Legion vs. Phalanx

[Fluvius Camillus]

If phalanx is mentioned in the forums it is usually meant as the Makedonian Phalanx developed by Philip II of Macedon.

In game I personally find the Makedonian phalanx better than the legion. This goes for the AI, as they are not smart enough to exploit their flexible armies when needed. In MP battles the phalanx also is better in my opinion, the player is usually a lot smarter than the AI, but a seasoned EB Hellenistic veteran makes balanced armies. Able to counter the legions with their own heavy infantry and use cavalry to do great damage. Also phalanx can be engaged and forgotten about in some battles (depending on enemy tactics), leaving you more time to manage the flank infantry and cavalry.

In Real I think it is impossible to say, there are far too many factors that play a role to come to a conclusion which is better. Indivually, the legionairre would be stronger of course, as Roman Virtus testifies, a single sarissa and sword armed man can not counter such a man, who can excell in individual combat.

Also remember that above I describe the Hellenistic balanced composition of the army, in reality this of course was not always possible. Generals had to settle with less, apart from Antiochus III the Great. Who could recruit a huge variety of troops out of his large empire.

Still the following factors can differ so much that a good conclusion cannot be reached:
- The capacities of the commander
- The number/compostion of troops
- The type of terrain (Do not overestimate the phalanx inability of fighting on elevated terrain, Cynosphalae was not flat and the Makedonians could keep formation and drive the Romani back at the first stages of the battle).
- The type of weather can play a minor role
- The level of discipline and the martial power of the soldiers.
- The position the army was in (geographically - like cornered to the sea, or the amount of pay and whether the soldiers were well-fed or starving, defining the morale in the situation).
- The loyalty of the army and ethnicity (Makedonians would be more driven to fight invading Romani than a levied native Egyptian fights in phalanx against the Seleukids).
- Some more which I am unable to come up with at the moment.

One thing is clear, the Romani did defeat the phalanx, in my opinion the battle of Magnesia was the best example, however they could have failed without their Pergamene allies.

Remember it was not only the legions that defeated the phalanx, they also defeated themselves. Would the Hellenes be more a united force against the Romani instead of fighting each other multiple times history might have taken another path. When Romani intervention came the Romani were at the heigth of their power and the Hellenes in decline because of foreign incursions and countless infighting.

That'll be all.

Thank for reading

~Fluvius