Editing Xenophon (section)

====Against meritocracy====
Another passage that Johnson cites as criticism of monarchy and empire concerns the devaluation of the ''homotīmoi'' ("equal", or "same honours", i.e., "peers"). ''Homotīmoi'' were highly educated and thus became the core of the soldiers as heavy infantry. Their band (1000 when Cyrus fought the [[Assyria]]ns) shared equally in the spoils of war.<ref name="autogenerated177"/> However, in the face of overwhelming numbers against the Assyrians, Cyrus armed the commoners with similar arms instead of their normal light ranged armament (''Cyropaedia'' 2.1.9).

Argument ensued as to how the spoils would now be split, and Cyrus enforced a [[meritocracy]]. Many ''homotīmoi'' found this unfair because their military training was no better than the commoners, only their education, and hand-to-hand combat was less a matter of skill than strength and bravery. As Johnson asserts, this passage decries imperial meritocracy and corruption, for the ''homotīmoi'' now had to ingratiate themselves to the emperor for positions and honours;<ref name="autogenerated177"/> from this point, they were referred to as ''entīmoi'', no longer of the "same honours" but having to be "in" to get the honour.