The Regulation Helmet of the Phalanx and the Introduction of the Concept of Uniform in the Macedonian Army at the End of the Reign of Alexander the Great

Abstract A few lines from the Middle Roman Empire chronicler Julius Africanus reveal that Alexander had the Macedonian army adopt the Lacedaemonian helmet, the ubiquitous pilos. Numismatic iconography of the end of Alexander’s reign confirms the words of Julius Africanus. The pilos is the forerunner of the kônos, the pre-eminent helmet of the Macedonian army during the Hellenistic period. The introduction of the pilos is part of the re-equipment of Macedonian troops during the Asian campaign, made possible by the immense treasures amassed by the Great King. It is probably between the years 330/329 and 325 BC, that the Macedonian army was thus equipped or re-equipped from head to toe. In addition to a standard type helmet, various other clues seem to support the theory of introduction of a uniform amidst the Macedonian army under the reign of Alexander the Great, particularly within the infantry.