Achaemenid Persian military system
Training
of ethnic Persians in warfare from 5-20
“ride, use the bow and speak the truth”
Ethnic Persians were military aristocracy
or national army
Organization
Decimal organization
10,000 = baivarabam (G. myriad)
1000 = hazarabam
100 = sataba
10 = dathaba
ideal numbers, often lower in reality a
“thousand” could include only 400-600 men
given matching uniforms and cloaks
tremendous logistical base
Persian Royal army
satrapal armies
Regional mercenary armies
(Jews at Elephantine island)
10,000
“Immortals” = Amrtaka
= celestial immortals surrounding God
causalities were always replaced
elite pick of the Persian army
source of officer corps
spear and bow armed, armored
1000 elite = “Applebearers”
10,000
elite cavalry
1000 elite of these = “Kinsmen”?
shields
leather, wicker
light and mobile
emphasis
on mobility
lighter infantry
more cavalry
emphasis
on missile weapons
javelin men = peltasts (no armor, light
shield)
slingers
archery
units
sparabara
= shield bearer
formed shield wall to protect archer
formations
eight archers behind
file closer in rear
armed with falchion = slightly curved sword
Satrap
armies
Recruited from local mercenaries
Garrisoned with Persian regiments
Heavy Persian cavalry
Mercenaries
Use of regional troops with own weapons
and tactics (Herodotus)
retain
identity
retain
organization
retain
weapons
retain
tactics
demilitarization of interior provinces
which threatened revolt
use of mercenaries from border provinces
and beyond empire
Regional
troops for specialized purposes
Shaka as mounted archers from steppe
Use of Greeks as heavy infantry
10,000 in Xenophon’s march after
defeat of Cyrus the Younger, 401 BC
Phoenicians as sailors
Indians = longbowmen, two handed swords,
chariots, elephants
Babylonian = mixed spear and archer
Syrian = Phoenician navy and marines
Arabian = archers and camelry
Egyptian = warrior caste
Ethiopians =
Libyans
Anatolians = Karians, Lycians
Extensive
combined arms
Shield and spear wall
Archers
Mounted archers
Heavy cavalry
Chariots (scythed chariots)
Cavalry
Tribute from many provinces in horses
Using Central Asian nomads as cavalry
mercenaries
Shaka, Hyrcanian and Bactrian rise
of heavily armored cavalry
Persian elite cavalry
Horse, groom, harness, horse armor, Iron
jacket, helmet, leather jacket, shield,
120 arrows, 2 javelins
ax, sword/dagger, lance
thigh protector saddle
charge in thick column to break enemy
infantry formations
javelins thrown at last minute to
break gaps to enter
development of full-body armor
introduction of the two-handed lance after
Increasing
use of mounted archery
Scythian mercenaries
Cyrus campaigns vs. Shaka -530
Darius' campaigns vs. Danubian Scythians
-513
Combined
arms
Specialized troops for each need
Composite
regiments
(Xenophon Cyrop. 6.3.21-26; Arrian
7.23.3-4)
2 rows of heavy infantry
2 rows of javelin men
2 rows of archers
2 others unspecified
Navy
Non-Persisans
Maximum = 600 ships
5 recruiting districts each
supplying 120 ships
Usually 300 in a fleet
triremes
Chariots
Royal vehicle for command
Scythed chariots (200 at
Designed to break close infantry
formations
By fear or impact?
Decline
of the Empire
Decline in militarism and professionalism
Corruption and decadence at court
Revolts and independence of provinces
Revolt of Cyrus, X
Increasing independence of satraps
Civil war between satraps 372-358
Rise of mercenary condottieri
Greek Epiliktoi
Professionalized citizen
soldiers couldn’t be paid for
Hired in mass, but retaining
old loyalties
Coups and instability in court
Bagoas,
eunuch kingmaker
Kills Artaxerxes III Ochus
Selects then kills successor
Arses after two years
Selects and attempts to kill
Darius III Codomannus
Reforms
of Iphicrates, 375-373
Athenian mercenary general in Persian
service
Recruits 20,000 men, but only 8000
hoplites
Arms other 12,000 as Persian infantry but
with 12-foot pike = sarisa
This is to prevent light infantry from
having to engage heavy infantry
Adopted by Philip in his reforms of 359 BC
Reforms
of Datames, 372-371 BC
Use of Kardaka
Attempt to imitate the Greek hoplite
Medium infantry
The question of the frontiers
problem
of logistics of empire
fundamental limitation of premodern
sedentary armies
problem
of frontier
rivers, mountains, oceans, deserts
problem
of conquering barbarians
no value
fragmentation means impossible to defeat
1. Libyan/Nubian frontier (desert)
Cambyses campaign -524
2. Arabian frontier (desert)
3. Indian Frontier (civilized)
Darius' conquest -516>-513
propels Sixteen Kingdoms to unite
4. Shaka frontier,
Cyrus' campaign -530
5. Scythian frontier (steppe nomad)
6. Greek frontier (civilized)
Balkan (tribal)
Persian Wars 490-479
7. Maritime frontier
Four bases of naval power
Phoenica (x2)