The Makedonian Army

[NickTheGreek]

Just out of curiosity how did the Makedonian soldiers of EB's time equip themselves, was their weaponry paid for by the state or were they incharge of sourcing their own equipment? I'm specifically interested in the pezhetairoi as for a phalanx to work most effectively i'd assume some degree of uniformity would be needed.

[SuperGosc]

All their equipment was payed for from the kings treasury. Phalanx was pretty cheap anyways, considering their light equipment.

[rider]

I wouldn't name it 'cheap'. Try keeping thousands of men fed and armed of your salary. :P

[Megas Methuselah]

I suppose we can all agree that, in comparison to heavier troops, phalanxes were less expensive to equip and maintain. Right? :clown:

[Maion Maroneios]

It depends on what type of unit you mean. If you are talking about phalangitai, they usually wore a linothorax, a Thraikian or Phrygian helmet, an Illyrian shield, one or no greave, a sarissa and a shortsword. This type of equipement would not be very expensive, as opposed to a legionary for example, but in great numbers it would be a great amount of coins. Do not forget that those weapons needed constant friction and care as to prevent them from rust and such things.

The equipement of mlight and medium infantry would be given by the state, AFAIK, though aristocrats or wealthy citizens could provide their own equipment in battle, fighting as heavier units. Peltastai or Thureophoroi could also have been equipped by the state, as well as the psiloi regiments (toxotai, akontistai, sphendonetai).

Maion

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

... as well as the psiloi regiments (toxotai, akontistai, sphendonetai).
I always thought that especially psiloi fought with their own equipment. They appear on the battlefield with their private clothes, a knive and a sling or hunting bow.

"Hey you over there. You're in the army now!"
"Hmm, me?" *slowly walking backwards*
"Yes YOU!" *giving the poor goat herder a hit on the skull and dragging him into the camp*

[Maion Maroneios]

Well, no. Most times the sate provided them with some poor quality equipment, like the small wooden shields.

Maion

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Ah, didn't know that.

[HasdrubalBarca]

care to post a source Maion?

[Maion Maroneios]

My Greek history books, as well as some interent sites, which I will post over as soon as I find them again!

Maion

[paullus]

I'm a bit skeptical how far this actually went in most states. The first major supplies of equipment to soldiers was the equipment provided to epilektoi hoplitai regiments in the mid-5th c. and later. And those panoplies, while provided "by the state" to the soldiers, were created as leitourgiai (public works) performed by wealthy members of the society. That's roughly equivalent to the way most states funded their navies: a wealthy member of society performed a leitourgia for the state (sometimes volunteering, sometimes at the command of the state) and had a ship built for the city navy. Sometimes the "leitourgist" then commanded the ship as, for example, its trierarchos--other times he funded the commander or the marines, or other citizens funded them. In the Successor states, my guess is that if we had public arming of soldiers, it would be by means of leitourgiai, where wealthy citizens might equip a number of soldiers, or a group of villagers might equip a single soldier, something like that. The kings themselves could perform a leitourgia, too (good PR) and if there was full-on state-supplied equipment, that may be how it was construed.

[machinor]

I guess it depended on what kind of troops we're talking about. The leitourgiai system would surely be an adequate system if a polis wants to equip a fighting force to defend itself. If we're talking about a Diadoch's royal army meant for campaigning and fighting enemy armies in the field, then I guess he would partly equip his forces by himself (especially cheap levy phalangitai like machimoi or pantodapoi, since they were poor and the king needed them in large numbers, and the heavy elite units) and partly have his more professional troops, consisting of wealthier military settlers like the pezhetairoi, equip themselves since they got the funds themselves and probably equipment was handed down from father to son. Maybe the Seleukids would also draw upon the old recruitment system of the Persians having Persian nobles provide and equip fighting forces.
At least that's my guess. No claims on historical accuracy here.