Thursday, July 23, 2009 7:46:38 PM
The invention of the sarissa is credited to Philip II, father of the celebrated Macedonian king, Alexander the Great. Philip drilled his hitherto demoralized men to use these formidable pikes with two hands. The new tactic was unstoppable, and by the end of Philip's reign the previously fragile Macedonian kingdom controlled the whole of Greece, Epirus and Thrace.
His son Alexander used the new tactic across Asia, conquering Egypt, Persia and the Pauravas (northwest India), victorious all the way. The sarissa-wielding phalanxes were vital in every early battle, including the pivotal battle of Gaugamela where the Persian king's scythe chariots were utterly destroyed by the phalanx, supported by the combined use of companion cavalry and peltasts (javelineers). Alexander gradually reduced the importance of the Phalanx, and the sarissa, as he modified his combined use of arms, and incorporated 'Asian' weapons and troops.
FEATURED North Bay Resources Announces Assays up to 9.5% Copper at Murex Copper Project, British Columbia • Nov 4, 2024 9:00 AM
Rainmaker Worldwide Inc. Announces Strategic Partnership Between Miranda Water Technologies and Fleming College • RAKR • Nov 4, 2024 12:03 PM
Rainmaker Worldwide Inc. to Assume Direct, Non-Dealer Sales of Miranda Water Technologies in U.S. and Mexico in First Quarter of 2025 • RAKR • Nov 4, 2024 8:31 AM
CBD Life Sciences Inc. (CBDL) Launches High-Demand Mushroom Gummy Line for Targeted Wellness Needs, Tapping into a Booming $20 Billion Market • CBDL • Oct 31, 2024 8:00 AM
Nerds On Site Announces Q1 Growth and New Initiatives for the Remainder of 2024 • NOSUF • Oct 31, 2024 7:01 AM
Innovation Beverage Group Receives Largest Shipment of its Top-Selling Bitters to Date in the U.S.-Ready to Meet Growing Demand from Expanding Distribution Network • IBG • Oct 30, 2024 12:22 PM