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Darius had a much larger army and so Alexander couldn't afford to fight on the defensive, he had to go for the kill and hit the enemy.
The Macedonian Phalanx was a meat grinder, it only worked so long as it had momentum, so it hard to march forward, the Sarissa's whittling down the enemy front. The staggered line allowed Alexander to provide only a short attack for Darius, helping to preventing a flank attack. It, however left the right flank vulnerable which is why Alexander had to move out to the right to draw out Bessus, pin him and snap back to attack Darius which would cause either the death of Darius or Darius to leave the field, leaving the Persian's incapacitated. A cavalry charge is a frightening thing and not many people can stand against it, in Alexander's basic 'Hammer and Anvil' the Phalanx would push the enemy back and Alexander would push them back onto the phalanx, trapping the enemy infantry. Evident at 3 of this 4 set piece battles. It was a brilliant plan but one that had to be executed to perfection and for that, the great quality of the troops and able captains deserve credit.
What else can I help you with?
What was the classic phalanx battle formation under Alexander the Great?
The phalanx was a formation of warriors 16-deep where the three front ranks' pikes provided a mass of points which attackers would impale themselves. The other ranks rested their pikes on the shoulders in front and these helped to deflect missiles. Cavalry on the flanks attacked any attempt to outflank the phalanx, and light infantry provided a link between the cavalry and the phalanx.
What formation did early Greek Soldiers march in?
Phalanx formations stretched over the battlefield. Usually, the right flank was guarded by elite troops. Choices were sometimes made to have a heavier right or left flank by adding troops in depth and width, thus creating more force of push against the opposing enemy. This enabled the hoplite phalanx or macedonian phalanx to turn and overrun the enemy line followed by an attack in the flank or rear of the enemy lines of battle. Light skirmisher troop usually proteced flanks or stood to the rear to fire at the enemies within small gaps in the line. Greeks were true infantry men and cavalry was often used for skirmishing or recon. Macedonians however were strong cavalry men that used different type of cavalry to overwhelm and harass the enemy. For Greek warfare the book of homer give accurate descriptions of how a battle would have looked if you can manage to think their Greek gods out of the picture.
What made the Greek city-states vulnerable to Macedonian conquest?
Greek cities were too busy fighting with each other that the Macedonians decided ot conquer. Greek cities were too busy fighting with each other that the Macedonians decided ot conquer. Greek cities were too busy fighting with each other that the Macedonians decided ot conquer.
Did Philip organize a phalanx armed with 18 foot pikes to attack Greece?
Yes, and it was used to create an almost impenetrable wall of defense so that it's harder to beat.
Soldiers who fight on horseback are part of what?
The Cavalry! In the past, the "cavalry" was further divided into "light" and "heavy" cavalry. Heavy cavalry served as shock troopers. Knight and Napoleon's curraisiers are examples of heavy cavalry. Light cavalry served a scouts, skirmishers, and pursuit forces to attack enemy stragglers. Hussars, chasseurs, and to a degree dragoons, are light cav. (In theory, dragoons were not really "cavalry." Yes, they rode on horseback; but but they were supposed to fight dismounted as infantry with carbines. Not all generals chose to use them this way,however. (And, although technically called just plain "cavalry," Sheridan's Union troops and Forrest's Confederate cavalry often fought this way, essentially operating as highly mobile light infantry).
How did the phalanx and the cavalry help Alexander the Great and the Greeks win important battles?
There were in fact three major elements in Alexander's army - first the phalanx, which provided the rock solid defensive and offensive core; second the cavalry which provided the manoeuvre element for defence of the phalanx flanks and rear, and attack against enemy vulnerability and for pursuit; and thirdly the light infantry which provided the link between cavalry and phalanx which helped prevent either being isolated, and also could run with the cavalry to support and added to the cavalry's attack capability. Note: It was Alexander and the Macedonian phalanx (who were not considered Greek), though they did use Greek and other allies in their battles as the cavalry, light infantry and supporting phalanxes.
What was the classic phalanx battle formation under Alexander the Great?
The phalanx was a formation of warriors 16-deep where the three front ranks' pikes provided a mass of points which attackers would impale themselves. The other ranks rested their pikes on the shoulders in front and these helped to deflect missiles. Cavalry on the flanks attacked any attempt to outflank the phalanx, and light infantry provided a link between the cavalry and the phalanx.
What formation did early Greek Soldiers march in?
Phalanx formations stretched over the battlefield. Usually, the right flank was guarded by elite troops. Choices were sometimes made to have a heavier right or left flank by adding troops in depth and width, thus creating more force of push against the opposing enemy. This enabled the hoplite phalanx or macedonian phalanx to turn and overrun the enemy line followed by an attack in the flank or rear of the enemy lines of battle. Light skirmisher troop usually proteced flanks or stood to the rear to fire at the enemies within small gaps in the line. Greeks were true infantry men and cavalry was often used for skirmishing or recon. Macedonians however were strong cavalry men that used different type of cavalry to overwhelm and harass the enemy. For Greek warfare the book of homer give accurate descriptions of how a battle would have looked if you can manage to think their Greek gods out of the picture.
What is the cavalry rule for 40k?
there is no cavalry rule, they count as just fast attack
Why was it hard enemy soldiers to attack a phalanx?
The phalanx had interlocking shields, so it was like a "turtle". Also men in the phalanx's usually wore heavy armor. So therefore it was very hard for an enemy army, to attack a army in a phalanx, due to the vast armor protection and interlocking shields the phalanx possessed. Also the sturdy heavy shields and armor made phalanx's very adept against archers. Soldiers in phalanx "mode" were also equipped with long spears which were deadly against Calvary, and made them very sturdy opponents against normal ground troops. However the phalanx's had many major weaknesses...like the lack of mobility, the need for extraordinary amounts of discipline to stay together and the massive vulnerability to a flanking attack.
How did the Persians attack in the battle of plataea?
With their cavalry.
Was cavalry invented by Philip II of ancient Macedonia in 388 BC?
mounted cavalry was invented long before Philip's time, but the idea that Philip introduced cavalry to the Greeks has some truth to it. Greek armies before Philip were composed of almost exclusively heavy infantry (hoplites) and they largely had disdain for missile troops and other forms of fighting. This added to the hilly topography of Greece meant that cavalry never played a crucial role in deciding battles. Philip changed all this when he organized the first combined arms army. He organized the companion cavalry, made up of mounted noble men armed with lances and swords. These elite cavalry squadrons were the first true use of shock cavalry, they charged infantry and engaged in melee something that was rare before. They were usually used to attack the flanks while the Macedonian phalanx fought the enemy from the front. The companions were highly successful and indeed it was Alexander's skillful welding of his companions that was the deciding factor in many of the battle that Alexander fought against the Persians (battle of the Granicus, battle of Issus, battle of Gaugamela)
What are the strengths of the Phalanx?
well they are weakest when facing an enemy fielding lighter and more flexible troops If a Phalanx was attacked from the front, it presented a virtually impenetrable hedge of spears. The close-packed mass of men also gave a Phalanx great physical momentum in an advantage or change, allowing it to physically force opponents back. Lastly, all ranks other than the front few held their spears or sarissas upright, helping block any missile fire. Of course, these could be countered by the fact that a Phalanx was extremely vulnerable to a flanking or rear attack by a more flexible cavalry or infantry formation.
What is so special about the phalanx?
At the time, the Phalanx was a nearly impenetrable formation. When done properly, as evidenced by the Spartan performance at Thermopylae, unless a phalanx could be flanked, it was nearly impossible to defeat, even with superior numbers. The weakness of the phalanx was that it was extremely vulnerable from the flanks and rear, and any attack from those locations wouldn't have given time to readjust the formation properly.
The cavalry leader led an attack at Fort Donelson?
Nathan Bedford Forrest
What were two major deficiencies of the early Greek phalanx battle formation?
They lacked depth to hold together in an impact with an enemy, and armament was also deficient - their 6 foot spears was too short. Against the Macedonian phalanx 16 deep, with 18 foot lances, they could not stand up.
How did a phalanx work?
A phalanx was a type of Greek squad of soldiers. Each soldier carried a round shield and a spear. The phalanx was a square of soldiers. Phalanxes were extremely vulnerable from attack on the flanks and rear. They were used mostly to break the front of an army. Since each soldier carried roughly fifty extra pounds of weight in armor and weapons, the phalanx moved slowly. They could also not pursue enemy troops if they decided to flee. They walked towards the enemy soldiers and just before impact starting running, giving some momentum to their charge. If a soldier in the front line fell, ones in the back pressed forward and took their place. It was advantageous for a phalanx to attack from high ground, which lent more momentum to a charge. Soldiers were called Hoplite.
