Antigonid Macedonian army

Antigonid Macedonian army
Fresco of an ancient Makedonian soldier (thorakitai) wearing chainmail armor and bearing a thureos shield, 3rd century BC; Archeological Museum in Istanbul.
Active	276-168, 150-148 BC
Country	Macedon
Role	Army of the Kingdom of Macedon under the Antigonid Dynasty
Size	18,600 (c. 222 BC) 25,500 (c. 197 BC) 43,000 (c. 172 BC)
Engagements	Chremonidean War Cleomenean War Social War (220–217 BC) First Macedonian War Cretan War Second Macedonian War Aetolian War War against Nabis Third Macedonian War Fourth Macedonian War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Antigonus Gonatas Antigonus Doson Philip V of Macedon Perseus of Macedon Andriscus

The Antigonid Macedonian army was the army of Macedon 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 Achaean League, Sparta, Athens, Rhodes and Pergamon, not to mention the numerous Thracian and Celtic tribes that threatened Macedon from the north.

The Antigonid army, as with the army of Philip II and Alexander the Great that came before it, was based principally around the Macedonian phalanx, which was a solid formation of men armed with small shields and long pikes called sarissae. The majority of Macedonian troops serving in the army would have made up the numbers of the phalanx, which took up to one-third to two-thirds of the entire army on campaign. Alongside the phalanx, the Antigonid army had its elite corps, the Peltasts, numerous Macedonian and allied cavalry and always a considerable amount of allied and mercenary infantry and auxiliary troops.