2 ms·
Just to be skeptical here: I grant that the genetic evidence demonstrates they were foreign, but what is the evidence that they were mercenaries? That is, that
by karaterobot 4y ago
Just to be skeptical here: I grant that the genetic evidence demonstrates they were foreign, but what is the evidence that they were mercenaries? That is, that they were professional soldiers taking money in exchange for fighting in battles. Might they have been allies? Slaves? Might some of the Greeks also have been mercenaries? Perhaps this is discussed in the paper, even if it's not mentioned in the article.
- ch4s3 4y agoWell it’s a really mixed group of people all buried in a common pit. If they were Allie’s they’d have been buried in less heterogeneous groups according their own customs. Some may have been slaves but that doesn’t seem to be a common situation outside of Sparta and some rare occasions. It’s well documented that there were a lot of mercenaries used in the Mediterranean at the time. The Greeks didn’t write much about their own use, but it makes sense. You’d probably want unit types other than hoplites in a large conflict, and specialized mercenaries are a great way to achieve that.