.

The Argyraspides (in Greek Aργυρασπιδες) were a division of the Macedonian army of Alexander the Great, who were so called because they carried shields covered with silver plates. They were picked men, and were commanded by Nicanor, the son of Parmenion, and were held in high honour by Alexander. After the death of Alexander (323 BC) they followed Eumenes, but afterwards they deserted to Antigonus, and delivered Eumenes up to him (316 BC). Antigonus, however, soon broke up the corps, finding it too turbulent to manage.¹ The Seleucid kings of Syria seem to have had a corps of the same name in their army: Livy mentions them as the royal cohort in the army of Antiochus III the Great.² The Emperor Alexander Severus, among other things in which he imitated Alexander the Great, had in his army bodies of men who were called argyroaspides and chrysoaspides.³

References

Smith, William (editor); Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, "Argyraspides", Boston, (1870)

Notes

1 Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca, xvii. 57, 58, 59, xviii. 63, xix. 12, 41, 43, 48; Curtius Rufus, Historiae Alexandri Magni, iv. 13; Plutarch, Parallel Lives, "Eumenes", 13-19

2 Livy, Ab urbe condita, xxxvii. 40; Polybius, Histories, v. 79

3 Historia Augusta, "Alexander Severus", 50

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities by William Smith (1870).

Index Military

Ancient Greece

Science, Technology , Medicine , Warfare, , Biographies , Life , Cities/Places/Maps , Arts , Literature , Philosophy ,Olympics, Mythology , History , Images