A military question

[ruthaki]

When Polyperchon sent his son down to Athens with some of the Macedonian army, how may soldiers do you suppose he would have sent? How many soldiers do you suppose armed the garrison at Munychia? (I need to know roughly for the part of the novel I'm writing now.) Thanks in advance for your expert help.

[marcus]

Blimey, Ruth.The simple answer, as far as I'm concerned, is that I haven't got a clue. I have no idea about garrison sizes in those days.If the medieval period is any guide, however, one doesn't have to imagine that a garrison was necessarily very large. However, the required size of such a force would depend to some extent on the prevalence of arms in the community, and the social conditions - 4th Century Greece, for example, was a lot freer than 12th Century England, and most citizens would have owned arms which, of course, your average 12th century peasant wouldn't. So while a castle/town garrison in Medieval Europe could easily have been no more than 20-30 men, I suspect that the Macedonians required 3-4 times as many, at least, to provide an effective garrison/police force.This is pure guesswork, though - I'll be interested to see what others think.ATBMarcus

[marcus]

Blimey, Ruth.The simple answer, as far as I'm concerned, is that I haven't got a clue. I have no idea about garrison sizes in those days.If the medieval period is any guide, however, one doesn't have to imagine that a garrison was necessarily very large. However, the required size of such a force would depend to some extent on the prevalence of arms in the community, and the social conditions - 4th Century Greece, for example, was a lot freer than 12th Century England, and most citizens would have owned arms which, of course, your average 12th century peasant wouldn't. So while a castle/town garrison in Medieval Europe could easily have been no more than 20-30 men, I suspect that the Macedonians required 3-4 times as many, at least, to provide an effective garrison/police force.This is pure guesswork, though - I'll be interested to see what others think.ATBMarcus

[ruthaki]

I have made a couple of trips up to the site of the garrison at Munychia. It didn't cover an immense piece of group but commanded an open view north and south of the coast (just above Zea harbour).

[ruthaki]

I have made a couple of trips up to the site of the garrison at Munychia. It didn't cover an immense piece of group but commanded an open view north and south of the coast (just above Zea harbour).

[Jim Boudreaux]

I did an analysis once on this that amounts to nothing more than an assumption. It was worked out from what numbers are provided for events before and after Alexander's dispatch. In rough numbers I think Polyperchon, in 318, sent Alexander with 2,000 men and with the purpose of negotiating a solution. In the end it took Polyperchon with a sizable army to actually besiege Cassander. At this time I also think Cassander had 4,000 men in garrison along with a 70 ship fleet under Nicanor. The Athenians' army could have at least doubled the number of men Cassander had.

[Jim Boudreaux]

I did an analysis once on this that amounts to nothing more than an assumption. It was worked out from what numbers are provided for events before and after Alexander's dispatch. In rough numbers I think Polyperchon, in 318, sent Alexander with 2,000 men and with the purpose of negotiating a solution. In the end it took Polyperchon with a sizable army to actually besiege Cassander. At this time I also think Cassander had 4,000 men in garrison along with a 70 ship fleet under Nicanor. The Athenians' army could have at least doubled the number of men Cassander had.

[ruthaki]

Thanks, Jim. That at least gives me an idea which sounds reasonable. As for the garrison in Munychia, I remember now that some of the barracks were outside the actual garrison and located below nearer to Zea so that would account for the extra space needed to house that many men.

[ruthaki]

Thanks, Jim. That at least gives me an idea which sounds reasonable. As for the garrison in Munychia, I remember now that some of the barracks were outside the actual garrison and located below nearer to Zea so that would account for the extra space needed to house that many men.