Conquerors of Empires: the Persian Army

Conquerors of Empires: the Persian Army

The vital units of the Persian army were the archers in the front ranks, the cavalry on the flanks and the heavy infantry. With tactics based on the excellent cooperation of the different branches, this huge army was instrumental in creating the largest empire of ancient times, ruling nearly
half of the then known world.

The size of the army

According to the Greek historian, Herodotus, the army of Darius’ son, Xerxes, numbered 3 million soldiers. Today’s historians doubt the accuracy of this estimate, they think the Persian infantry probably numbered 70 thousand, and the cavalry about 10 thousand men.

War chariots

The first chariots in the history of warfare were
used in ancient Mesopotamia, around the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. Their use in battle
was perfected by the Hurris and the Hittites. The importance of chariots reached its peak in
the middle of the 2nd century BC, when they were widely used by other armies as well, for example
the Medes, and Hellenistic armies.

Persian archers

Similarly to other peoples in the region,
the Persians also realised the importance of archers in the army. They were usually deployed simultaneously, shooting arrows that rained down on the enemy. According to contemporary sources, the role of the archers proved decisive in many important battles the Persians fought.
With their reflex bows they could shoot 10 arrows per minute at a distance of 200 metres.

arrows
in the quiver

This elite unit
of the Persian army
always numbered 10 thousand soldiers, because those who
lost their lives in battle were immediately replaced, hence
the epithet ‘immortals’.