The Battle of Pydna occurred during the Third Macedonian War. It was fought on 22 June, 168 BC. This battle was decisive, and led to the complete subjugation of Macedonia to Rome. The exact date of the battle has been determined by the lunar eclipse that occurred the day before the battle.
The Third Macedonian War began in 171 BC. In that year, Roman troops successfully launched military operations, as Perseus of Macedonia did not have time to gather his troops. But by the end of the year, the situation had changed, and he managed to repel an attack on an important Macedonian religious city, Dion.
In 168 BC, the commander of the Roman troops was the experienced soldier and consul, Lucius Paullus. In order to stop Perseus from withdrawing from his position, he sent a separate detachment (8,200 infantrymen and 120 cavalrymen) under the command of Publius Cornelius Scipio to the coast. By doing this, he wanted to trick the Macedonians that the Romans would try to cross the river. Scipio himself took his troops south at night and led them along the mountains to attack the Macedonians from the rear.
But a Roman deserter went to the Macedonian camp and told the Macedonians about the plan, and Perseus sent 12,000 soldiers to block the access road. However, a clash with the Romans threw the Macedonians back, and they retreated to their camp. After this, the king moved his army to the north, taking up positions near Katerini, a village south of Pydna. On this plain, the Macedonian phalanx were in the best position for battle.
The Roman troops united, and this time Perseus applied his strength to repel the Scipio attack from the south. But the Romans were in the west, and during their advance, they found well-prepared Macedonian troops. Deciding not to start a battle with weary fighters, the Romans settled to the west of the Macedonians – in the foothills of the mountain Olokrus. The day before there had been a lunar eclipse, which the Macedonians considered a bad omen, believing that it portended the death of the king. The battle began on the following day, on June 22.
Battle
The Roman army consisted of 29,000 soldiers, of which 24,500 were infantry, including two legions. The Macedonians had 44,000 soldiers, of which 21,000 were phalanx. The number of cavalry for both armies was equal, about 4,000 each.
The Romans placed two legions in the center, and the allied Latin, Italian and Greek infantry were on the flanks. The Roman legion (about 4-4,500) was divided into 30 detachments. On the battlefield, the legion was lined up in three lines, ten centuries in each, in a checkerboard pattern. The cavalry was placed on the wings of the formation, and on the right flank were 22 battle elephants.
The phalanx occupied the center of the Macedonian army, along with the elite “3,000 Guard”, which was to its’ left. Light peltasts, mercenaries and Thracian infantry guarded two flanks of the phalanx, while the Macedonian cavalry lined up on the flanks. A stronger military contingent was on the right Macedonian flank, where Perseus commanded the heavy cavalry.
The sight of the enemy alarmed and frightened the Romans. The phalanx swept the advance elements of the Romans, and they began an orderly retreat to Olcor Mountain. At this time, the consul noticed that the Macedonian phalanx was advancing unevenly, with gaps. He ordered groups from the legions against the phalanx ruptures, to act independently of each other and in small units to wedge into rifts and attack from the flanks. Legionnaires of the first two lines, armed with shields and short swords, slipped past the Macedonian rush and engaged in close combat, in which they had an advantage in armament.
Seeing the change in the course of the battle, Perseus and the cavalry left the battlefield. The Macedonian army was defeated, losing 20,000 killed and 11,000 wounded (out of 40,000). The battle lasted about an hour, but the following actions lasted until dusk. Perseus fled, but was overtaken and captured by the Romans, who spared his life, so that he could be put on display during the triumphal entry of the Consul into Rome.
The battle showed the advantage of the Roman legion in front of the phalanx in maneuverability. However, some historians claim that the battle was lost due to the non-participation of Perseus and his wait-and-see tactics.
Outcomes of the Battle
After defeating the Macedonians at Pydna, consul Paullus moved with the army against the former allies of Perseus – Illyria, and Epirus. He completely devastated these countries, ravaged 70 cities, and 150,000 people were sold into slavery.
Macedonia was divided into four districts, each of which was relatively independent, had the right to mint its’ own coins, but was deprived of any right to maintain economic and political ties with its neighbors. All the officials were evicted to Italy, and for their attempt to return they were punished with death. The inhabitants of the districts were to deliver an annual tribute to Rome at the rate of half of what they paid to their former king.
Illyria was also divided into three districts, arranged according to the example of Macedonia. In Greece, the Romans punished all those who took the side of Perseus. Thus, more than a thousand Achaeans were sent to Rome as hostages. In the year 148 BC, after the suppression of the anti-Roman uprising, Macedonia, together with Illyria and Epirus, was turned into a Roman province.
Sources:
- Angelides, Alekos, A History of Macedonia
- Scullard, HH , A history of the Roman world from 753 to 146 BC Methuen. (London, 1935)