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Re: orion-list 1Chr 27, 1QM and 11QT on militia
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-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: <RGmyrken@aol.com>
An: <orion@mscc.huji.ac.il>
Gesendet: Samstag, 31. Juli 1999 13:04
Betreff: Re: orion-list 1Chr 27, 1QM and 11QT on militia
Russel wrote:
> Dierk van der Berg writes:
>
> > Russell,
> >
> > [The following is extracted from B. bar Kochva_ The Seleucid Army_
> Cambridge
> > Classical Studies, NY 1976, esp. pp. 55ff.]
> >
> > The Royal Guard of the argyraspides ('silver shields') numbered 10,000
foot
> > between the battle at Raphia 217 BC and the parade at Daphne 165 BC,
> > whereas the 'crack force' of the hypaspists was a picked part of the
> > argyraspides and numbered 2,000 foot. Therefore the ordinary
argyraspides
> > formed two of the largest Seleucid units called strategoi of 4,000 foot
> > each, thus leaving two chiliarchies of 1,000 foot for the storm troops
of
> > the hypaspists.
>
> Yes, according to Bar-Kochva, _The Seleucid Army_ 54-67, the infantry
> portion of the Royal Guard, i.e. the silver shields or argyraspides,
numbered
> 10,000 throughout at least the period 217-165 BCE. This is still his
> position, and the evidence appears to support it IMO. What your reading
> failed to take into account was that the Royal Guard also had a cavalry
> component consisting of two units of 1000 each, i.e. the *agema* and the
> 'royal *ala* of the Companions', discussed at pp. 67-75. 10,000 infantry
+
> 2000 cavalry makes a total force of 12,000 for the Royal Guard (the same
> figure as the Royal Guard of the Temple Scroll).
Indeed, if we add the hetairoi of the agema and the companions to the 5,000
argyraspides and the 5,000 'Romans' we come to a total of 12,000 men.
I've worked merely on the infantry. But that's not the problem.
The problem is -as in most cases - to be found in the scrolls, here 11Q19
lvii.5-6:
(Martinez translation)
... from them [i.e., the children of Israel] he [i.e., the king] he shall
select a thousand, *a thousand from each tribe*, to be with him: twelve
thousand *men of war* [i.e., professionals]...
Now Russell carries out, that
>the comparison with the 12,000 elite troops in 11QT 57.5-11
> remains valid.
That would fit only - but then perfectly - if the elite troops would
consist of infantry only, i.e. 1,000 foot each tribe.
But we have a mixed force of 10,000 foot and 2,000 cavalry to divide through
twelve tribes. And that brings us to the tremendous result of 833.33... foot
and 166.66...
calvalry per tribe.
Likewise it is possible to philosopy that the last two tribes would report
for service merely cavalry, but that would be somewhat illusory.
Nb. the same problem occurs when we try to divide 6,000 cavalry through 28
'Thousand' or brigades...
However, thanks to Russel for his literal rendered passage of Polybius,
doubtlesly better than Sage's.
I've already asked myself why the chrysapides vanish into thin air in his
citation of the passage...
I love it.
Dierk
For private reply, e-mail to "Dierk" <haGalil@gmx.net>
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