What was the Companion cavalry used for?
In battle, it would form part of a hammer and anvil tactic: the Companion cavalry would be used as a hammer, in conjunction with the Macedonian phalanx-based infantry, which acted as their anvil. The phalanx would pin the enemy in place, while the Companion cavalry would attack the enemy on the flank or from behind.
Who commanded the Companion cavalry?
The Companion cavalry was reorganized in two sections, each containing four squadrons (now known as hipparchies); one group was commanded by Alexander’s oldest friend, Hephaestion, the other by Cleitus, an older man.
Who were the companions of Alexander the Great?
Contents
- 1.1 Aristotle.
- 1.2 Hephaestion.
- 1.3 Campaspe.
- 1.4 Barsine.
- 1.5 Roxana.
- 1.6 Bagoas.
What was Alexander’s army called?
Ancient Macedonian army
| Ancient Macedonian army | |
|---|---|
| Size | 32,000+ – the field army for Alexander the Great’s invasion of the Achaemenid Empire – according to Diodorus Siculus. This figure fluctuated, for example at Gaugamela, Alexander commanded at least 47,000 soldiers. |
| Part of | Kingdom of Macedon |
| Allies | League of Corinth. |
What happened to the silver shields?
After some negotiations between some of the Silver Shields and Antigonus, the Silver Shields betrayed their unit commander and Eumenes and delivered them to Antigonus in exchange for their families and belongings.
Did the Romans use cavalry?
Allied cavalry The Romans always relied on their allies to provide cavalry. These were known as the Foederati. A typical Consular army of the 2nd Punic War would have much more auxiliary cavalry.
How was philotas killed?
Philotas was tried and convicted, tortured to reveal the extent of the conspiracy, implicating his father, then stoned or speared to death with other convicted plotters.
Who were Alexander’s bodyguards?
Here are the seven bodyguards of Alexander the Great who outlived the man they were sworn to protect.
- Perdiccas. Detail of the Alexander sarcophagus, perhaps Perdiccas.
- Ptolemy. Few men in history have achieved more than Ptolemy.
- Peithon. Image credit: Malay Archer.
- Peucestas.
- Aristonous.
- Leonnatus.
- Lysimachus.
How did the Macedonian Phalanx work?
The phalanx was divided into taxis based on geographical recruitment differences. The phalanx used the “oblique line with refused left” arrangement, designed to force enemies to engage with soldiers on the furthest right end, increasing the risk of opening a gap in their lines for the cavalry to break through.
Did Roman cavalry fight on horseback?
Roman cavalry (Latin: equites Romani) refers to the horse-mounted forces of the Roman army throughout the Regal, Republican, and Imperial eras.
What did Philotas do to Alexander?
Philotas (Greek: Φιλώτας; 365 BC – October 330 BC) was the eldest son of Parmenion, one of Alexander the Great’s most experienced and talented generals. He rose to command the Companion Cavalry, but was accused of conspiring against Alexander and executed.
Why did Alexander execute Parmenion?
400 – 330 BC), son of Philotas, was a Macedonian general in the service of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great. A nobleman, Parmenion rose to become Philip’s chief military lieutenant and Alexander’s Strategos (military general). He was assassinated after his son Philotas was convicted on a charge of treason.
Which king had the largest army?
According to Megasthenes, Chandragupta Maurya built an army consisting of 30,000 cavalry, 9000 war elephants, and 600,000 infantry, which was the largest army known in the ancient world.
Was Alexander the Great a crossdresser?
In a surviving fragment Ephippus alleges that the king liked to cross-dress as Artemis, the Greek archer-goddess of the hunt. Supposedly Alexander often appeared in her guise ‘on his chariot, dressed in the Persian garb, just showing above his shoulders the bow and the hunting-spear’.
What is Companion cavalry in ancient Greece?
Companion cavalry. The Companions (Greek: ἑταῖροι [heˈtairoi̯], hetairoi) were the elite cavalry of the Macedonian army from the time of king Philip II of Macedon, achieved their greatest prestige under Alexander the Great, and have been regarded as the first or among the first shock cavalry used in Europe.
What was the composition of the Companion cavalry?
The Companion cavalry was composed of the Hetairoi of the king, mainly upper class citizens who were able to acquire and maintain armour and horses. In the age of Philip II and Alexander they were organized into 8 territorial squadrons, termed ilai.
What was the name of the elite cavalry of Alexander the Great?
Companion cavalry. The Companions (Greek: ἑταῖροι, hetairoi) were the elite cavalry of the Macedonian army from the time of king Philip II of Macedon, achieved their greatest prestige under Alexander the Great, and have been regarded as the best cavalry in the ancient world and the first shock cavalry.
What is the difference between a phalanx and a Companion cavalry?
The phalanx would pin the enemy in place, while the Companion cavalry would attack the enemy on the flank or from behind . In battle, Alexander the Great personally led the charge at the head of the royal squadron of the Companion cavalry, usually in a wedge formation.