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⭐ In the context of the Macedonian phalanx, what characteristic primarily contributed to its reduced effectiveness against Roman legions during the Second, Roman-Seleucid, and Third Macedonian Wars?

The source text highlights that the Antigonid and Seleucid phalanxes, while prevalent, struggled against Roman legions due to their inability to adjust to evolving circumstances on the battlefield, demonstrating a key tactical weakness.

⭐ Core Definition: Antigonid Macedonian army

The Antigonid Macedonian army was the army that evolved from the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia in the period when it was ruled by the Antigonid dynasty from 276 BC to 168 BC. It was seen as one of the principal Hellenistic fighting forces until its ultimate defeat at Roman hands at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC. However, there was a brief resurgence in 150-148 during the revolt of Andriscus, a supposed heir to Perseus.

Starting as just a mere handful of mercenary troops under Antigonus Gonatas in the 270s BC, the Antigonid army eventually became the dominant force in Hellenistic Greece, fighting campaigns against Epirus, the Aetolian League, Sparta, Athens, Rhodes and Pergamon, not to mention the numerous Thracian and Celtic tribes that threatened Macedon from the north.

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👉 Antigonid Macedonian army in the context of Macedonian phalanx

The Macedonian phalanx (Greek: Μακεδονική φάλαγξ) was an infantry formation developed by Philip II from the classical Greek phalanx, of which the main innovation was the use of the sarissa, a 6-metre pike. It was famously commanded by him during the rise of Macedon and by his son Alexander the Great during his conquest of the Achaemenid Empire and his other campaigns between 336 and 325 BC.

The Macedonian phalanx model then spread throughout the Hellenistic world, where it became the standard battle formation for pitched battles. During the Second Macedonian War (200–197 BC), Roman-Seleucid War (191–188 BC) and Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC) against the Roman Republic, the Hellenistic phalanx, both the Antigonid phalanx and the Seleucid phalanx, appeared less adaptable to changing conditions on the battlefield against the more flexible Roman legions.

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