Battle of Pydna

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Battle of Pydna
Part of the Third Macedonian War
Date 22 June 168 BC
Location Near Pydna
Result Decisive Roman victory
Belligerents
Macedon Roman Republic
Commanders
Perseus of Macedon # Lucius Aemilius Paulus Macedonicus
Strength
44,000 38,000
Casualties and losses
25,000 killed and wounded 1000+ dead, numerous wounded.
 
Illyrian and Macedonian Wars
 
Third Macedonian War
Callicinus – Pydna
This article is about the 168 BC battle. For the 148 BC battle, see Battle of Pydna (148 BC).

The Battle of Pydna in 168 BC between Rome and the Macedonian Antigonid dynasty represents the ascendancy of Rome in the Hellenic/Hellenistic world and the end of the Antigonid line of kings, whose power traced back to Alexander III of Macedon. It is often considered to be the classic example of the Macedonian phalanx against the Roman legion, and generally accepted as proving the superiority of the latter over the former.

Contents

[edit] Campaign

The Third Macedonian War started in 171 BC, after a number of acts on the part of King Perseus of Macedon incited Rome to declare war. At first, the Romans won a number of small victories, largely due to Perseus' refusal to consolidate his armies. By the end of the year, the tide changed dramatically and Perseus had regained most of his losses, including the important religious city of Dion. Perseus then established himself in an unassailable position on the river Elpeus, in northeastern Greece.

The next year, command of the Roman expeditionary force passed to Lucius Aemilius Paulus, an experienced soldier who was one of the consuls for the year. In order to force Perseus out of his position, Paulus sent a small force (8,200 foot and 120 horse) under the command of Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica to the coast, a feint to convince Perseus that he was attempting a riverborne flanking maneuver. Instead, that night Scipio took his force south and over the mountains to the west of the Roman and Macedonian armies. They moved as far as Pithium, then swung northeast to attack the Macedonians from the rear.

A Roman deserter, however, made his way to the Macedonian camp and Perseus sent Milo with a force of 12,000 to block the approach road. The encounter that followed sent Milo and his men back in disarray towards the main Macedonian army. After this, Perseus moved his army northwards and took up a position near Katerini, a village south of Pydna. It was a fairly level plain and was very well suited to the phalanx.

Paulus then had Scipio rejoin the main force, while Perseus deployed his forces for what appeared to be an attack from the south by Scipio. The Roman armies were actually to the west, and when they advanced, they found Perseus fully deployed. Instead of joining battle with troops tired from the march, they encamped to the west in the foothills of Mount Olocrus.

The fighting began the afternoon of the next day, June 22. The exact cause of the start of the battle differs; one story is that Paulus waited until late enough in the day for the sun not to be in the eyes of his troops, and then sent an unbridled horse forward to bring about alarm. More likely it was the result of some Roman foragers getting a little too close and being attacked by some Thracians in Perseus' army.

[edit] Battle

The two armies appear quite evenly matched in numbers. The Romans had 38,000 men, of which 33,400 were infantry, including two legions. The Macedonians had 44,000 soldiers, of which 21,000 were phalangites. The cavalry forces were roughly equal, about 4,000 each. The two armies were drawn up in their usual fashion. The Romans had placed the two legions in the middle, with the allied Latin, Italian and Greek infantry flanking them. The cavalry was placed on the wings, with the Roman right being supplemented by 22 elephants. The phalanx took up the center of the Macedonian line, with the elite 3,000-strong Guard formed to the left of the phalanx. Lighter peltasts, mercenaries and Thracian infantry guarded the two flanks of the phalanx, while the Macedonian cavalry were also, rather unevenly, split between the two wings. The stronger contingent was on the Macedonian right, where Perseus commanded the heavy cavalry (including his elite Sacred Squadron), and the Thracian Odrysian cavalry were deployed.

The two centers engaged at about 3pm, with the Macedonians advancing on the Romans a short distance from the Roman camp. Paulus claimed later that the sight of the phalanx filled him with alarm and amazement. The Romans tried to beat down the enemy pikes or hack off their points, but with little success. Unable to get under the thick bristle of spikes, the Romans were beaten back, and some of their allies abandoned the field.

But as the phalanx pushed forward, the ground became more uneven as it moved into the foothills, and the line lost its cohesion. Paulus now ordered the legions into the gaps, attacking the phalangites on their exposed flanks. At close quarters the longer Roman sword and heavier shield easily prevailed over the short sword (little more than a dagger) and lighter armor of the Macedonians. They were soon joined by the Roman right, which had succeeded in routing the Macedonian left.

Seeing the tide of battle turn, Perseus fled with the cavalry on the Macedonian right. According to Plutarch, Perseus' cavalry had yet to engage, and both the king and his cavalry were accused of cowardice by the surviving infantry. These were few, however; the 3,000 strong Guard fought to the death, and the Macedonians suffered about 25,000 dead or captured of their 40,000. The battle lasted less than an hour.

Perseus later surrendered to Paulus, and was paraded in triumph in Rome. He was then imprisoned. The Macedonian kingdom was dissolved, and replaced with four republics. In time, these were also dissolved, and Macedonia became a Roman province.

The battle is often considered to be a victory of the Roman legion's flexibility over the phalanx's inflexibility. Although some argue that the loss was actually due to a failure of command on the part of Perseus, the Macedonians did not have an answer to the problem of being outflanked by the Romans. Paulus knew before the battle that once the hoplite phalanx had been committed to the battle, turning to meet a threat on either of its flanks would be near-impossible without disrupting the formation's cohesiveness. In addition, at the start of the battle, half of the Macedonian army was still getting into position due to the complex nature of the Macedonian system of warfare.

The centuriae moved into the gaps on the flanks of the phalanx before Perseus could have responded by sending in lighter troops to fill the gaps. Even if this had been possible, as the battle moved to broken ground (which was a disadvantage to both sides but more so for the Macedonians), the Romans were able to get in closer to the hoplites and use their short swords to full effect.

[edit] Aftermath

This was not the final conflict between the two rivals, but it broke the back of Macedonian power. The political consequences of the lost battle were severe. The Senate's settlement included the deportation of all the royal officials and the permanent house arrest of Perseus. The kingdom was divided into four republics that were heavily restricted from intercourse or trade with one another and with Greece. There was a ruthless purge, with allegedly anti-Roman citizens being denounced by their compatriots and deported in large numbers. In 167 BC, Paulus received orders to attack Epirus, resulting in the enslavement of 150,000 Epirotes. This took place despite the fact that Epirus had not aided Perseus in the war. The Battle of Pydna and its political aftermath mark the effective end of Macedonian independence, although formal annexation was still some years away.

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Coordinates: 40°21′55″N, 22°36′47″E