THE BATTLE OF CYNOSCEPHALAE

197 BC

The titanic struggle between Rome and Carthage during the second punic war of two eighteen to two o one B C, had prevented the republic from pursuing a policy of all out war against the Greeks. With the fall of Carthage, the Romans could now concentrate their full might against Carthage's former ally. 

Despite the war weariness of the Roman populace, General Titus Flamininus managed to acquire Senatorial approval to declare war on Greece. After some indecisive skirmishes with local militias the main Greek army under King Phillip the fifth of Macedon arrived to check the Roman's at Cynoscephalae. 

The two opposing armies would be quite evenly matched, the Roman's fielded an army of twenty four thousand infantry and Three thousand cavalry. The Macedonian Greek army countered with twenty six thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry.

The two armies would face one another on opposite sides of a series of ridges and sloping depressions. All along the staggered front advance troops from both sides began to clash. In these early stages the Greek's would prevail, driving the Romans from the slopes. 

Upon arriving at the battlefield, king Philip was uneasy with the prospect of fighting with his Phalanx's on such difficult terrain, but the reports of Roman forces having been driven back with such ease, inspired him to remain and give battle.

Although Philip's right flank was secure his left wing had not yet arrived and still trailed behind his main position. Realizing that his left flank was dangerously exposed, Philip ordered his right wing Phalanx's to lower their spears and attack before the Roman's could take advantage of this weakness. 

The Greek's quickley drove the Roman left wing back in disarray. Flaminus was forced to commit his reserves to stop the flank from collapsing. With the situation momentarily stabilized, Flaminus ordered his right wing forward to attack the disorganized Macedonian's still marching up on Phillips exposed left.

At first the Roman's forced the Macedonian light infantry to fall back, but they were hard pressed to gain further ground on the heavy infantry Phalanx's as they arrived in force. After a bitter struggle, it was now the Roman's which found themselves being pushed back. 

Phillip noticed the Roman right wing was beginning to waiver and thus ordered the last of his reserves to join in the attack on the crumbling Roman flank. With the addition of these fresh troops, the Roman flank began to buckle and was close to collapse. 

With both Roman flanks falling back and the total defeat of his army hanging in the balance, Flaminus gambles all and orders his last central Legion forward. Phillip, believing this to be a last act of desperation, orders his center Phalanx's to hold their ground and await the Roman attack. 

As the Roman advance reaches the half point on the battlefield, Flaminus halts and orders six of the Legions nine cohorts to divide into two seperate forces and fan out towards both crumbling Roman flanks, to attack the still advancing Macedonian's from their rear. 

To late, Phillip now orders his center forward in support, but the Roman's are already in position to block his advance. Now unopposed the Roman Legionaires cut deep into both exposed Macedonian flanks, killing hundreds with each advancing step. 

As the Macedonian casualties now began to rise into the thousands and with no reserves to throw in to stop his armies destruction, a horrified Phillip attempts to save what's left of his army by giving the order for his men to raise their pikes and surrender. 

Unfortunately the Roman's do not understand this gesture and continue with the slaughter. Phillip can only watch as his troops are massacred and both his flanks completely destroyed. Faced with utter defeat, Phillip orders what's left of his army to withdrawal and he escapes back to Macedonia.

At Cynoscephalae the Macedonian's and their Greek allies suffered ten thousand dead and five thousand taken prisoner, compared to four thousand Roman casualties. Philip's influence within Greece was thus forever broken and he was essentially confined thereafter within Macedonia itself.   

The battle of Cynoscephalae was a turning point in military history. For two hundred years the Macedonian Phalanx had been invincible on the battlefield. By force of arms it would now give way to the Roman Legion, which would now dominate the battlefields for the next five hundred years.