Battle of Cynocephalae

• 197 BC
• Rome vs. Philip V of Macedon
– Philip allied himself with Hannibal after Cannae; Rome
found out.
• Post 2nd Punic War Rome controlled:
– Italy from the Alps to the heel.
– Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Eastern Spain, Southern Gaul,
Northern Africa to Egypt
 The Roman Commander
• Titus Flaminius invaded Thessaly with two
legions (Cannae veterans away from home
for 14 years now) as vengeance for Philip’s
allegiance with Hannibal.
 Disposition of Forces
Roman Philip V
• 8,400 infantry and • 16,000 phalangites,
• 10,000 Italian allies; • 1,500 mercenaries,
• 4,000 phalangites • 4,000 peltasts,
and
• 2,000 light armed
• 2,000 peltasts from
the Aetolian league; Thracians and
• a total of some 2,600 • 2,000 Illyrians, and
cavalry (including • about 2,000 cavalry
400 Aetolian); and total
• around 20 elephants.
 Battle Itself
• Happened near Cynocephalae ‘Dogs Heads’
hilly, rocky ridges in Greece.
• Starts small by accident, both sides throw
all their main forces in.
• The Roman reserve (the Triarii, about 2,000
men), led by a Tribune, attack the
Macedonian phalanx in the rear.
The Macedonian Left falls back when Flaminius
orders his Right to attack with elephants
 Significance of Cynocephalae
Mobility of the Roman legions (small, independent units
working as a whole) outperform Macedonian phalanx
(supreme military formation since 350-197 BC).

The Macedonians raise their sarissa as a sign of surrender,

but the Romans don’t (or won’t understand).

Losses:
Macedonian, 7-8,000 killed; 4-5,000 captured
Roman, 1,000 killed
 14 years later…

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, now 53, dies in

183 BC, a political outcast in Rome.

Hannibal Barca, now 63 and labeled an outlaw,

takes poison while in Libyssa the same year.