitable to each.......consider there were more 'Taxiarchs' (11) than brigades of the Phalanx ( 8 at most) in India for example.... and there are plenty of analogies for similar 'multiple posts' of military Officers later....

At the time of the siege of Tyre Ptolemy, son of Lagos, was not a somatophylax. It matters not as Arrian, invariably, notes those around Alexander when he is on foot (cf the Malli town where again the royal hypaspist Peucestas signally executes his duty) and there are no somatophlyakes noted here on the wall or in the boat (cf Hydaspes). Arrian plainly has slipped hetairoi for hypaspists for these are the troops Alexander is leading. As well, when on horse the king was guarded by the ile basilikoi (later named the agema of the cavalry) and those somatophylakes not tasked with other duties (eg. Hephaestion commanding the royal hypaspists or somatophylakesat Gaugamela). On foot this task fell to the hypaspists and, a fortiori, its agema.

Interestingly whatever one argues as the armament of the hypaspists must also follow for the aesthetairoi. If it is argued that hypaspists must be hoplites to do this work, are we to suppose that the aesthetairoi were tasked with the same job armed with a two foot target and a javelin? (or worse, sarisa). A two foot target minus a porpax?

Not at all ! Their armament being the same need not follow at all.... one of the soldiers from the 'Agios Athenasios' fresco, armed with longche,(in lieu of sarissa) and a largeish 'pelta' would not be significantly armed in an inferior way to a ' Hypaspist' from the "Alexander Sarcophagus" armed with Dory or longche, and argive aspis. "Hetairoi" companions/elite nobles of Macedonia would also be similarly armed by simply taking up shield and the traditional 'longche/hunting spear that all could use......all would provide a 'spearhead/elite' for an assault on Tyre, all similarly armed.....

Hence my suggestion of the "Macedonian" shield. I disagree though: if this was hoplites' work why send in "longcheophoroi"? And just how "largeish" might you need to make these peltae (for this taxis) to suit your preconception? Given that other phalanx units were used in similar work as the anabasis went on, it is far more likely that they carried something larger than a two foot target and could be armed with a dory. Ditto the hypaspists but that last is, of course, anathema.

The "Alexander sarcophagus" is well open to interpretation.