07-07-2009, 05:36 AM
Sorry, I stick by my previous opinion....there is no evidence that Cyrus supplied the mercenaries equipment. Just because the Great King issued a bolder, more arrogant, claim after having 'decapitated' the Greek Leadership is no evidence at all.
Of course, in a sense, the 10,000 'belonged' to Cyrus - he was their paymaster, and a generous one, paying well over the 'going rate'. Hence the Great King's tenuous claim.
Moreover, the Mercenary Army was raised from over ten different sources, almost all of them existing forces, so they were already armed with their own equipment when hired. Furthermore, by the time Cyrus hired his army, the 'terms of service' were well standardised, including the fact that mercenaries brought with them their own weapons.
Also, ships, crews rigging etc were readily to be had from Phoenicia and/or Egypt - Persia had supplied this sort of thing before.....but Persia could not supply Hoplite panoplia.Greek helmets and aspides were complex items to manufacture. If Cyrus had purchased 11,000 panoplia, it would have been the equivalent of several cities annual output, and would hardly have gone unremarked !!
Not being familiar with the secondary writers you refer to, I would be interested to see what their arguments are - perhaps you can supply them ?
If Cyrus supplied anything at all, then the fact that the Ten Thousand were uniformly dressed in red/crimson tunics at the review might be a clue that he had provided clothing.......
Of course, in a sense, the 10,000 'belonged' to Cyrus - he was their paymaster, and a generous one, paying well over the 'going rate'. Hence the Great King's tenuous claim.
Moreover, the Mercenary Army was raised from over ten different sources, almost all of them existing forces, so they were already armed with their own equipment when hired. Furthermore, by the time Cyrus hired his army, the 'terms of service' were well standardised, including the fact that mercenaries brought with them their own weapons.
Also, ships, crews rigging etc were readily to be had from Phoenicia and/or Egypt - Persia had supplied this sort of thing before.....but Persia could not supply Hoplite panoplia.Greek helmets and aspides were complex items to manufacture. If Cyrus had purchased 11,000 panoplia, it would have been the equivalent of several cities annual output, and would hardly have gone unremarked !!
Not being familiar with the secondary writers you refer to, I would be interested to see what their arguments are - perhaps you can supply them ?
If Cyrus supplied anything at all, then the fact that the Ten Thousand were uniformly dressed in red/crimson tunics at the review might be a clue that he had provided clothing.......
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
