Pezhetairos

The pezhetairoi (Greek: πεζέταιροι, singular: pezhetairos) were the backbone of the Macedonian army and Diadochi kingdoms. They were literally "foot companions" (in Greek, pezos means "foot warrior" or "infantryman", and hetairos means "companion" or "friend").

The Macedonian phalanxes were made up almost entirely of pezhetairoi. Pezhetairoi were very effective against both enemy cavalry and infantry, as their long pikes could be used to impale enemies charging on horse-back or to keep enemy infantry with shorter weapons at bay.

Description

The pezhetairoi were the battalions of the Macedonian phalanx. They first came to prominence during the reign of Philip II, particularly when they played such an important role in Philip's subjugation of Greece at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE. The name "foot companions" was used by famed commander Alexander the Great, the successor of Phillip II, as an ancient recruiting method. By labeling his infantry as his personal "companions" and "friends," Alexander was able to engage a wider manpower base for his subsequent military campaigns, as positions in his personal infantry would denote pride and honor. Therefore, as Alexander would campaign across Asia, he was able to use his reputation as a brilliant military strategist, along with the personal connotation given to his infantry, to recruit more native peoples to his cause than conventional recruitment methods of the day. This created a near endless base of manpower for the burgeoning military leader, and allowed him to engage in longer, costlier campaigns in areas like Asia Minor, Egypt, Persia, and India.