Mercenaries were a significant factor in many of the wars of the
Classical world, being employed in large numbers by many states. By far
the most famous were Xenophon's 'Ten Thousand', who had to cut their way
out of the Persian Empire after the death of their employer and such
Greek infantry were for long the most dominant type (even a Spartan king
hiring himself out in one case), but there was a wide variety of
mercenaries available. Some, such as Celts and Thracians were hired
largely for their love of fighting, while others were valued for their
specialist skills, such as Cretan archers or slingers from Rhodes or the
Balearic Islands. This will be the first full-length book on the subject
since 1997. It will examine the role of the mercenaries and their
influence on the wars of the period down to the death of Alexander the
Great, who employed them and why, and will also look at the social and
economic pressures that drove tens of thousands to make a living of
fighting for the highest bidder, despite the intense dangers of the
ancient battlefield.