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Wielding a sarissa overarm
#1
Hi everyone Smile,

I"m currently doing research into the Macedonian phalanx for a future publication. After reading around the subject, I've formulated the working hypothesis that the Macedonian phalanx did form up in close order (18" per file) with shields overlapping as stated by Polybios and the manuals, and were able to present sarissas in this compact configuration, but only if the sarissas were wielded overarm: the right arm, bent close to the shoulder, was the fulcrum for the sarissa's centre of gravity (requiring little muscle power to maintain), whilst the left arm, bracing the shield against a shoulder strap, aimed the sarissa over the shoulders of the men in front. In this position the shields could overlap as much as necessary without getting in the way of the sarissas.

The front rank would present sarissas underarm as this was a stabler hold for resisting cavalry and enabled the file leaders to better cover themselves with their shields (the second rank going back didn't need to worry about their shields so much, just making sure they didn't block their line of sight).

In this position the phalangite is able to use his sarissa as a hoplite uses his dory: the left hand stays still whilst the right hand propels the shaft forwards in strikes up to three feet in length, then draws it back and balances it on the right arm's fulcrum again. The left hand is used merely to aim the sarissa for the next strike.

My question is are there any re-enactors out there who have tried this or are willing to try it and tell me if it actually works? The sarissa weighs between 5 and 6kg so I can't see any theoretical difficulties, but it's always very useful to know if any hidden problems emerge from a practical tryout. Ta!
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#2
Can't be done. Try holding a 6kg/6m pole in the position you suggest and tell us how it took for you to drop it.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books
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#3
Have you thought about approaching an ECW re-enactment society with this request, they may be in a better position to test it out, ie large block of pikemen, the only thing needed would be some basic shields made from plywood...

I'm afraid I dont much about the ECW groups, but the only time I've used a pike of any length was as part such a period pike block... perhaps its a possibilty to test the theory in practice..

http://www.englishcivilwar.org/p/re-enactment.html

Let us know the results...

Wink
Ivor

"And the four bare walls stand on the seashore. a wreck a skeleton a monument of that instability and vicissitude to which all things human are subject. Not a dwelling within sight, and the farm labourer, and curious traveller, are the only persons that ever visit the scene where once so many thousands were congregated." T.Lewin 1867
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#4
(04-11-2018, 12:03 AM)Dan Howard Wrote: Can't be done. Try holding a 6kg/6m pole in the position you suggest and tell us how it took for you to drop it.

It can if you hold your right arm close to your chest. Check 16th and 17th century illustrations from military manuals. Pikemen use their left arm as the fulcrum for the pikes but keep the arm close to the chest. These pikes are as heavy or heavier than Macedonian pikes since they are not counterweighted, obliging the pikeman to push down hard on the end of the pike with his right arm to keep it pointed up.

It's the same principle as holding a bow at full draw (I used to do archery). You transfer the weight of the drawn bow from the muscles to the bones in a kind of 'lock' position that needs relatively little muscle power to maintain - how else did English longbowmen use a bow with a draw weight in excess of 100 pounds?

For the pike, holding the arm close to the chest transfers the weight of the pike to the radius and ulna, which then transfers it to the humerus which transfers it to the shoulder. You could hold a pike like that for ages. Try it.
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#5
Having done ECW reeenactment in the past I'm doubtful sarrissas could be easily used in that style, the left arm holding the weight is held around the chin/collar bone area while the right arm is acting as a counter and held along the top of the pike with the right hand covering the butt of the pike giving a reasonable amount of control.
The sarrissa has a whacking big sarauter at its butt which would be a real hazard to the guy behind and would be a big problem as it would limit what the pikeman could do with the business end as a result.

Pikes are also very tiring to hold in this position for any great length of time, they were only brought to the charge for actual fighting, so, (if I use the terms I know) to move towards the enemy at the 'advance' (pikes held vertical) or port (pikes held at an angle forward), the subsequent move to adopt the charge (pikes levelled in preparation to fight) would also have that sarauter arcing backwards and upwards past the ranks behind, the opportunity for chaos is enormous, especially at the suggested close order, I'd suggest that most sarrissas would entangle with the ranks behind before presenting an intimidating danger to the rear ranks.

I know the two styles may not be equivelent and while my opinion doesn't rule out a high fighting pose in the phalanx there are a few very practical reasons that it would just be more of a disordering factor than a benefit.
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#6
(04-11-2018, 08:41 AM)Dave G Wrote: Having done ECW reeenactment in the past I'm doubtful sarrissas could be easily used in that style, the left arm holding the weight is held around the chin/collar bone area while the right arm is acting as a counter and held along the top of the pike with the right hand covering the butt of the pike giving a reasonable amount of control.
The sarrissa has a whacking big sarauter at its butt which would be a real hazard to the guy behind and would be a big problem as it would limit what the pikeman could do with the business end as a result.

Pikes are also very tiring to hold in this position for any great length of time, they were only brought to the charge for actual fighting, so, (if I use the terms I know) to move towards the enemy at the 'advance' (pikes held vertical) or port (pikes held at an angle forward), the subsequent move to adopt the charge (pikes levelled in preparation to fight) would also have that sarauter arcing backwards and upwards past the ranks behind, the opportunity for chaos is enormous, especially at the suggested close order, I'd suggest that most sarrissas would entangle with the ranks behind before presenting an intimidating danger to the rear ranks.

I know the two styles may not be equivelent and while my opinion doesn't rule out a high fighting pose in the phalanx there are a few very practical reasons that it would just be more of a disordering factor than a benefit.

Having looked at contemporary illustrations of Renaissance and post-Renaissance pikemen, I honestly can't see the difference between how their left arm holds the pike and how the right arm could hold it with any more muscle strain. The sauroter would not pose a problem to the men behind as in the rest position it projects between the heads of the following rank and doesn't reach the rank behind that. When used to strike I envisage the pikeman raising his pike with his right hand, aiming it with his left, and lunging it forwards up to three feet - he does not pull it back first.  This makes the sauroter even less of a threat since it is now above the heads of the rear rankers.

Landsknechts held pikes in the levelled position for extended periods of foyning, or sparring, with the enemy line. I seriously doubt that trained and physically hardened men would have a problem holding and using a pike in this fashion. They certainly did it well enough in Europe to dominate the battlefield for two centuries.

Macedonian pikemen would also advance towards the enemy with pikes held vertical, and would only level them once they had adopted the close formation near the enemy. The actual pike fighting probably didn't last all that long.
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#7
Rereading your post the main problem posed is the damage a sauroter would cause when the pike is levelled for combat in the close formation. Thinking about it, it makes more sense to level pikes overarm in an intermediate formation leaving plenty of space for the sauroters, then move to a close formation with pikes levelled overarm. Once the close formation is complete shields are brought round from a sideways position on the left upper arm / shoulder to a frontal position on the left forearm. The left arm can let go of the pike for a few moments, leaving it balanced on the right hand, to allow the left arm to shake the shield round from the upper arm / shoulder to the forearm. This corresponds to Paullus description of the Macedonians bringing their shields round from their shoulders. Their shields would have to be on their shoulders to enable them to move into close formation (if they faced front they would block the movement of the rear half-files down the gaps between the front half-files).
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