Battle of Cynoscephalae
197 BCE · Greece
The Battle of Cynoscephalae was fought in 197 BCE in Greece between Roman Republic and Aetolian allies vs the Kingdom of Macedon; decisive Roman victory; the legion beat the phalanx and Macedon lost control of Greece.
Battle of Cynoscephalae: quick facts
- Date
- 197 BCE
- Location
- Greece
- Belligerents
- Roman Republic and Aetolian allies vs the Kingdom of Macedon
- Commanders
- Titus Quinctius Flamininus vs Philip V
- Result
- decisive Roman victory; the legion beat the phalanx and Macedon lost control of Greece.
- Era
- 🏺 Ancient Greece & Rome
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Cynoscephalae?
The Roman legions under Titus Quinctius Flamininus defeated Philip V of Macedon's phalanx at the hills called Cynoscephalae. The uneven terrain disrupted the rigid Macedonian phalanx, while the flexible Roman manipular system adapted and exploited gaps in the formation. The victory established Roman dominance over Greece and demonstrated the tactical superiority of the legion over the phalanx on broken ground.
Did you know?
The victory at Cynoscephalae was partly won by an unnamed Roman tribune who, on his own initiative, took twenty maniples and attacked the Macedonian phalanx from behind.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Cynoscephalae on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.