Battle of Callicinus

[barca]

I recently started reading Matyszak's Roman Conquests: Macedonia and Greece and I found his reconstruction of the Battle of Callicinus fascinating.

 

It was a indecisive victory for Perseus, who has been criticized by some historians for not taking more decisive action to followup his initial success. Only the light troops and cavalry were involved. The Romans suffered significant losses whereas the Macedonians had minimal losses. Both the Macedonian Phalanx and the Roman legions were held in reserve. The Macedonian phalanx moved up and was about to join the fighting, but Perseus held it back.

 

So what would have happened if he had turned it loose? Would it have swept away the retreating light troops and smashed the legions that by then may have also been retreating? Or would there be the same outcome as later at Pydna, where the phalanx had initial success, but eventually cracked in several places, allowing the Romans to carve it up from inside?

[Viggen]

Counterfactual history is and will always be controversial, because in the end no one can ever proof what would have happend, however one can make an educated guess, but i am not a military historian, maybe Matyszak himself can add to this...