Honors Theses
Date of Award
2006
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
History
First Advisor
Aileen Ajootian
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Greek mercenaries were widespread in the Mediterranean in the Archaic and Classical periods. This thesis examines the mercenaries themselves and the kingdoms that employed them in order to discover both why mercenaries turned to the service and why rulers hired them. The focus is primarily on Greek hoplites serving in the kingdoms of Persia and Egypt, although other mercenaries and other employers are also considered. Most of the sources used in this study were Greek literary works in translation, although some use was made of archaeological, epigraphical and rhetorical evidence. The ancient sources used were chosen based upon previous readings or the usage of secondary sources to locate relevant portions of texts. The research demonstrated that mercenaries played an important part in the military and domestic affairs of the countries that hired them, especially Egypt. Mercenaries were hired to fulfill crucial roles that native troops could not, and also because they carried with them certain inherent advantages. Greek mercenaries showed great diversity in background, but the average mercenary seems to have been a middle-class male, twenty to thirty years of age, who provided his own armor and who had been previously active militarily in his home state. Men were motivated to take up service by a number of factors. Some of these motivations based on decisions of the mercenaries themselves, and others stemmed from events beyond their control. Many mercenaries went East because there were both greater needs and greater rewards for them there. were
Recommended Citation
Tadlock, Stephen Kyle, "Spears for Hire: The Utilization and Motivations of Greek Mercenaries in the Archaic and Classical Ages." (2006). Honors Theses. 2434.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2434
Accessibility Status
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