1. Journal of Ancient History 2 (293)
  2. The Argyraspides: Some Aspects of the Seleucid Social and Military History

The Argyraspides: Some Aspects of the Seleucid Social and Military History

Novikov Sergey V., Anokhin Artem S.

The paper is focused on the argyraspides – warriors wearing silver shields in the army of the Seleucids. Such shields first appear as an equipment of the hypaspistes – the Macedonian infantry guard – during the last years of Alexander’s reign. The silver shield, as it can be seen during the following Diadochi epoch, implied three main meanings: a reference to Alexander\'s epoch, high military values and experience as well as participation in the Eastern campaigns. This symbol with all these meanings was inherited by the army of the Seleucids, who made a special stress on their dominance over Asia. Only the units of picked men could be equipped with silver shields. Those again could be the hypaspistes, though not exclusively. Thus at Raphia (217 BC) the argyraspides were several thousand of picked recruits who were attached to the hypaspistes in order to form a crack unit of the phalanx. Though the argyraspides are first mentioned in the Seleucid army under Antiochus III (223–188 BC) there can be little doubt that the silver shields had been used in the troops of his predecessors as well.

Keywords: argyraspides, Seleucid army, Hellenism, silver shield, kingdom guard.
References:
  1. Abakumov A.A. 2013: Bitva pri Rafii: osnovnyie istoriograficheskie problemyi // Studia historica. Vyip. XIII. M., 68–87.
  2. Bikerman E. 1985: Gosudarstvo Selevkidov. M.
  3. Braginskaya N.V. 2014: Chetyire knigi Makkaveev / Pod red. N.V. Braginskoy. M.
  4. Koshelenko G.A. 1979: Grecheskiy polis na ellinisticheskom Vostoke. M.
  5. Anson E.M. 1981: Alexander’s Hypaspists and the Argyraspids // Historia. 30, 117–120.
  6. Anson E.M. 1985: The Hypaspists: Macedonia’s Professional Citizen-Soldiers // Historia. 34, 246–248.
  7. Anson E.M. 1991: The Evolution of the Macedonian Army Assembly (330–315 B.C.) // Historia. 40, 230–247.
  8. Aperghis G.G. 2004: The Seleukid Royal Economy. The Finances and Financial Administration of the Seleukid Empire. Oxf.
  9. Ashley J.R. 1999: The Macedonian Empire: The Era of Warfare under Philip II and Alexander the Great, 359–323 B.C. L.
  10. Austin M.M. 1993: Alexander and the Macedonian Invasion of Asia // War and Society in the Greek World. L., 197–223.
  11. Bar-Kochva B. 1979: The Seleucid Army: Organization and Tactics in the Great Campaigns. Cambr.
  12. Bar-Kochva B. 1989: Judas Maccabaeus. The Jewish Struggle Against the Seleucids. Cambr.
  13. Bosworth A.B. 1973: ASTHETAIROI // CQ. 23, 245–253.
  14. Bosworth A.B. 1988: Conquest and Empire. The Reign of Alexander the Great. Cambr.
  15. Bosworth A.B. 2002: The Legacy of Alexander. Politics, Warfare and Propaganda under the Successors. Oxf.
  16. Bringmann K. 2001: Grain, Timber and Money. Hellenistic Kings, Finance, Buildings and Foundations in Greek cities // Hellenistic Economies. L., 205–214.
  17. Bringmann K. 2004: L’économie royale au miroir de l’évergétisme des Séleucides // TOPOI. Suppl. 6, 149–164.
  18. Briscoe J. 1981: Commentary on Livy books XXXIV–XXXVII. Oxf.
  19. Büttner-Wobst Th. (ed.) 1904: Polybii historiae. Vol. 4. Lipisae.
  20. Chaniotis A. 2005: War in the Hellenistic World. A Social and Cultural History. Oxf.
  21. de Callataÿ F. 2004: La richesse des rois séleucide et le problème de taxation en nature // TOPOI. Suppl. 6, 23–47.
  22. Erickson K. 2009: The Early Seleucids, Their Gods and Their Coins. PhD. diss. Exeter.
  23. Fischer-Bovet Chr. 2014: Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt. Cambr.
  24. Foulon É. 1996: La garde à pied, corps d’élite de la phalange hellénistique // Bulletin de l’Association Guillaume Budé. 1, 1, 17–31.
  25. Fowler R. 2005: «Most Fortunate Root»: Tradition and Legitimacy in Parthian Royal Ideology // Imaginary Kings. Royal Images in the Ancient Near East, Greece and Rome. Stuttgart, 125–156.
  26. Goldstein J.A. 1976: 1 Maccabees. N.Y.
  27. Grainger J.D. 2002: The Roman War of Antiochus the Great. Leiden–Boston.
  28. Grainger J.D. 2010: The Syrian Wars. Leiden–Boston.
  29. Hammond N.G.L., Griffith G.T. 1979: A History of Macedonia. Vol. 2. Oxf.
  30. Hammond N.G.L. 1986: The Kingdom of Asia and the Persian Throne // Antichthon. 20, 73–85.
  31. Hatzopoulos M.B. 2001: L’organisation de l’armée macédonienne sous les Antigonides. Athens.
  32. Heckel W. 2006a: Macedonian Warrior. Alexander’s Elite Infantrymen. Oxf.
  33. Heckel W. 2006b: Who is Who in the Age of Alexander the Great. Prosopography of Alexander’s Empire. Oxf.
  34. Heckel W. 2009: The Asthetairoi: a Closer Look // Alexander and His Successors. Claremont, 99–117.
  35. Heckel W. 2013: The Three Thousand: Alexander’s Infantry Guard // The Oxford Handbook of Warfare in the Classical World. Oxf., 162–178.
  36. Hölbl G. 2000: A History of the Ptolemaic Empire. L.
  37. Houghton A. 1979: Timarchus as King of Babylonia // RN. Vol. 6, № 21, 213–217.
  38. Houghton A., Lorber C., Kritt B. 2002: A Comprehensive Catalogue of Seleucid Coins. Part I: Seleucus I – Antiochus III. New York–Lancaster.
  39. Hultsch Fr. 1870–1892: Polybii Historiae / Ed. Fr. Hultsch. Vol. 1–4. B.
  40. Huß W. 1976: Untersuchungen zur Außenpolitik Ptolemaios’ IV. München.
  41. Juhel P., Sekunda N.V. 2009: The Agema and ‘the other peltasts’ in the Late Antigonid Army, and in the Drama/Cassandreia Conscription Diagramma // ZPE. 170, 104–108.
  42. Launey M. 1949–1950: Recherches sur les armées hellénistiques. T. 1–2. P.
  43. Lock R.A. 1977: The Origins of the Argyraspids // Historia. 26, 3, 373–37.
  44. Lonsdale D.J. 2007: Alexander the Great. Lessons in Strategy. N. Y.
  45. Ma J. 2000: Antiochus III and the Cities of Western Asia Minor. Oxf.
  46. Meeus A. 2009: Alexander’s Image in the Age of the Successors // Alexander the Great: A New History.Oxf.
  47. Milns R.D. 1971: The Hypaspists of Alexander III // Historia. 20, 186–96.
  48. Milns R.D. 1976: The Army of Alexander the Great // Alexandre le Grand. Image et réalité. Geneva, 87–136.
  49. Mittag P.F. 2006: Antiochos IV. Epiphanes. Eine politische Biographie. B.
  50. Mittag P.F. 2008: Blood and Money: on the Loyalty of the Seleucid Army // Electrum. 14, 47–56.
  51. Nawotka K. 2008: Demodamas of Miletus, Seleucus I and Apollo // Мнемон. 7, 135–152.
  52. Noguera Borel A. 2006: Le recrutement de l’armée macédonienne sous la royauté // Rois, cites, nécropoles, institutions, rites et monuments en Macedoine. Athens, 227–237.
  53. Piejko F. 1986: Antiochus IV Epiphanes Savior of Asia // RFIC. 114, 426–427.
  54. Roisman J. 2012: Alexander’s Veterans and the Early Wars of the Successors. Austin.
  55. Sekunda N.V. 1994: Seleucid and Ptolemaic Reformed Armies (168–145 BC). Vol. 1. Stockport.
  56. Sekunda N.V. 2010: Macedonian Army // A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Oxf.
  57. Sherwin-White S., Kuhrt A. 1993: From Samarkhand to Sardis. A New Approach to the Seleucid Empire. Berkeley.
  58. Tarn W.W. 1930: Hellenistic Military and Naval Developments. Cambr.
  59. Tarn W.W. 1948: Alexander the Great. Vol. 2: Sources and Studies. L.
  60. Walbank F.W. 1957–1979: A Historical Commentary on Polybius. Vol. 1–3. Oxf.
  61. Walbank F.W. 2002: Polybius, Rome and the Hellenistic World. Essays and Reflections. Cambr.