Hellenistic army

A Hellenistic army was a kingdom’s military force in the eastern Mediterranean and Near East after Alexander the Great, combining Macedonian formations with regional troops, weapons, and practices.

Macedonian phalanx: A dense infantry formation whose soldiers fought with long sarissas and overlapping shields. Its sarissa-armed ranks formed the characteristic heavy-infantry core of many Hellenistic armies.
Combined arms: The coordinated use of different military branches to make their capabilities reinforce one another. Hellenistic commanders sought to pair infantry formations with cavalry, skirmishers, and elephants.
Macedonian army: The military forces of the ancient Macedonian kingdom, especially those developed under Philip II and Alexander the Great. Hellenistic armies inherited its phalanx, cavalry traditions, and royal command structure.
Battle of Raphia: A battle fought in 217 BCE between Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III near Gaza. Its armies fielded phalanxes, cavalry, and war elephants, making it a revealing test of royal forces.
Hellenistic warfare: The military practices and conflicts of the Greek-speaking kingdoms that emerged after Alexander’s conquests. The army was the central instrument through which Hellenistic warfare was organized and conducted.
Sarissa: A long pike used by Macedonian and Hellenistic infantry, typically around five to seven metres long. This weapon gave phalanx formations their reach and demanded coordinated drill.
Hellenistic cavalry: Mounted troops serving the armies and states of the Hellenistic world. Cavalry could exploit openings that the phalanx created or protect its flanks.
Philip II of Macedon: King of Macedon from 359 to 336 BCE who transformed its army and expanded its power. His reforms supplied the military system that successor kingdoms adapted.
Battle of Magnesia: A battle fought in 190 BCE between Rome and the Seleucid king Antiochus III near Magnesia. The defeat exposed the difficulties of coordinating the Seleucid army’s varied contingents.
Hellenistic military settlement: The placement of soldiers and their families in settlements intended to support military service and royal control. These settlements tied military manpower to the kingdoms’ administration of conquered territories.

Linked from 10 pages