بيزيتيروس

كان البيزيتايروي ( باليونانية : πεζέταιροι ، المفرد: pezhetairos) العمود الفقري للجيش المقدوني وممالك الإديادوخي . وكان يُطلق عليهم حرفيًا اسم "رفقاء المشاة" (في اليونانية، تعني كلمة pezos "المشاة" و hetairos تعني "رفيق" أو "صديق").

كانت كتائب المقدونيين تتألف بالكامل تقريبًا من جنود البيزيتايروي. وكان البيزيتايروي فعالين للغاية ضد كل من سلاح الفرسان والمشاة المعادين، حيث كان بالإمكان استخدام رماحهم الطويلة لغرزها في الأعداء المهاجمين على ظهور الخيل أو لإبعاد مشاة العدو ذوي الأسلحة الأقصر.

كانت كتيبة البيزيتايروي جزءًا من الكتائب المقدونية . برزت هذه الكتائب لأول مرة في عهد فيليب الثاني ، لا سيما عندما لعبت دورًا هامًا في إخضاع فيليب لليونان في معركة خيرونيا عام 338 قبل الميلاد. أنشأ فيليب هذه الوحدة بتطويل الرمح ليصبح رمحًا حقيقيًا ، وإزالة الدروع الثقيلة، واستبدال الترس الكبير بترس أصغر. ^{[ 1 ]} كانوا مسلحين بالساريسا ، وهو رمح طويل ذو مقبض مصنوع من خشب الكورنيل المرن ، والذي كان مداه أطول بكثير من رمح الهوبليت التقليدي. ^{[ 2 ]} بفضل طوله، كان بإمكان الكتيبة أن تحمل رؤوس رماح ما يقارب خمسة صفوف من الرجال؛ مما جعلها منيعة تقريبًا، ومرعبة في مواجهتها.

صاغ الإسكندر الثالث مصطلح "رفاق المشاة" خلال عهد والده فيليب الثاني كوسيلة للتجنيد. ^{[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]} وبوصفه مشاته بـ"رفاقه" و"أصدقائه" الشخصيين، تمكن فيليب من حشد قاعدة بشرية أوسع لحملاته العسكرية اللاحقة، إذ كانت المناصب في مشاته الشخصية ترمز إلى الفخر والشرف. ^{[ 4 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ]}

Tactically, the pezhetairoi were best used as a strong defensive line, rather than as shock troops. The length of the sarissa, while making them terrifying for an enemy to oppose, severely limited their maneuverability; and if they were taken in flank or rear they had little chance of responding. This was particularly clear at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC, when the rapid advance of the right wing caused a breach to open between two of the battalions of pezhetairoi—a force of enemy cavalry broke through and, had it not been for a lack of discipline in their own command, under Parmenion, and for Alexander's placing of a second line of traditional hoplites in reserve, the phalanx might have been destroyed from the rear.^[1]

Apart from in pitched battles, the pezhetairoi and their sarissas were not very practical; it is supposed that they were re-armed, and their tactics adapted, to suit the guerrilla warfare that was prevalent, and necessary, in Bactria and Sogdia.

There is a separate group of Pezhetairoi called Asthetairoi (singular Asthetairos). There is a debate as it is not fully clear what the prefix asth- (Greek: ασθ-) is referring to. Some claim it comes from asty (= city) or asthoi (= townsmen), which would mean the Asthetairoi were recruited from cities. But the units referred to as Asthetairoi were recruited in northern Macedonia, where there are just a few cities. Another suggestion is that asth- comes from aristoi (= the best) and thus implying they were some kind of elite. This would correspond to the fact that they were placed on the right side next to the hypaspists. The common conception is that Asthetairoi means 'closest companion' in terms of kinship and designated units from Upper Macedonia. Another explanation is that 'close' is referring to their position in battle, as they were the closest to the king. For fighting near the Hypaspists it is possible that they were better trained and equipped than normal Pezhetairoi.^[8]

The battalions of pezhetairoi appear to have been organised on a regional basis, at least to begin with. We know of battalions named for the regions of Orestis/Lyncestis (two battalions probably combining men from both regions), Elimaea and Tymphaea—if all pezhetairoi were from Upper Macedonia then we would expect the other battalions to have represented Eordaea and Pelagonia. In 334 BC Alexander the Great took six battalions of pezhetairoi with him to Asia. By the time the army moved into India in 327 BC, a seventh battalion had been added.

• At the Battle of the Granicus the battalions were those of (from right to left): Perdiccas, Coenus, Amyntas, Philip, Meleager, and Craterus.^[9]
• At the Battle of Issus the battalions were those of (from right to left): Coenus, Perdiccas, Craterus, Meleager, Ptolemy (replacing Philip), Amyntas.^[10]
• At the Battle of Gaugamela the battalions were those of (from right to left): Coenus, Perdiccas, Meleager, Polyperchon (replacing Ptolemy), Simmias (deputising for Amyntas, who was recruiting in Macedonia), Craterus.^[11]
• At the Battle of the Hydaspes River only five battalions took part, and were those of (from right to left): Antigenes, Clitus the White, Meleager, Attalus, Gorgias. The other battalions (those of Polyperchon and Alcetas) remained on the western bank of the Hydaspes, under the command of Craterus, and crossed only when Alexander was victorious, in order to continue with the pursuit of the fleeing Indians. However, there is much supposition and guesswork regarding this battle.^[12]

• Peltast

• إف إي أدكوك. فن الحرب اليوناني والمقدوني . كاليفورنيا: 1957.
• جيه إف سي فولر. القيادة العسكرية للإسكندر الأكبر . نيو جيرسي: 1960.
• د. لونسديل. الإسكندر، قاتل الرجال. الإسكندر الأكبر وفن الحرب المقدوني . لندن: 2004.
• فالديمار هيكل، رايان جونز، كريستا هوك. المحارب المقدوني: جندي المشاة النخبة للإسكندر . أكسفورد: 2006.