Mercenary Hoplites  |
| Mercenary troops were more characteristic of later Achaemenid
Persian armies but even in the early 5th century, Greeks were being employed
in the service of Persian commanders. The term medizing came to describe
such troops who were seen to be pro-Persian or in Persian service. Medizing
comes from the word Mede which was the general term used by the Greeks to
describe all Persian/Medean peoples.
Ionian Greeks supported the Persian invasion of Scythian territory in 512 B.C. Although they revolted against Persian rule in 499 B.C. and fought and lost a war lasting 6 years to keep their independence, they still served in the Persian army in 490 B.C. Fighting side by side with the Persians at the battle of Marathon. A battle in which would have meant the end of independence for the rest of Greece. In 479 B.C. 13,000 Medizing Greeks hoplites and 5000 cavalry fought for
the Persians at the battle of Plataea. |
| Sources taken from Mark
Drury's Achaemenid Persian |