For the earlier battle fought here, see Battle of Cynoscephalae (364 BC). The Roman victory was achieved through the initiative of a tribune, whose name is unknown. It might be outdated or ideologically biased. Now that the battle was balanced, Flamininus sent his elephants charging into the phalangites, and they panicked. Philip was unable to gather his men, and he fled the battlefield as the Romans butchered the remaining Macedonians. The phalanx, though very powerful head on, was not as flexible as the Roman manipular formation and thus unable to adapt to changing conditions on the battlefield or break away from an engagement if necessary. The combat engaged about 26,000 men on each side. Each commander knew that their counterpart was close, but the fog caused disorientation among the two armies. Flamininus saw his only hope was attacking the Macedonian left. Flaminius sent 2,000 Aetolian infantry and 500 cavalry to the ridge as reinforcements, and the Antigonid skirmishing force slowly withdrew to the top of the ridge and requested aid from Philip. The Battle of Cynoscephalae (Greek: Μάχη των Κυνός Κεφαλών) was an encounter battle fought in Thessaly in 197 BC between the Roman army, led by Titus Quinctius Flamininus, and the Antigonid dynasty of Macedon, led by Philip V. Besides the usual Roman troops and auxiliary units that would appear in any Roman army Flamininus's forces also included soldiers from the allied Aetolian League, light infantry from Athamania, mercenary archers from Crete, and elephants and Numi… The Antigonid skirmishers then urged the King to attack while momentum was on their side, and the Macedonian army deployed in battle order. The Roman victory … Finally becoming consul in 198 BC, Flaminius was underage for the position. Cynoscephalae (Greek Kynos kephalai, literally “dogs’ heads”), a range of hills in Thessaly (Greece), northwest of Thebes. After Roman scouts spotted the Macedonians, Titus Flaminius and his army marched north from Boeotia, hoping to intercept Philip before he could withdraw. Hammond, "The Campaign and Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197 BC" in, This page was last edited on 18 December 2020, at 23:39. Flaminius ordered his entire army to form up in battle order and addressed his troops at the base of the slope, professing to them that they had fought and beaten the Macedonians before. He abandoned his part and attacked the rear of the Macedonian right wing, taking twenty maniples. Cynoscephalae was the first battle in the campaign of Roman imperialism against Macedonia and the eastern Mediterranean. In 197 BC the Roman army of Titus Quinctius Flamininus, with his allies from the Aetolian League, marched out towards Pherae in search of Philip, who was at Larissa. Hammond, "The Campaign and Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197 BC" in Journal of Hellenic Studies 108 (1988) Polybius, Histories, Bk XVIII.19-27. Cynoscephalae - Romans vs. Macedonians. The battle of Cynoscephalae perfectly represent what in military terms is called "encounter battle". Meaning of battle of cynoscephalae. At the Battle of Cynoscephalae (364 BC), the Theban forces of Pelopidas fought against the Thessalian troops of Alexander of Pherae in a drawn battle in which Pelopidas was killed. The Macedonian phalangites were unable to re-position themselves and form up to face this new attack as quickly as the Roman maniples could maneuver to exploit the opportunity. Flaminius was also being pushed back towards the Roman camp, so he rode over to the Roman right and ordered them to charge at the disorganized Macedonians under Nicanor, most of whom were still arriving or not yet formed up. There was a chance encounter between the advance groups of both armies at the summit near the pass. However Philip's left wing and center, commanded by Nicanor, never managed to form up properly. This intuitive maneuver caused the inflexible phalanx to fragment, and many of its phalangists were killed. Philip had about 26,000 men of which 16,000 were phalangites, 2,000 light infantry, 5,500 mercenaries and allies from Crete, Illyria, Thrace, plus 2,000 cavalry. Cynoscephalae, fought in Thessaly in spring 197 bce, marked the decisive and final battle of the Second Macedonian War. For 300 years cavalry used in concert with the spear phalanx had dominated Western battlefields. N.G.L. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Flamininus, still unaware of Philip's location, sent out some cavalry and light infantry to reconnoiter, which engaged Philip's troops on the hills. noun 1. the fields in Thessaly where in 197 BC the Romans defeated the Macedonians • Instance Hypernyms: ↑region, ↑part • Part Holonyms: ↑Thessalia, ↑Thessaly 2. the battle that ended the second Macedonian War (197 BC); the Romans defeated Philip You take the role of the Roman army as it moves to defeat the Macedonian army of King Philip V of Macedon. Generals. Commanders and leaders. The Battle of Cynoscephalae (Greek: Μάχη τῶν Κυνὸς Κεφαλῶν) was an encounter battle fought in Thessaly in 197 BC between the Roman army, led by Titus Quinctius Flamininus, and the Antigonid dynasty of Macedon, led by Philip V. Battle of Cynoscephalae Area Today A map of the area around the battle positions Battle of Cynoscephalae summary. After that he slowly ascended the cursus honorum. He left his right wing in reserve, with his elephants in front, and personally led the left wing against Philip. The two armies met at the sloping ridge of Cynoscephalae in Thessaly. Events by cover : Works (3) Titles: Order: Roman Conquests: Macedonia and Greece by Philip Matyszak: SPQR by Richard H. Berg: Taken at the Flood: The Roman Conquest of Greece by Robin Waterfield: Related events. The Antigonid and Roman cavalry clashed on the wing as the light infantry skirmished, but the main clash was in the center. : You are free: to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work; to remix – to adapt the work; Under the following conditions: attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. In an unexpected encounter, the more flexible Roman force drew out the Macedonian phalanx and used the terrain to break it up before closing to attack from the front and from both flanks. Philip V of Macedon had attacked Rome's client states in the Mediterranean for 20 years. In any case, the result of the battle of Cynoscephalae was a fatal blow to the political aspirations of the Macedonian kingdom; Macedonia would never again be in a position to challenge Rome's geopolitical expansion. Philip's skirmishers were sent to the ridge's summit to get a better view, but they met ten Roman cavalry squadrons and 1,000 velites, and both forces skirmished before informing their commanders of the other army's positions. The Macedonians raised their sarissas as a symbol of surrender. Born in 228 BC, he had been a military tribune in the Second Punic War. Meanwhile, Philip's phalanx had reached the summit, and after joining with their light troops and cavalry which he placed on his right wing, Philip had his phalanx charge down the hill into the oncoming legionaries. Define battle of Cynoscephalae. Battle of Cynoscephalae (364 BC): | | |For the later, and better-known battle fought here, see |Battle of Cynoscephal... World Heritage Encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. Although the peace that followed allowed Philip to keep his kingdom intact, Flamininus proclaimed that other Greek states previously under Macedonian domination were now free. The phalanx drove the Romans down the slope. It was also the first clash of two rival military systems: the Greek spear phalanx and the Roman sword legion. Third Macedonian War. Philip's right wing was now on higher ground than the Roman left, and was at first successful against them. Illyrian Wars. The Roman legions on the left did not break, and fought fiercely. The right half of the Macedonian phalanx was formed in double depth and they advanced downhill against the Roman left wing. A Roman tribune halted 20 maniples (2,500 veteran triarii troops) on the right wing and marched his contingent across the ridge to strike the victorious phalanx of Philip from the rear as it attacked the left; the veteran legionaries then renewed their assault. A group of Macedonian phalangists raised their pikes to the sky to surrender, but the furious legionaries charged in and massacred all of them. Battle of Cynoscephalae - Deployment. The Battle of Cynoscephalae, 197 BC, settled once and for all the age-old dispute of phalanx versus legionary warfare. Half of Philip's troops were still foraging, so he sent his general Nicanor the Elephant to follow up when the others had returned. THE CAMPAIGN AND THE BATTLE OF CYNOSCEPHALAE IN I97 BC 63 Aetolians' (xxxiii 3.8-9). Philip, though reluctant to send his phalanx into the broken, hilly terrain eventually ordered an assault with half the phalanx, 8,000 men, when he heard of the Roman retreat. Pelopidas †. Coordinates: 39°21′36″N 22°49′48″E  /  39.36°N 22.83°E  / Philip marched the head of his phalanx up the slope, screened by his peltasts and flanked on the right by cavarly. The Roman victory in the Battle of Cynoscephalae ( 197 BC ) marked the end of the Second Macedonian War between Rome and Philip V, king of Macedon.The battle is considered one of the best examples of manipular Roman legion superiority over the Macedonian phalanx in … For the earlier battle fought here, see Battle of Cynoscephalae (364 BC). The Battle of Cynoscephalae (Greek: Μάχη τῶν Κυνὸς Κεφαλῶν) was an encounter battle fought in Thessaly in 197 BC between the Roman army, led by Titus Quinctius Flamininus, and the Antigonid dynasty of Macedon, led by Philip V. In 201 BC, Rome won the Second Punic War against Carthage. Despite this, Philip resumed his march, and his troops became confused and disoriented due to heavy fog. Either the Romans did not understand this signal, or they just ignored it. The battle on the hills grew fierce and Flamininus sent 500 cavalry and 2,000 infantry as reinforcements, mostly Aetolians, forcing Philip's men to withdraw further up the hill. Cynoscephalae (197 BCE) Battle of Cynoscephalae: decisive battle during the Second Macedonian War (200-197 BCE), in which the Roman general Titus Quinctius Flamininus overcame the Macedonian king Philip V. In 204, the Ptolemaic king Ptolemy IV Philopator died, leaving behind a very young successor, Ptolemy V Epiphanes. Cynoscephalae synonyms, Cynoscephalae pronunciation, Cynoscephalae translation, English dictionary definition of Cynoscephalae. It is generally perceived that with the later Battle of Pydna, this defeat demonstrated the superiority of the Roman legion over the Macedonian phalanx. Definition of battle of cynoscephalae in the Definitions.net dictionary. The Battle of Cynoscephalae is a battle that took place in 197 BC. Two hills of southeast Thessaly in northeast Greece. Previous warning of The Thessalian cavalry was led by Heracleides of Gyrton, the Macedonian cavalry by Leon. Philip then sent a small force to take the Cynoscephalae Hills (.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}39°25′N 22°34′E / 39.417°N 22.567°E / 39.417; 22.567Coordinates: 39°25′N 22°34′E / 39.417°N 22.567°E / 39.417; 22.567). The battle of Cynoscephalae was a turning point in military history. The Roman right attacked the Macedonians and were more successful than the Roman left. The end of 198 BC saw the Roman army of Titus Flaminius withdraw for the winter as King Philip V of Macedon raised a new army which included both youths and old men. After a brief pursuit, Flamininus allowed Philip to escape. Battle of Pydna. As the Roman left was slowly being driven back, Flamininus took command of his right and ordered an assault there. https://historica.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_Cynoscephalae?oldid=259200. What does battle of cynoscephalae mean? Battle of Cynoscephalae Part of the Second Macedonian War The general on the Roman side was Titus Quinctius Flaminius. External links The sunrise led to the fog dissipating, but Flaminius' men were demoralized at the sight of their men retreating. They were still in column formation and thrown into disorder. Philip sent 3,500 cavalry and mercenary infantry to reinforce his skirmishers, and they pushed the Romans back down the slope and almost routed them completely, had it not been for the strategic skirmishing and harassment by the Aetolian allies. There was complete panic in the Macedonian ranks. They approached from opposite sides. On the arrival of the Aetolians, 'at speed he broke camp', moved into Phthiotic territory where he was joined by a force of Cretans and 'not so much later' by Amynander and his Athamanian troops, and headed for Phthiotic Thebes. Alexander of Pherae. The battle of Cynoscephalea of 197 B.C. The next year, the Theban general Epaminondas avenged the defeat by a victory over Alexander.. Theban Hegemony, Cynoschephale. In an unexpected encounter, the more flexible Roman force drew out the Macedonian phalanx and used the terrain to break it … When Flamininus began his march to Larisa he had under his command about 32,500 to 33,400 soldiers. The roman victory in the battle of Cynoscephalae ( 197 BC ) marked the end of the second macedonian war between Rome and Philip V, king of Macedon. Historica Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. This was the first time Roman legions were victorious over a Macedonian phalanx. They were easily routed and pursued. According to Polybius and Livy, 8,000 Macedonians had been killed. The Battle of Cynoscephalae by pallin. The phalangists charged downhill at the unprepared Romans, and the remnants of Flaminius' scouting force were unprepared and were forced back. After breaking through and gaining ground, one of the Roman tribunes in command, stationed on the inside edge of the now advanced Roman right wing, on his own authority, detached twenty maniples (a smaller tactical unit within the legion) of heavy infantry, in total numbering about 2,000 men, spun them around and led them to the left and back to attack the Macedonian center and left wing – from behind and the side. The Battle of Cynoscephalae, fought in 197 B.C., ended the second of Rome’s four Macedonian Wars, securing a place in history for the Roman consul Titus Quinctius Flamininus, checking the power of the Antigonid King Philip V, and imposing a brutal peace that laid the groundwork for the Third Macedonian War against Philip’s son Perseus. 15 Livy's statement is vague. The Macedonian left wing had arrived on the summit. Thessaly. Livy mentions that other sources claim 32,000 Macedonians were killed and even one writer who due to "boundless exaggeration" claims 40,000 but concludes that Polybius is the trustworthy source on this matter. N.G.L. Events: Battle of Cynoscephalae. Flamininus concentrated his attack on Nicanor and the Macedonian left. [2] Flamininus also took 5,000 prisoners. Philip now sent more men into the melee, his Macedonian and Thessalian cavalry, who drove the Romans down the hill, until the Aetolian cavalry stabilized the situation. 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