Throughout history, empires have used a variety of methods to defend and expand their territory. In the Macedonian, Byzantine, and Japanese empires the methods of military and defense manifested itself differently. While the Macedonians developed a strong army using the phalanx formation, the Byzantine empire focused on its navy and the Japanese developed a system of government called Feudalism that gave the military, including the Samurais, power over the emperor. These differences were due to the specific goals and needs of each of these empires.
The Macedonians during the Hellenistic Era had a very powerful army that used the phalanx formation. During invasions or war, the Macedonians were strategic and powerful. They organized their troops in the phalanx formation, meaning the soldiers would stand in a tight formation while holding long pikes that had a weight on the bottom. Each soldier in the formation held out his long spear horizontally in front of him, and the people in the last rows held theirs vertically. This allowed their army
…show more content…
Justinian, one of the most influential Byzantine emperors, created a system of inner and outer walls that stretched fourteen miles long. This wall system allowed Byzantine to withstand land attacks because it was practically impossible for anyone to infiltrate through the walls. Therefore, the Byzantines feared attacks by sea and focused on developing their navy. Another reason why the navy was so effective for the Byzantine Empire was because they traded with others using ships, so having the navy helped them trade more efficiently. Having a strong navy made the Byzantine Empire stand out because most other empires have an army. With the navy, the Byzantine Empire was able to travel faster to farther places and control more regions while needing fewer