Why Greece Fell to Rome - Legion vs Phalanx: Why Rome Won

Kings and Generals animated historical documentary series on the Ancient Civilizations continues with an episode on how Rome conquered Greece. How did Rome conquer Greece, the birthplace of Alexander, the phalanx, and some of the most influential city-states in history? From 214 to 146 BCE, the Roman Republic gradually dismantled the political and military power of mainland Greece and the wider Hellenistic world. But this was not a simple story of stronger legions crushing weaker enemies. In this video, we explore the deeper reasons behind Rome’s conquest of Hellas: Greek disunity after the death of Alexander the Great, Rome’s careful alliance-building, the rivalry between Macedon, the Aetolian League, the Achaean League, Pergamon, Rhodes, and the Seleucids, and the clever use of “Greek freedom” as Roman propaganda. We also examine the importance of geography, naval dominance, and the battlefield clashes where the flexible Roman legion overcame the Macedonian phalanx at Cynoscephalae and Pydna. Rome did not conquer Greece in a single blow. It entered as an ally, posed as a liberator, exploited old rivalries, and only later revealed itself as the new master of the eastern Mediterranean.