Iphikratidai

He also took care that the barbarians of his own province should be capable soldiers and should feel kindly toward him.
— Xenophon, Anabasis (Bk I)
==In game==
Iphikratidai — Vital statistics	Iphikratidai — Vital statistics	Iphikratidai — Vital statistics	Iphikratidai — Vital statistics	Iphikratidai — Vital statistics	Iphikratidai — Vital statistics	Iphikratidai — Vital statistics	Iphikratidai — Vital statistics	Iphikratidai — Vital statistics
 	
Persian unique light infantry unit. Slower than conventional Javelineers, but cheaper to produce.
*Strong versus light infantry.
*Weak versus heavy cavalry, buildings.	
Persian unique light infantry unit. Slower than conventional Javelineers, but cheaper to produce.
*Strong versus light infantry.
*Weak versus heavy cavalry, buildings.	
Persian unique light infantry unit. Slower than conventional Javelineers, but cheaper to produce.
*Strong versus light infantry.
*Weak versus heavy cavalry, buildings.	
Persian unique light infantry unit. Slower than conventional Javelineers, but cheaper to produce.
*Strong versus light infantry.
*Weak versus heavy cavalry, buildings.	
Persian unique light infantry unit. Slower than conventional Javelineers, but cheaper to produce.
*Strong versus light infantry.
*Weak versus heavy cavalry, buildings.	
Persian unique light infantry unit. Slower than conventional Javelineers, but cheaper to produce.
*Strong versus light infantry.
*Weak versus heavy cavalry, buildings.	
Persian unique light infantry unit. Slower than conventional Javelineers, but cheaper to produce.
*Strong versus light infantry.
*Weak versus heavy cavalry, buildings.	
Persian unique light infantry unit. Slower than conventional Javelineers, but cheaper to produce.
*Strong versus light infantry.
*Weak versus heavy cavalry, buildings.
Prereq: 	Build time 	HP 	LOS 	Attack 	Attack speed 	Movementspeed 	Upgrade of 	
*;
* 	11.6s(174t) 	160 	7 	34 	2.4s(36t) 	23 	
* 	
Cost 	Cost 	Cost 	Created from 	Armour 	Weapon range 	Specialty 	Specialty 	Specialty
Base 	Ramp 	Pop 	Created from 	Armour 	Weapon range 	Specialty 	Specialty 	Specialty
:: 60; 
:: 60 	
:: 2; 
:: 2 	1 	 	14 	0–1 	
*Small defensive penalty versus missile infantry.	
*Small defensive penalty versus missile infantry.	
*Small defensive penalty versus missile infantry.
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
=== Overall strategy===
Unlike most conventional hoplites, Iphicratidai carry less armour, but have two useful traits - a "first strike" ability, as well as higher attack, making them highly useful in offensive operations. They are still not as powerful as a Macedonian pikeman, however, so don't expect them to hold on for long if attacked by real phalangites.
==History==
Iphikrates, the famous 4th century BC Athenian general, is credited in two ancient sources, Diodoros and Nepos, with military reforms that have long been the subject of scholarly debate. After he returned from service in the armies of the Persian king, in 374 BC, he is credited with reforming the equipment of his hoplites, doing away with the large hoplite shield, the aspis, and replacing it with the smaller pelta, lengthening the sword and the spear, the latter by 50% according to Diodoros, 100% according to Nepos.
It is often remarked how similar the equipment of an Iphikratean hoplite is to that of a Macedonian phalangite.24 Philip is credited with inventing the equipment as well as the order of the Macedonian phalanx in or soon after 359 BC, which should probably be taken as a reference to the invention of sarissa (pike), since the other items of equipment said to be carried by Phlilips' men by Polyainos, helmets, greaves and shield, were clearly already in existence, even in Macedonia.25 The spear of a hoplite is usually reckoned as being somewhat under 6 cubits long, about 8 feet. By Diodoros' account, the Iphikratean spear would thus be 8 cubits long, or 12 feet, and hence still shorter than a Macedonian sarissa which had a minimum length of 10 cubits, 15 feet, and was normally 12 cubits or 18 feet long, although later Hellenistic phalanxes apparently used pikes 14 cubits long.26 By Nepos' somewhat less reliable account, the spear would be about 16 feet long which would put it in the sarissa range, although it is hard to see how such a weapon would be wielded one handed, and if it was wielded two handed, Iphikrates would be the inventor of the phalangite, not Philip. It is more likely Nepos' source considered that a normal hoplite's spear was less than 8' long and indeed many artistic depictions show hoplite spears 7 foot long or even slightly less, which would put the Iphikratid spear at under 14 feet long.
It is widely appreciated that Philip is likely to have picked up many of his tactical ideas from living for a time in the house of Pammanes, close friend of that great tactical innovator, the Theban general Epameinondas. It is not generally appreciated however that Philip was even more closely related to Iphikrates, who was Philip's own brother by the adoption carried out by Philip's father Amyntas.27 Philip could not but help but have been aware of Iphikrates' reforms.
The Macedonian army before Philip's time relied on its aristocratic cavalry. It included a few hoplites, but the majority of the men were essentially an ill-armed and untrained rabble.28 Thukydides implies that the infantry situation improved somewhat just before the start of the 4th century, but it is evident from the number of times the Thracians and especially the Illyrians overran the country over the next 50 years that they were still not up to the task of defending the borders, let alone catapulting Macedonia onto the world stage.
Philip took Iphikrates' reforms as his model and adapted them to his own needs. He needed to equip himself with an infantry force that could fight competently in hand-to-hand, in a phalanx, and to do so as cheaply as possible since he would have to pay for it personally, rather than his infantrymen, who being essentially peasants, not middle-class city dwellers, could not possibly afford to do so themselves. Iphikrates had pointed the way. The Macedonians were already using a bronze shield before his time, but it was not the aspis of the Greek hoplite, as it was smaller, between 60 and 75 cm in diameter, and lacked the characteristic rim of the Greek aspis - in other words, something of a hybrid between the traditional pelta and the Argive aspis. It was probably introduced by Archelaos, who sometime between 413/2 BC and 400/399 BC according to Thukidydes (2.100) "reorganised the cavalry, the arming of the infantry, and equipment in general", and the first depictions of it indeed come from circa 400 BC.29 It may have been adapted from the neighbouring Illyrians. The southern Illyrians bordering Macedonia used round shields that are extremely similar to those used by the Macedonians. The Illyrian plate from Gradiste, dating from the 5th or 4th century, shows such shields being used by warriors both on foot and horseback (Fig. 1).
===References===
*Ueda-Sarson L, The Evolution of Hellenistic Infantry (pt 1) The Reforms of Iphikrates
Category:Athenai
Category:Alexander unique units