WAR IN THE HELLENISTIC WORLD

WAR AS A PROFESSION: OFFICERS, TRAINERS, DOCTORS, ENGINEERS
commander from Crete saved the citizens of Thera from a raid by pirates
(IG XII.3 1291), and Achaios, a member of the Seleukid family, and his
officers were honored by the inhabitants of Neon Teichos and Kiddiou
Kome with the establishment of their cult because of their services during
a war against the Galatians (ca. 267).
By rendering such benefactions officers contributed to the popularity
of the king whom they served (see chapter 4, section 3). Officers with high
ranks could offer great services to a city, acting as intermediaries between
the city and a king (e.g., Syll. 3 333). Most of the numerous Samian decrees
issued after the return of the Samians from exile in 322 BC, for people who
had helped them during their exile and continued intervening for the wellbeing
of Samos, were for officers in the service of Antigonos the One-Eyed
(IG XII.6.1 17–41, especially 30–1). Some time later, Pelops and Aristolaos
of Macedon, officers of another king, Ptolemy II, were honored in Samos as
benefactors (IG XII.6.1 119–20).
More rare, but nonetheless attested, is the cooperation between the natives
and a foreign garrison against the power that had established it (Launey
1987: 650; Chaniotis 2002). Such cooperation presupposes intensive interaction
between the foreign soldiers and the inhabitants of the garrisoned
settlement. Strombichos, an officer in the service of Demetrios the Besieger
in Athens, when the Athenians revolted against the Macedonian garrison in
289/8 BC, took the side of the Athenians (IG II 2 666, lines 8–14): “when
the people took up the weapons to fight for freedom and asked the [garrison]
soldiers to take the part of the polis, he accepted the call of the demos
for freedom and he placed his arms in the service of the polis, in the belief
that he should not oppose the polis’ benefit, but that he should contribute
to its rescue.” If Strombichos had been just one of the many opportunists
who served as mercenaries in the Hellenistic armies, and changed fronts to
save his life, the gratitude of the Athenians would probably have been less
eloquently expressed.
We have more information about officers, since due to their elevated
status they were more likely to receive honors. And yet, sometimes, we
catch glimpses of good relations between the citizens and ordinary foreign
soldiers. In the opening lines of Theokritos’ 14th idyll (see section 5.2),
Aischinas describes a drinking party in the countryside (lines 12–17):
The Argive, and I, and Agis, the Thessalian horse rider [or trainer, hippodioktas],
and Kleonikos, the mercenary soldier [stratiotas] were making merry at my
place in the country. I had killed two chickens and a sucking pig, and opened
a fragrant, four years old wine from Byblos, almost as sweet-scented as the day
it was pressed. Some onion or so was found, and snails. A jolly drinking-party.
Aischinas was a native – an owner of land in the countryside – celebrating
with his foreign friends. One of them was a Thessalian, the name of the
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