{"id":117780,"date":"2023-01-27T19:30:57","date_gmt":"2023-01-27T18:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/?post_type=artykuly&#038;p=117780"},"modified":"2023-01-27T19:30:57","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T18:30:57","slug":"phalanx-in-caracallas-army","status":"publish","type":"artykuly","link":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/phalanx-in-caracallas-army\/","title":{"rendered":"Phalanx in Caracalla&#8217;s army?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Chapters<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/phalanx-in-caracallas-army\/#alexander-the-greats-influence-on-the-emperor\" >Alexander the Great&#8217;s influence on the emperor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/phalanx-in-caracallas-army\/#real-image-of-the-imperial-phalangaria\" >Real image of the imperial phalangaria<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>In the history of the <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-army\/\">Roman army<\/a>, the phalanx was nothing new. This system was adopted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-geography\/neighboring-lands-around-ancient-rome\/italian-peoples\/etruscans\/\">Etruscans<\/a> in the early period of Rome&#8217;s existence. During the second war with the Samnites, the greatest disadvantages of this <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-army\/military-formations-of-ancient-romans\/battle-and-marching-formations-of-ancient-romans\/\">formation<\/a> were revealed, namely the lack of manoeuvrability. The Romans decided to move away from the phalanx after the infamous battle in the <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/battles\/battle-of-caudine-forks\/\">Caudine Forks<\/a>, in favour of a manipulative order.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"alexander-the-greats-influence-on-the-emperor\"><\/span>Alexander the Great&#8217;s influence on the emperor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n    <div class=\"ramka_ze_zdjeciem float-right \"\n         style=\"\">\n\n        <div class=\"zdjecie\">\n            <img\n                class=\"ramka-ze-zdjeciem\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Sylwetka-rzymskiego-zolnierza-walczacego-z-Partami-jako-Phalangarii-260x400.jpg\"\n                srcset=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Sylwetka-rzymskiego-zolnierza-walczacego-z-Partami-jako-Phalangarii-260x400.jpg 260w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Sylwetka-rzymskiego-zolnierza-walczacego-z-Partami-jako-Phalangarii-640x986.jpg 640w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Sylwetka-rzymskiego-zolnierza-walczacego-z-Partami-jako-Phalangarii.jpg 665w\"                alt=\"Silhouette of a Roman soldier fighting Parthians as phalangaria\"\n                width=\"250\"\n                height=\"385\"\n               \n               \n            \/>\n\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Sylwetka-rzymskiego-zolnierza-walczacego-z-Partami-jako-Phalangarii.jpg\"\n               rel=\"fancybox\"\n               title=\"Silhouette of a Roman soldier fighting Parthians as phalangaria\">\n                <div class=\"iover\">\n                    <div class=\"zicon\">\n                        <i class=\"fa fa-search-plus\"><\/i>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <div class=\"opis\">\n                                Silhouette of a Roman soldier fighting Parthians as <em>phalangaria<\/em>            <\/div>\n        \n        \n    <\/div>\n    \n<p>If we were to indicate the greatest authority of <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/caracalla\/\">Caracalla<\/a>, it would certainly be Alexander the Great. The emperor was so fascinated by the figure of the Macedonian <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-constitution\/roman-kingdom\/roman-kings\/\">king<\/a> that he wanted to connect <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-geography\/roman-cities\/rome-eternal-city\/\">Rome<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-geography\/neighboring-lands-around-ancient-rome\/parthia-persians\/\">Parthia<\/a> by marrying the daughter of Artaban IV, but he was refused, which resulted in new wars. So it was only a matter of time before the <em>crazy<\/em> emperor created his own phalanx.<br \/>\nCassius Dio says that in 217, Caracalla, preparing for the war, formed a phalanx consisting of about 16,000 people from <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-geography\/roman-provinces\/list-of-roman-provinces\/roman-macedonia\/\">Macedonia<\/a> and armed in the ancient way (pikes and linen armour). Herodian confirms Dion&#8217;s account and adds that a similar unit of Spartan phalanxes was formed.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"real-image-of-the-imperial-phalangaria\"><\/span>Real image of the imperial <em>phalangaria<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The tombstones of the Spartan phalangites have survived to this day, such as the one above belonging to Aurelius Alexianus. The soldier depicted is armed with: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-army\/equipment-of-roman-legionary\/lorica-segmentata\/\">lorica segmentata<\/a><\/em>, a mid-length sword commonly used in the 3rd century CE, an oval shield that will begin to replace the cylindrical<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-army\/equipment-of-roman-legionary\/scutum\/\">scutum<\/a><\/em>, the traditional Spartan, <em>pilos<\/em> and club &#8211; a symbol of Heracles or <em>fustis &#8211;<\/em> in the 3rd century CE.<br \/>\nAlexianus&#8217; armament is therefore typical of a <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-army\/life-of-a-roman-legionary\/\">legionary<\/a> of the first half of the 3rd century, and there is no indication that the legions or auxiliary troops changed their tactics.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, one can guess that Caracalla, going to war with the Parthians, wanted to match Alexander, who conquered the east thanks to the phalanx.<br \/>\nThe &#8220;Macedonians&#8221; of the emperor were most likely <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-army\/units-of-roman-army\/praetorians\/\">praetorians<\/a> and <em>II Parthica<\/em> legionnaires from Macedonia and <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-geography\/neighboring-lands-around-ancient-rome\/thrace\/\">Thrace<\/a>. Numbers close to 15\/16 thousand soldiers would be true. Reference to pikes may refer to spears or <em>pila<\/em>, and cloth cuirass to <em>thoracomachus<\/em> or <em>subarmilis<\/em>, quilted caftans worn under armour. <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/alexander-severus\/\">Alexander Severus<\/a>, who was at war with the Parthians in 231-233, also had his own phalanx, but this too was not armed in the ancient Macedonian manner:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"center\">\n<p class=\"quote\">Finally, he provided himself with soldiers armed with silver shields and with golden, and also a phalanx of thirty thousand men, whom he ordered to be called <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/curiosities\/phalangarii-of-emperor-caracalla\/\">phalangarii<\/a>, and with these he won many victories in Persia. This phalanx, as a matter of fact, was formed from six legions, and was armed like the other troops, but after the Persian wars received higher pay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"male3\">&#8211; <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/curiosities\/augustan-history-literary-forgery\/\">Historia Augusta<\/a>, Alexander Severus<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n    <div class=\"ramka_ze_zdjeciem float-center \"\n         style=\"\">\n\n        <div class=\"zdjecie\">\n            <img\n                class=\"ramka-ze-zdjeciem\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Rzeczywisty-wizerunek-cesarskiego-phalangarii.jpg\"\n                                alt=\"Actual image of imperial phalangaria\"\n                width=\"600\"\n                height=\"600\"\n               \n               \n            \/>\n\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Rzeczywisty-wizerunek-cesarskiego-phalangarii.jpg\"\n               rel=\"fancybox\"\n               title=\"Real image of imperial phalangaria\">\n                <div class=\"iover\">\n                    <div class=\"zicon\">\n                        <i class=\"fa fa-search-plus\"><\/i>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <div class=\"opis\">\n                                Real image of imperial phalangaria            <\/div>\n        \n        \n    <\/div>\n    \n<p>Most likely, the <em> II Parthica<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-army\/units-of-roman-army\/roman-legion\/\">legion<\/a> was the only <em>composed<\/em> of the phalanx, since it was the only legion that made up the entire field army. The <em>Historia Augusta <\/em>and the image of Alexianus on the tombstone prove that the <em>phalanx<\/em> was just an honorary title given to a unit fighting in the East, imitating the deeds of Alexander the Great.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":117766,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"kategorie_artykulow":[102],"class_list":["post-117780","artykuly","type-artykuly","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","kategorie_artykulow-war-army"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artykuly\/117780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artykuly"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/artykuly"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artykuly\/117780\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"kategorie_artykulow","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kategorie_artykulow?post=117780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}