04-15-2008, 11:05 PM
I don't have the time necessary to fully cover this: off on holidays for five days.
In short, the hypaspists referred to in Eumenes' army are native troops. In the time immediately following the death of Alexander the Diadochoi raised their own armies and each adopted the nomenclature of the fast fading Argead army. Each, when on horseback, had his agema of his 'companion' cavalry and many also had their own hypaspists.
The Argyraspids (Silver Shields) were indeed Philip's and Alexander's hypaspists. They had adopted the name of Argyraspids following their re-arming in India. After Alexander died they insisted on the corporate title to differentiate themselves from the "pretenders" using the term hypaspist.
Alexander, prior to his death, had raised a native hypaspist corps and one he termed "Silver Shields" as well as a new native "royal regiment" (agema) for the Companions. The sources make plain that these are Asian levies armed and trained in the Macedonian fashion and were to be the hypaspists' epigoni - 'successors'. This resulted in the near mutiny of his army at Opis.
Thus Eumenes' hypapspists were Persian (or native) hypaspists: the best of the Asians armed and trained in the Macedonian fashion. Hence they are posted alongside the deadly old bastards of Alexander's hypaspist corps, the Argyraspids. The reputation of these blokes was such that Antigonus, moving to check Eumenes' growing power, attempted to dislodge them from Eumenes' service rather than face them in the field. Ditto Ptolemy, Seleucus (who'd commanded the royal hypaspists under Alexander) and Piethon. Paraetecene and, even more so, Gabiene showed exactly what this corps had become capable of.
It is doubtful that the native hypaspists were anywhere near as deadly.
In short, the hypaspists referred to in Eumenes' army are native troops. In the time immediately following the death of Alexander the Diadochoi raised their own armies and each adopted the nomenclature of the fast fading Argead army. Each, when on horseback, had his agema of his 'companion' cavalry and many also had their own hypaspists.
The Argyraspids (Silver Shields) were indeed Philip's and Alexander's hypaspists. They had adopted the name of Argyraspids following their re-arming in India. After Alexander died they insisted on the corporate title to differentiate themselves from the "pretenders" using the term hypaspist.
Alexander, prior to his death, had raised a native hypaspist corps and one he termed "Silver Shields" as well as a new native "royal regiment" (agema) for the Companions. The sources make plain that these are Asian levies armed and trained in the Macedonian fashion and were to be the hypaspists' epigoni - 'successors'. This resulted in the near mutiny of his army at Opis.
Thus Eumenes' hypapspists were Persian (or native) hypaspists: the best of the Asians armed and trained in the Macedonian fashion. Hence they are posted alongside the deadly old bastards of Alexander's hypaspist corps, the Argyraspids. The reputation of these blokes was such that Antigonus, moving to check Eumenes' growing power, attempted to dislodge them from Eumenes' service rather than face them in the field. Ditto Ptolemy, Seleucus (who'd commanded the royal hypaspists under Alexander) and Piethon. Paraetecene and, even more so, Gabiene showed exactly what this corps had become capable of.
It is doubtful that the native hypaspists were anywhere near as deadly.
Paralus|Michael Park
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους
Wicked men, you are sinning against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander!
Academia.edu
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους
Wicked men, you are sinning against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander!
Academia.edu
