This list represents the armies of Achaemenid Persia from the abandonment of sparabara as the main heavy infantry until the final defeats of Darius and Bessos by Alexander. Darius’army is depicted on the Alexander mosaic (reproduced on the cover of DBMM). The “Apple-bearers” royal guard had a spear with a golden apple butt counterweight, a bronze shield with highly polished plain face and a cuirass, and wore red-brown tunic and trousers decorated in white. Some units, especially guards may have been uniformed. Other soldiers dressed individually in usually bright but often pale colours, sometimes embroidered, except that all ranks wore a dark-yellow headdress. Armoured cavalry and most light horse were armed with javelins. None had shields. Bactrian and Saka nobles and some guards rode partly-armoured horses so are (3Kn). Greek mercenary hoplites were extensively used. Other infantry included Kardakes with hoplite shields and infantry with a wicker crescent-shaped pelta and spear who may have been called “takabara”. These were backed by good quality skirmishers with bows or slings and masses of subject conscripts. Scythed chariots were a standard part of the army. Armies could be of a local satrap, fighting a civil war or the full force of the empire. References: Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars D. Head, The Achaemenid Persian Army D. Head.
— Later Achaemenid Persian Army 420 BC - 329 BC
I/35 — CYPRIOT & PHOENICIAN 1000 BC - 332 BC
I/43 — KIMMERIAN, SKYTHIAN & EARLY HU 750 BC - 70 AD
I/53 — SAITIC EGYPTIAN 664 BC - 335 BC
I/56 — KYRENEAN GREEK 630 BC - 74 BC
I/6 — EARLY BEDOUIN 3000 BC - 312 BC
I/7 — EARLY LIBYAN 3000 BC - 70 AD
II/12 — ALEXANDRIAN MACEDONIAN 359 BC - 319 BC
II/5 — LATER HOPLITE GREEK 448 BC - 225 BC
II/6 — BITHYNIAN 435 BC - 74 BC
II/7 — LATER ACHAEMENID PERSIAN 420 BC - 329 BC