James Baquet

We all know about Alexander the Great, the young general who led Greece to its zenith. But how did the dominance of Greece end? And who rose to take their place?

The answer to the latter question is fairly well known, contained as it is in the adjective “Greco-Roman.” The first question — how the dominance of Greece ended — is complicated. As with any large change in society, there is no single moment. But a turning point happened at the Battle of Pydna.

Rome had been a rival to Macedon, the empire that had once been Alexander’s and was now ruled by Perseus of Macedon, successor to Alexander’s general Antigonus.

The Macedonian Wars had started with the first war in 214-205 B.C. The third had started in 171 B.C. In its early days, the Romans had appeared victorious, until Perseus turned the tide by consolidating his armies.

At the Battle of Pydna, which took place June 22 in 168 B.C., the Roman general Paullus deceived Perseus by using a feint, leading him to believe the attack was coming from the south as he amassed troops on the west of Perseus’ position.

The deciding factor, though, seems to have been the methods used in deploying the troops. The Greeks had always relied on the phalanx, a rigid, rectangular formation of men, numbering as many as 256 heavy infantrymen armed with spears. The Romans depended on the maniple, which means a “handful.” In this system, 120 men could be subdivided into groups as small as 30. This allowed for greater maneuverability, especially important on rough terrain.

At Pydna, the Romans fared badly at first, and were pushed back off the level battlefield onto rougher ground. This became their salvation, as it broke up the Greek formation and exposed their flanks. At least one source claims that 20,000 of the Greeks’ 43,000 men were killed, and another 11,000 captured. This was contrasted by a Roman force of 38,600, of whom only 100 were killed, though numerous were wounded. It has been speculated that, due to miscommunication by Perseus, some 10,000 Greeks were misdirected and never reached the field.

It was over in an hour, and Macedonia’s power was broken.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. of the Greeks and the Romans, classical

2. putting together, making solid

3. sent to the wrong place

4. ability to move around

5. highpoint

6. shape of the land

7. side

8. guessed, estimated

9. false movement, meant to deceive

10. experience good or bad luck