Macedonian Sarissophoroi

By Crusader1307

The Macedonian Sarissophoroi were the famed Cavalry of Alexander The Great. They were formed in the 3rd BC and constituted a portion of Alexander's ''Great Force'' in his idea to establish a ''Macedonian World''. The Sarissophoroi were credited for ''turning the tide'' at The Battle of Gaugamela (331 BC). They are sometimes referred to as ''Alexander's Companions''. The Sarissophoroi were in essence a form of Light Cavalry, armed with the tradition Macedonian Infantry weapon, The Sarissa Spear (or Lance). These previously discussed weapons ranged from 12 to 25-feet in length, and formed the backbone of the Macedonian tactic of The Phalanx. While The Infantry version would have been too long for a Horseman, The Macedonian Cavalry version ranged from 10 to 12 feet. They would have been used in a very similar manner to The Infantry Phalanx attack Phalanx. The average Cavalryman wore no Armor (only Helmet), while Officers (of Noble Birth and wealth) wore the Linothorax Breastplate. The Sarissophoroi were eventually absorbed into a more traditionally Cavalry based Formation by the late 4th Century BC.