Description
The Agrianes were a Paeonian tribe of fierce fighters. Known for their incredible dexterity and speed, they became an auxiliary infantry unit in the army of Alexander the Great. Carrying a clutch of javelins into battle, the Agrianes were able to move fast and strike hard. They wore little or no armour to hinder them and carried no shield. Alexander employed them time and time again as front line troops in many of his major battles, where they developed into an elite missile assault unit under the command of his general Attalus, proving especially effective in mountainous areas where agility was essential and the phalanx formation proved unwieldy. Carrying axes and knives that could also be used as climbing hooks, the Agrianes were exceptional not only at climbing and traversing difficult terrain, but also when assaulting manmade defences and walls. Fiercely loyal and extremely effective, they were also used to protect siege equipment before joining the crack hypastists for the assault. Alexander rewarded the Agrianes for their service with the right to govern their own lands. Later an elite force of Agrianes fought for Antiochus at Raphia in 217BC against Ptolemy IV.
