ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE LOGISTICS OF THE MACEDONIAN ARMY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Donald W. Engels | 208 pages | 01 Feb 1981 | University of California Press | 9780520042728 | English | Berkerley, United States Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army PDF Book All this both provided and secured lines of supply and communication for the Macedonian army when on campaign throughout his empire. These rides are done in mountains and very rough terrain. They appear to have been armed with javelins and swords and are, unusually, described as carrying shields. Thanks to his forward planning and charisma, Alexander was able to find solutions to the lingering threat of supply problems throughout his conquests. Within the phalanx the thorax and hemithorakion were reserved for hegemones , the officers. These cavalrymen would have been equipped very similarly to the Thessalians and Companions, but they deployed in a square formation eight deep and sixteen abreast. This remained true through to the reign of Archelaus I — Their speed and endurance were much greater than oxen and this suited his desire for light, fast marches across harsh terrain. The phalanx carried with it a fairly minimal baggage train, with only one servant for every ten men. When the leaders reached camp, the people in back would still be walking for another 5 hours before they reached it. Loot and its transportation was important for several reasons. This is a good study on the art of ancient logistics and supplying an army in the field and on the march but a absolutely terrible book. Additionally, several thousand troops were used to provide sufficient security. Karunanithy, D. Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army. Oct 23, Christan rated it really liked it. The Illyrians, led by King Bardylis , were at a similar strength to the Macedonians at about thousands. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Dec 13, Owen rated it really liked it. Philip II improved on these military innovators by using both Epaminondas' deeper phalanx and Iphicrates' combination of a longer spear and smaller and lighter shield. Equally, they meant that more men could be put on the walls in a shorter period of time, as simple ladders constrained the men attacking to moving up in single file, thus making the task of defending the walls far easier. Which brings us to the next part the construction and transportation of ships. Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army Writer A phalangite also carried a sword as a secondary weapon for close quarter fighting should the phalanx disintegrate. Iran and Afghanistan. All the states of Greece, with the exception of Sparta, Epirus and Crete, had become subservient allies of Macedon League of Corinth and Philip was laying the foundations of an invasion of the Persian Empire, an invasion that his son would successfully undertake. Coinage indicates that from an early period the primary weapons used by Macedonian cavalry were a pair of javelins. At the Battle of Hydaspes, the massed fire of the horse archers was effective at disordering the Indian cavalry and helped to neutralise the Indian chariots. In BC, Alexander, while in Sogdiana , created a 1, strong unit of horse archers that was recruited from various Iranian peoples. Consequently, many of the remaining Persian officials soon surrendered to Alexander — even before the Macedonian army had reached their territory. Peltasts were armed with a number of javelins and a sword, carried a light shield but wore no armour, though they sometimes had helmets; they were adept at skirmishing and were often used to guard the flanks of more heavily equipped infantry. Philip II improved on these military innovators by using both Epaminondas' deeper phalanx and Iphicrates' combination of a longer spear and smaller and lighter shield. I also liked getting a sense of how much space a large army actually takes up. There has been considerable debate as to when Alexander first used Orientals on active service with the army. Fortunately for him, Philip had a suitable precedent in the Greek commander Xenophon. This suggests that the linothorax as a whole was very stiff and inflexible. You know the saying: There's no time like the present Yet Alexander evidently found a solution. More of a resource for someone wanting to write a biography of Alexander than a read itself. The three main areas for Provision and Acquisition in ancient times were:. Unfortunately, most of the primary historical sources for this period have been lost. Semper Logistics. Within the phalanx the thorax and hemithorakion were reserved for hegemones , the officers. Yet transporting supplies overland was fraught with difficulty: there were few carts and pack-animals available in many of these regions and there was also the constant threat of banditry. Consequently, the requirement for sufficient calories and water was critical. They were, however, quite vulnerable to shock-capable cavalry and often operated to particular advantage on broken ground where cavalry was useless and heavy infantry found it difficult to maintain formation. Various Balkan peoples, such as Agrianes, Paeonians and Thracians, provided either light infantry or cavalry or indeed both. Philip II spent much of his youth as a hostage at Thebes , where he studied under the renowned general Epaminondas , whose reforms formed the basis of Philip's later tactics. Pella , Babylon. Thanks to his forward planning and charisma, Alexander was able to find solutions to the lingering threat of supply problems throughout his conquests. The dramatic change in the abilities of Greeks to operate against fortifications owed much to the development of effective artillery. Critical to the endeavor was to raise the tooth-to-tail ration by getting rid of as many animals and servants as possible, thus not only increasing the steppes at which the army moved by even more crucially reducing supply needs of both grain and water. Yet none of this would have been possible if Alexander had not skilfully organised his forces throughout the campaign and so this article will cover the logistics of his Macedonian army. Especially numerous were the Thracians; the Thracian peltasts performed the same function in battle as the Agrianians, but for the left wing of the army. Gedrosia nowadays roughly corresponds to the Makran semi-desert coastal strip in Pakistan. Although the initial financial situation only allowed a minimum amount of mercenaries. Many examples of helmets from the period have crest or plume-holders attached, so that a high degree of martial finery could be achieved by the wearing of imposing headpieces. Alexander also established several mints in the conquered territories, e. Supply depots were likely also constructed along these new roads. The armies were not intended to stay out in the field for long durations at a time. This probably meant that, as both hands were needed to hold the sarissa, the shield was worn suspended by a shoulder strap and steadied by the left forearm passing through the armband. Yet fighting in Asia would prove very different from fighting in the Balkans and Greece. After taking control of the gold-rich mines of Mount Pangaeus, and the city of Amphipolis that dominated the region, he obtained the wealth to support a large army. Each Macedonian soldier would carry his food rations. Initially only one squadron strong, they received reinforcements in Egypt and a further at Susa. Uzbekistan Tadzhikistan Turkmenistan. Note on the Maps. Early on those transports were sent back to Macedon, but Alexander established several mints along his conquest. Once levied they became professional soldiers. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army Reviews These infantrymen were called Pezhetairoi , which translates as 'Foot Companions'. Pella , Babylon. Greek colonisation. By BC, more than a half of the army for his planned invasion of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia came from outside the borders of Macedon — from all over the Greek world and the nearby barbarian tribes, such as the Illyrians , Paeonians , and Thracians. Open Preview See a Problem? Read more The author makes the point that Alexander and his generals were very conscious of these issues, and that all I got this book because I saw it recommended somewhere as a potential good resource for writers, and I think the recommendation was a good one! Although the subject is logistics, an amateur like me would find this a highly enjoyable read. Hypaspists and allied and mercenary Greek heavy infantry were equipped as classic hoplites and would have employed the hoplite spear and a sword. Not just a great learning tool, but written by my favorite college professor! In the first years of his campaign Alexander had to transfer reinforcements on the land route, because he disbanded his fleet due to financial problems. Read this in college and used the data therein the attempt to calculate which pass Hannibal used to enter Italy in the 2nd Punic War. Less common, due to its expense, was the muscle cuirass. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. May 16, Elin rated it liked it. For the animals too, scholars have calculated the daily ration of food and water to be considerable. It lists the fines imposed upon the soldiers who fail to maintain their armament or produce it upon demand. The Royal Squadron was also known as the Agema - "that which leads". Philip massed his cavalry on his right flank and arranged his army in echelon, with the left refused. In battle, they were used in a shock role to protect the right flank of the Companion cavalry. Check out the video below and read on for the accompanying article.