Editing Mercenary (section)

====Classical era====
{{See also|Ancient Greek mercenaries|Mercenaries of the ancient Iberian Peninsula}}

=====Greek mercenaries in Persian Empire=====
[[File: Detail from the Chigi-vase.jpg|thumb|[[Chigi vase]] with [[hoplite]]s holding javelins and spears]]

* [[Xerxes I]], King of Persia, employed Arcadian mercenaries during his invasion of Greece.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Trundle |first=Matthew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V1KSA4tJvsQC |title=Greek Mercenaries: From the Late Archaic Period to Alexander |date=2004-09-09 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-30433-2 |language=en}}</ref>
* In [[Anabasis (Xenophon)|Anabasis]], [[Xenophon]] recounts how [[Cyrus the Younger]] hired a large army of Greek mercenaries (the "[[Ten Thousand (Greek)|Ten Thousand]]") in 401&nbsp;BC to seize the throne of Persia from his brother, [[Artaxerxes II]]. Though Cyrus' army was victorious at the [[Battle of Cunaxa]], Cyrus himself was killed in battle and the expedition rendered moot. Stranded deep in enemy territory, the Spartan general [[Clearchus of Sparta|Clearchus]] and most of the other Greek generals were subsequently killed by treachery. Xenophon played an instrumental role in encouraging "The Ten Thousand" Greek army to march north to the [[Black Sea]] in an epic fighting retreat.<ref>[[Xenophon]], ''[[Anabasis (Xenophon)|Anabasis]]'' vii. 1. 1–32</ref>
* The [[Sileraioi]] were a group of ancient mercenaries most likely employed by the tyrant [[Dionysius I of Syracuse]].<ref>J. B. Bury, ''The Cambridge Ancient History'' VI: Macedon, 401–301 BC, Ch. 5, Cambridge: University Press, 1975.</ref>
* In 378 BC the Persian Empire hired the [[Athenian]] general [[Iphicrates]] with his mercenaries in the [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] campaign.<ref>Polyaenus, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20210621062830/https://cts.perseids.org/read/greekLit/tlg0616/tlg001/1st1K-grc1/3.9 ''Strategems'']}}, 3.9.38</ref>
* The [[Mania (satrap)|Mania]], who was a sub-[[satrap]], used Greek mercenaries in order to capture other cities in the region.<ref>Xenophon, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0032.tlg001.perseus-grc1:3.1.13 ''Hellenika''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621194228/https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0032.tlg001.perseus-grc1:3.1.13 |date=21 June 2022 }}, 3.1.13</ref>
* [[Memnon of Rhodes]] (380–333&nbsp;BC) was the commander of the Greek mercenaries working for the Persian King [[Darius III]] when [[Alexander the Great]] of [[Macedon]]ia invaded Persia in 334&nbsp;BC and won the [[Battle of the Granicus River]].{{sfn|Schuster|2016|pages=366–367}} Alexander also employed Greek mercenaries during his campaigns. These were men who fought for him directly and not those who fought in city-state units attached to his army.<ref>{{harvnb|Arrian|1976|loc=I, 11}}</ref>

=====Greek mercenaries in ancient India=====
Greek mercenaries were a significant part of the military forces in ancient India, particularly under the [[Indo-Greek Kingdom]]s and the [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]]. These [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic]] states, founded by Greek rulers after the conquests of [[Alexander the Great]], frequently employed mercenaries from the wider Greek world to maintain control over their territories and to engage in warfare with both Indian and Central Asian adversaries.

The presence of Greek mercenaries in India is documented in ancient [[Tamil literature]], such as the ''[[Purananuru]]'', which describes Greek soldiers, referred to as "[[Yona|Yavanas]]," (transliteration of "Ionians") as formidable warriors serving Indian rulers. These texts depict them as "valiant-eyed Yavanas, whose bodies were strong and of terrible aspect." <ref>{{cite book|title=History of Indian Theatre|last1=Pande|first1=L. V.|last2=Varadpande|first2=M. L.|date=1987|volume=1|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-8170172215|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SyxOHOCVcVkC|page=235|access-date=12 March 2025|archive-date=15 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215134446/https://books.google.com/books?id=SyxOHOCVcVkC|url-status=live}}</ref>

Greek mercenaries were particularly prominent in the armies of the Indo-Greek and Greco-Bactrian kings. [[Alfred Charles Auguste Foucher]] suggested that some of the warrior figures depicted in [[Gandhara]] art may represent Greek mercenaries, further supporting their role in military campaigns.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Greeks in Bactria and India|author=William Woodthorpe Tarn|date=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1108009416|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-HeJS3nE9cAC|page=250|access-date=12 March 2025|archive-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115070732/https://books.google.com/books?id=-HeJS3nE9cAC|url-status=live}}</ref> 

Stephanus of Byzantium recorded the existence of an ancient city called Daedala or Daidala ({{langx|grc|Δαίδαλα}}) in India,<ref>Stephanus of Byzantium, [https://topostext.org/work/241 ''Ethnica''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410155716/https://topostext.org/work/241 |date=10 April 2021 }}, D216.8</ref> which he described as Indo-Cretan, likely due to the presence of Cretan mercenaries. This suggests that Greek soldiers not only fought in Indian campaigns but also settled in military colonies, forming part of the Hellenistic governance in the region.<ref>{{cite book| last = Woodthorpe Tarn| first = William| title = The Greeks in Bactria and India| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-HeJS3nE9cAC| publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]| year = 2010| page = 250| isbn = 978-1108009416| access-date = 12 March 2025| archive-date = 15 January 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230115070732/https://books.google.com/books?id=-HeJS3nE9cAC| url-status = live}}</ref>

=====Carthage=====
* [[Carthage]] contracted [[Balearic Islands]] shepherds as [[Balearic slinger|slingers]] during the [[Punic Wars]] against Rome.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=32}} The vast majority of the Carthaginian military – except the highest officers, the navy, and the [[Sacred Band of Carthage|home guard]] – were mercenaries.{{sfn|Scullard|2006|p=567}}
* [[Xanthippus of Carthage]] was a [[Sparta]]n mercenary general employed by Carthage.
* Greek mercenaries were hired by Carthage to fight against the [[Dionysius I of Syracuse]]. Dionysius made Carthage pay a very high ransom for the Carthaginian prisoners, but he left the Greek mercenaries prisoners free without any ransom. This made the Carthaginians suspicious of their Greek mercenaries and discharged them all from their service. With this trick Dionysius did not have to fight again against the Greek mercenaries of Carthage who were very dangerous enemies.<ref>Polyaenus, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20210612150758/https://cts.perseids.org/read/greekLit/tlg0616/tlg001/1st1K-grc1/5.2 Strategems]}}, 5.2.17</ref>

=====Byzantine Empire=====
In the late [[Roman Empire]], it became increasingly difficult for Emperors and generals to raise military units from the citizenry for various reasons: lack of manpower, lack of time available for training, lack of materials, and, inevitably, political considerations. Therefore, beginning in the late 4th century, the empire often contracted whole bands of [[barbarian]]s either within the [[Roman legion|legions]] or as autonomous [[foederati]]. The barbarians were [[Romanization (cultural)|Romanized]] and surviving veterans were established in areas requiring population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/barb/hd_barb.htm|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Metropolitan Museum of Art|title=Barbarians and Romans &#124; Essay &#124; the Metropolitan Museum of Art &#124; Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201171252/https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/barb/hd_barb.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Varangian Guard]] of the [[Byzantine Empire]] is the best known formation made up of barbarian mercenaries (see next section).

=====Other=====
* Members of independent [[Thracians|Thracian]] tribes such as the [[Bessi]] and [[Dii]] often joined the ranks of large organized armies as mercenaries.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* The [[Mamertines|Sons of Mars]] were Italian mercenaries used by the Greek kings of [[Syracuse, Italy|Syracuse]] until after the [[Punic Wars]].<ref name="Livius">Lendering, Jona. [https://www.livius.org/people/mamertines/ "Mamertines"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707111002/http://www.livius.org/people/mamertines/ |date=7 July 2015 }}. Livius.org</ref>
* A figure in oral legend, [[Milesius]] was given the princess [[Scota]] after conducting a successful campaign for [[Ancient Egypt]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Williams|first1=Mark|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C3SYDwAAQBAJ&q=M%C3%ADl+Esp%C3%A1ine&pg=PA139|title=Ireland's Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth|date=2018|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0691183046|location=|page=413|language=en|access-date=19 January 2021|archive-date=15 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215134429/https://books.google.com/books?id=C3SYDwAAQBAJ&q=M%C3%ADl+Esp%C3%A1ine&pg=PA139|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Mithridates VI Eupator]] recruited a large number of [[Persian people|Iranians]] along with the Galatians into the [[Pontic Greeks|Pontic]] army during the [[Mithridatic Wars]] against Rome, using the [[Leucosyri]], [[Persia]]ns and [[Scythians]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* [[Illyrians]] were hired across the [[Balkans]] and further. They were known for their unreliability.<ref>''The legacy of Alexander: politics, warfare, and propaganda under the successors'', {{ISBN|0198153066}}, 2002, p. 248, "The Illyrians moreover had not been reliable auxiliaries in the recent past."</ref>