WAR IN THE HELLENISTIC WORLD

WAR AS A PROFESSION: OFFICERS, TRAINERS, DOCTORS, ENGINEERS
not wait for their inheritance, saw in warfare a profitable profession. The
fact that many of these mercenaries settled abroad, for example, in Kretopolis
in Pisidia in the late fourth century (Cohen 1995: 345–6; Sekunda 1997),
in Miletos in the late third century (see section 5.3), and in Egypt, where a
community of Cretans (Kreton politeuma) is attested (Launey 1987: 1068–
72), leaves little doubt about the fact that what forced them to leave their
island was the desire for land ownership and the lack of prospects for this.
In the case of Crete, the sources allow us to see socio-economic factors
that explain the large numbers of mercenaries, many of which migrated
permanently to the areas of their service. In instances in which we may
observe similar effects – large numbers of mercenaries in different armies
and large numbers of military settlers – we may assume similar causes, but
certainty is not possible. It is plausible that poverty or the expectation of
wealth, in addition to military traditions, motivated the populations of
other mountainous areas to seek employment as mercenaries – for example,
the warlike Lykians, Pamphylians (especially soldiers from Aspendos), and
Pisidians (Launey 1987: 461–76). In general, in areas in which neither colonization
could be practiced nor was conquest unlimited, part of the population
lived by means of war: on raids and/or on mercenary service. Aitolia was
another region which provided large numbers of mercenaries, but was also
notorious for raids. The Athenian hymn for Demetrios (see chapter 4,
section 5) refers to the “Aitolian custom to seize the property of neighbors,”
and Polybios had spiteful remarks to make on this subject (4.3.1: the Aitolians
“are accustomed to live on their neighbors and required many funds
because of their inherent greed, enslaved by which they always lead a life
of greed resembling wild beasts, regarding no one as a friend and everyone
as their enemy”). In Aitolia, again, the ideology of violence and seizure,
combined with a surplus of population (see Paus. 1.4.4.), made warfare a
profitable occupation (Launey 1987: 176–201; cf. Scholten 2000). The
conditions of service, which are discussed below, also suggest that the main
motivation of mercenaries was not to heal a broken heart, but to make
a living.
5.3. The Conditions of Service
Cape Tainaron, south of Sparta, was traditionally one of the gates of Hades
in Greek myth; in Hellenistic reality it was the most important gateway for
mercenaries anxious to find employment in a foreign army. No less than
8,000 men, left unemployed in the aftermath of Alexander’s conquests,
were gathered there in 323 BC (Diod. 18.9.1; cf. Launey 1987: 105 n. 1)
and were hired by the Athenians as part of their war for freedom. In most
cases, mercenaries were not hired as individuals but joined a foreign army
either on the basis of a treaty between their city and a potential employer or
as groups under the leadership of an experienced officer or general. Several
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