Why was the legion better than the phalanx?

The Romans, however, pioneered small-unit tactics, and organized their armies into smaller formations capable of acting independently of the rest of the army. This made the the legions extremely versatile in battle when compared to the phalanx.

How was legion better than phalanx?

Short arms made it easier for individual soldiers or subunits to turn and change direction. Too, careful articulation, a well-rehearsed command system, and the use of standards—which do not seem to have been carried by Hellenistic armies—made the legion a much more flexible organization than the phalanx.

How did Roman legions differ from the phalanx?

The author's main points in favor of the Roman legion was agility, flexibility and adaptability; whereas, the phalanx had only one-dimensional movement. [i] A one trick horse if you will. Further examination of these main points concerning ancient military unit tactical formations will clarify Cole's argument.

Why was the legion so effective?

The training that soldiers had to do was very tough and thorough and included marching 20 miles a day wearing full armour. This meant that the Roman armies were very fit and organised. Training included marching in formation and learning specific tactics and manoeuvres for battle.

What was one superiority the legion had over the Greek phalanx?

Later, in their wars against first the Macedonians, and then against the Seleucids and later the Pontians the Romans defeated phalanxes through superior maneuverability, and because of the phalanx's unfortunate weakness when it lost cohesion.

Roman Legion Against Macedonian Phalanx

Did the phalanx ever beat the legion?

The Romans defeated the phalanx formation that had been the mainstay of Hellenic Armies for so long by adopting the maniple system for their legions which allowed for a wide variety of benefits over the phalanx. Could an average Ancient Greek woman have fought in phalanx, if allowed?

What was the strength of a legion?

A typical legion of this period had 5,120 legionaries as well as a large number of camp followers, servants and slaves. Legions could contain as many as 11,000 fighting men when including the auxiliaries.

What was the most feared legion?

Legio III Gallica: The Valiant One

The Third Gallica was probably one of the most renowned Roman legions. The unit was established in 49 BCE by none other than Julius Caesar himself.

How good was the Roman legion?

The Roman Army was one of the most successful in the history of the world and its soldiers were rightly feared for their training, discipline and stamina. As a result, the army was a major player in Roman politics and maintaining its loyalty was an essential task for any Emperor.

Did Caesar ever decimate a legion?

Julius Caesar threatened to decimate the 9th Legion during the war against Pompey, but never did. Plutarch describes the process in his work Life of Antony. After a defeat in Media: Antony was furious and employed the punishment known as "decimation" on those who had lost their nerve.

What was the phalanx weakness?

The major weakness of the phalanx is that it had little to no protection on its sides and rear. Since men were marching forward, and everyone's spears were pointed in the same forward direction, hoplites were pretty much defenseless on the flanks and rear.

Why was the phalanx the most powerful?

The phalanx therefore presented a shield wall and a mass of spear points to the enemy, making frontal assaults against it very difficult. It also allowed a higher proportion of the soldiers to be actively engaged in combat at a given time (rather than just those in the front rank).

Why did the Romans abandon the phalanx?

The phalanx became obsolete once its lack of mobility became exposed by the superior Roman legion fighting unit.

Why was a phalanx unstoppable?

The shield wall: The soldiers in the front of the phalanx held their shields out in front of them, overlapping with the shields of the soldiers beside them. This created a solid wall of shields that was difficult for attackers to penetrate.

Why Legion was the best expansion?

Legion was fantastic, Artifact weapons were really good, pvp was alive, world content was great and the raids were even better. Duchain: After having watched the well of eternity on youtube and reading the book you can tell Legion was indeed the best expansion.

Who is the strongest in the Burning Legion?

Who was the most feared army in history?

Though they existed more than eight centuries ago, Genghis Khan and the Mongols are still regarded as the most-feared military of all time. This is due to their reign over an incredible empire that they conquered in a short period of time.

What defeated Roman legions?

In September AD 9 half of Rome's Western army was ambushed in a German forest. Three legions, comprising some 25,000 men under the Roman General Varus, were wiped out by an army of Germanic tribes under the leadership of Arminius.

Who beat the Roman legion?

In one of the most decisive battles in history, a large Roman army under Valens, the Roman emperor of the East, is defeated by the Visigoths at the Battle of Adrianople in present-day Turkey. Two-thirds of the Roman army, including Emperor Valens himself, were overrun and slaughtered by the mounted barbarians.

Was there a lost legion?

The disappearance of Rome's Ninth Legion has long baffled historians, but could a brutal ambush have been the event that forged the England-Scotland border, asks archaeologist Dr Miles Russell, of Bournemouth University. One of the most enduring legends of Roman Britain concerns the disappearance of the Ninth Legion.

What legion lost the Eagle?

In the story, the eponymous eagle is the imperial standard of the fearsome Ninth Legion of the Roman army, led by Flavius Aquila. The legion journey north to Caledonia (Scotland) to tame the northern tribes, but never return and the eagle is lost.

What is bigger then a legion?

The Roman army was divided into legions of about 5,000 men. Contubernium: consisted of 8 men. Centuria: (century) was made up of 10 contubernium with a total of 80 men commanded by a centurion. Cohorts: (cohort) included 6 centurie, a total of 480 men.

How tall was a Roman legion?

Height: 1.75M (5'8”) tall.

How many legions did it take to defeat Spartacus?

Hemmed in by Crassus's eight legions, Spartacus's army divided. The Gauls and Germans were defeated first, and Spartacus himself ultimately fell fighting in pitched battle.