Dahm, Murray/Rava, Giuseppe (Illustr.) Roman Legionary vs Hellenistic Phalangite

Italy and Greece 280–168 BC

This richly illustrated study examines the clashes between the Roman legion and the Hellenistic phalanx in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, his generals and their successors used the immense power of the Macedonian phalanx to divide his empire into their own territories. At the same time, Rome rose to become one of the most powerful cities in Italy, with the manipular legion at the forefront of efforts to expand the empire. In this book, Murray Dahm analyzes the warriors who formed the backbone of the military strength of these two civilizations: the phalangites and the legionaries. He recounts their clashes on three bloody battlefields and shows how the strengths and weaknesses of both sides shaped their decades-long struggle for supremacy. At Heraclea (280 BC), Pyrrhus's army of Epirus first encountered Roman troops in a fierce battle that left both sides deeply scarred. At Cynoscephalae (197 BC), a Macedonian army fought a momentous battle against two Roman legions and their allies, ending the Second Macedonian War. At Pydna (168 BC), legionaries clashed with phalangites in a decisive battle that confirmed the decline of the phalanx and the immense power of the legion. Featuring specially commissioned illustrations and maps, this captivating account illuminates the evolving struggle between two rival military systems in a series of battles that shaped the destiny of antiquity.