The Battle
x Cynoscephalae represented much more than a clash between Rome
and the Hellenistic kingdoms of the east. It was a battle between
two different types of military systems. The two sides were almost
exactly evenly matched at about 25,000 men each; thus, the battle
would be a good test of which system was superior.
x The battle opened with some confused skirmishing between small
detachments, indicating to both generals that their opponent’s main
force was nearby. Flamininus accordingly deployed his army in the
customary formation: the three rows of maniples screened by the
velites. By choosing to move immediately into combat formation,
Flamininus gained an advantage: He would begin the battle with
his troops arranged exactly as he wanted them. On the other hand,
deploying immediately meant that his men had to line up on the
slope of one of the hills, thus yielding the advantage of the higher
ground to Philip’s army.x By the time Flamininus’s men made contact with the enemy, the
Macedonian phalanx had formed up and could add the momentum
of a downhill charge to its already formidable strength. The
Roman left could not resist the weight of this attack and began
to give ground, retreating back down the slope. Even though they
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Romans kept their formation and did not panic.x Flamininus had a few war elephants with him with which he
opened gaps in the Macedonian lines—exactly the sort of weak
points that the Roman manipular system was designed to exploit.
Reeling from this assault, the Macedonian left began to run,
pursued by the Romans.x This was the crucial point of the battle. A substantial gap now
developed between the two halves of the respective formations,
effectively splitting them into separate battles. The Romans were
in the process of winning one side, and the Macedonians the other,
with overall victory still up for grabs.