Companion cavalry

The elite heavy cavalry of ancient Macedonia, organized as the king’s companions and used as a principal striking force under Alexander the Great.

Macedonian wedge formation: A triangular cavalry formation used by Macedonian forces to concentrate movement and attack at a chosen point. The wedge helped Companion cavalry maintain cohesion while turning rapidly toward a target.
Battle of Chaeronea: A 338 BCE battle in which Philip II of Macedon defeated Athens and Thebes. Alexander’s early command of Companion cavalry there helped establish his military reputation.
Philip II of Macedon: King of Macedon from 359 to 336 BCE who transformed its army and expanded its power. His military reforms strengthened the cavalry force Alexander later led.
Wars of the Diadochi: A series of conflicts among Alexander’s successors over control of his empire after his death in 323 BCE. Former Macedonian commanders carried cavalry traditions into the successor kingdoms’ armies.
Sarissa: A long pike used by Macedonian infantry, especially the phalanx. Unlike sarissa-armed infantry, the cavalry delivered a fast, mobile shock attack.
Battle of Issus: A 333 BCE battle in which Alexander defeated Darius III in southern Anatolia. The Companion cavalry attacked the Persian line and helped open Alexander’s route toward Darius.
Hetairoi: The companions, a Macedonian elite whose members served the king in court and military life. Companion cavalry was the mounted military expression of this wider royal companion group.
Hellenistic armies: The military forces of kingdoms formed after Alexander’s conquests, combining Macedonian and regional traditions. Successor armies retained elite cavalry forces modeled in part on Macedonian practice.
Macedonian phalanx: A dense infantry formation whose soldiers fought with long pikes called sarissas. The phalanx fixed enemy forces while Companion cavalry sought a decisive flank or breakthrough.
Battle of Gaugamela: A 331 BCE battle in which Alexander’s army defeated Darius III in Mesopotamia. A Companion cavalry charge exploited a gap in the Persian formation.

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