Battle of Philomelion of 1116 - posted by John Dods, 27 January 2024

Prateik Fernandes

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The Battle of Philomelion of 1116

In Autumn 1116 AD, a dying Alexios Komnenos marched East.

The last major battle the Byzantines had fought against the Turks was 45 years ago & 600 miles East; Manzikert.

The emperor led his army into territory controlled by the Turks & turned southwards at Dorylaeum. He ravaged the region, hoping to create a no-man’s land. Alexios also deported the local Greek population to territories controlled by the Empire, a longstanding Byzantine policy.

As Alexios pressed deeper into the interior, swatting away Turkish resistance, the Sultan himself, Malik Shah, was forced to meet him on the field near Philomelion.

Alexios’s men took the field in a formation Alexios himself devised, the parataxis, a square of infantry with cavalry detachments behind & the baggage and Greek refugees in the center. This formation confused the Seljuks & their local commander, Manalugh, attacked hesitantly.

The following day Malik arrived with his army. He pressed the Byzantines aggressively at the front & rear of the parataxis. The Byzantine cavalry counterattacked & a charge under Nikephoros, Alexios’s son-in-law, broke the Turkish force led personally by Malik. The sultan fled.

After narrowly escaping capture, Malik led a night assault. Again, the Byzantine infantry held firm. The following day Malik surrounded the Byzantines & attacked on all sides. His frenetic attacks came to nothing.

Malik, unable to dislodge Alexios & suffering casualties in his attempts, sued for peace.

Alexios’s parataxis formation bears remarkable similarity to the formation Nikephoros Phokas described in the Praecepta Militaria, which he used to great effect against the Hamdanids. Alexios must’ve reconstructed the Byzantine military with Nikephoros’s teachings in mind.

This formation outgrew even Byzantine military theory & Richard Lionheart’s formation during his great victory at Asruf bears surprising similarity to that of these brilliant Byzantine Emperors. 

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Ben Vartok

Top Contributor

Very interesting. Word of warning though, that 2013 film has nothing to do with Byzantines and battles - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/philomena

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Philomena

Philomena

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Vincent Cholewa

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Ben Vartok thoroughly deserved high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes 

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Ion A Dowman

Anna Comnena (Alexiad) speaks of Alexius's archers shooting 'left handed'. This seems very unlikely. The Wiki entry suggests that perhaps Alexius formed his infantry at an angle. But it seems equally possible that he formed his units with the left thrown forward, and the front line echelonned back to the right. This might have induced attacking horse archers to 'coast' down the front, exposing their shieldless sides.

One wonders just how close to the Praecepta of Nikephoros Phokas was Alexius's formation and unit organisation. Nikephoros's infantry units comprised 1000 men: 400 very long spears (pikes?), 300 close-order bowmen (supplied with LOTS of arrows), 100 slingers, 100 javelinmen, and 100 chappies armed with a heavy throwing spear (Monavlatai). There is some description in the Praeceptor of minor tactics. The monavlats must have been handy sort of fellows, as they could join the skirmishers, OR form the front rank of the close-order main body, as the situation demanded.