Fighting on the Dog’s Heads: Cynoscephalae and the Search for the Ideal Ancient Battlefield

This article investigates the disputed location of the Battle of Cynoscephalae, fought between the Romans and the Macedonians in 197 BCE, to suggest that the battle took place on a type of middle ground between flat plains and rugged heights. This middle ground, consisting of rolling hills and parallel ridges of modest height and steepness, proved to be the ideal terrain on which the flexible manipular legion could defeat the dense Macedonian phalanx. While the ancient literary sources suggest that the battle developed out of a chance encounter between the two forces, this article argues that the Roman commander, Titus Flamininus, deliberately chose the spot because of its topographical characteristics.