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Alexander's Macedonian Cavalry and Diodorus xvii 17.4

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

R. D. Milns
R. D. Milns
Affiliation:
University of New England, Armidale
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Extract

In this chapter Diodorus is specifically giving the numbers of the various contingents who actually crossed into Asia with Alexander in 334 B.C. (οἱ μὲν οὖν μετ΄ Ἀλεξάνδρου διαβάντες εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν κτλ.), that is to say, the numbers of the advance-party sent over by Philip in 336 are not included in his totals. If this fact is borne in mind, a possible emendation and solution can be offered to the much disputed clause Θρᾷκες δὲ πρόδρομοι καὶ Παίονες ἐννακόσιοι.

Type
Notes
Information
The Journal of Hellenic Studies , Volume 86 , November 1966 , pp. 167 - 168
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1966

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References

1 Diodorus xvi 91.

2 For the identification of πρόδρομοι as σαρισσοφόροι, see Berve, H., Das Alexanderreich auf prosopographischer Grundlage, i 129 Google Scholar (henceforth cited as Berve i). For the πρόδρομοι as Macedonian cavalry, see Berve i 129; Brunt, P. A., JHS lxxxiii (1963) 28.Google Scholar Both refute Tarn, (Alexander the Great, ii 158)Google Scholar, who maintains that ‘the lancers were not Macedonians at all but Balkan troops’.

3 i 134.

4 Griechische Geschichte iii2 2.235.

5 F. Jacoby, Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker, no. 138, F4.

6 Jacoby, no. 72, F29.

7 Polyaenus, v 44.4.

8 Op. cit., 35.

9 xvii 7.10.

10 Arrian iii 12.3.

11 Cf. Brunt, op. cit., 27.

12 Probably overstrength because of the need for cavalry in the war against the Persians.

13 There seems to be no reason for not believing that an ile of Macedonian πρόδρομοι was of the same size as an ile of Macedonian Companion cavalry; cf. Berve i 106, who makes this assumption; though he erroneously includes both σαρισσοφόροι and Companions in Diodorus' figure of 1,800 Macedonian cavalry, thus giving each ile a strength of 150 men.

14 i 134.

15 Op. cit., 35.

16 This will mean that there were three ilae of σαρισσοφόροι in Asia, and the fourth crossed with Alexander. The extra 100 or so troopers who crossed with him would be intended for distribution among all four ilae after the conjunction of the forces.

17 Cf. Berve i 131; and see Arrian iii 12.2 (Gaugamela) for a specific reference to this force.

18 i 134.

19 Cf. Arrian iii 12.4; at Gaugamela the Thracian cavalry fulfilled on the left wing of the army the same function as the σαρισσοφόροι on the right wing, namely that of protecting the exposed flank of the heavy cavalry.