Cynoscephalae
Cynoscephalae, meaning "Dog's Heads," is a notable range of hills located in Thessaly, Greece, near the ancient region of Scotussa, presently known as Mavrovouni. Historically significant, it was the site of two prominent battles. The first occurred in 364 BC when the Theban general Pelopidas achieved a decisive victory against King Alexander of Pherae, ending the Thessalian princedom, despite Pelopidas losing his life in the conflict. The more famous battle at Cynoscephalae took place in 197 BC during the Second Macedonian War, where Roman general Titus Quinctius Flamininus, alongside the Aetolian League, defeated King Philip V of Macedon. This battle marked a pivotal moment in military history, showcasing the effectiveness of the Roman legion over the traditional Macedonian phalanx, largely due to a strategic maneuver executed by a Roman officer. The victory at Cynoscephalae contributed to the broader Roman expansion in the eastern Mediterranean, signaling the decline of the Hellenistic world and altering the power dynamics in the region. This site remains a significant landmark in the study of ancient military tactics and the historical shifts in Greek and Roman relations.
Cynoscephalae
Kynoskephalia (meaning `Dog's Heads’)
A range of hills in Thessaly (northern Greece) in the region of Scotussa (now Mavrovouni, about seven miles west of Volos). In 364 the Theban general Pelopidas attacked King Alexander of Pherae (Thessaly) on the ridge, and his army won a decisive victory against greatly superior forces, bringing the Thessalian princedom to an end, although Pelopidas himself lost his life.
In 197 Cynoscephalae was the scene of another and a more famous battle, in which the Roman general Titus Quinctius Flamininus, supported by troops of the Aetolian League, defeated Philip V and terminated the Second Macedonian War. To the alarm of the Greek states, the Roman legion had got the better of the less flexible Macedonian phalanx (largely owing to an outflanking movement undertaken, on his own initiative, by an unknown Roman officer). This was the first of many Roman military successes in the east that sealed the ultimate downfall of the Hellenistic world.