The Seleucids (312BC - 63BC)

17 February 2017


The Seleucid Empire was a Greek state ruled over by the Seleucid dynasty. This state existed from about 312 BC to 63 BC and was founded its leader Seleucus I Nicator. 

Seleucid was created by the break up of the old Macedonian empire, which was expanded during Alexander the Great's reign. Seleucus ruled over Babylonia and then expanded his control over most of Alexander's near eastern territories. At its height the Seleucid Empire included central Anatolia, Persia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, and what is now Kuwait, Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan and Turkmenistan.

The Seleucid expansion into Anatolia and Greece was abruptly halted after several decisive defeats by the Roman army. Things then got worse for the Seleucids as they were forced to cede the vast areas west of the Indus, including the Hindu Kush, modern day Afghanistan, and the Balochistan province of Pakistan to the Mauryan Empire after more defeats by the Romans.

A lot of the eastern Seleucid lands were conquered by Parthians under Mithridates I in the mid-2nd century BC, and yet the Seleucid kings ruled the core of their empire from Syria until an invasion by the Armenians and their ultimate defeat at the hands of the Romans under Pompey.

This army is so varied in its troop types that the basing and painting job on this this little lot is something I am very much looking forward to.

Asiatic Archers (Ps - Psiloi)


The Seleucids used many Asiatic peoples from its empire in the role of light troops that were commonly called archers. These included Jewish, Arab, Idumenaean and Syrians but also covered some of the former Persian empire troops.

Thracians (4 Ax) - Galatians (3 Wb)

Due to the shortage of Greeks in the Seleucid kingdom, allied, vassal and mercenary troops were used extensivly. These were often the light and auxiliary troops that supported the phalanx and cavalry forces. In particular Thracian and Galatian mercenaries were good in rough and hilly terrain. Their arms and equipment gave the individual soldier greater mobility and unhindered action in hand-to-hand combat than a phalangite could manage.


Thureophoroi (4 Ax)

Thureophoroi were mercenaries and would have served in both armies performing similar functions.

They were a type of infantry who carried a large oval shield called a thureos and armed with a long thrusting spear, javelins and sword. They also wore iron or bronze Macedonian helmets.


Thureophoroi often supported lighter troops but also seemed able to operate in a similar manner to peltasts, they were very well suited to smaller countires where they used them mainly for border defense. Being mobile they could rapidly advance over more varied terrain than some of the heavier units and Plutarch says they could fight as skirmishers and then fall back, assume spears and tighten the ranks, forming a phalanx.

Phalangites (Pk - Pikes)

These were the soldiers of the "Phalanx", which was the heart of the Seleucid army. The three divisions of the phalanx, named for their ancestors, the Argyraspides ("Silvershields"), Chalkaspides ("Brazenshields"),  and the Chryaspides ("Goldenshields").


The first was the core of the Royal Guard; while the other two were reserve formations only called up in time of emergency. 

Originally the phalanxes of Philip and Alexander fought in a sixteen-rank deep formation; armed with an 18 foot long 2 section pike called a sarissa.

The depth of the phalanx grew over time with the Seleucid phalanx sometimes deploying in 32 ranks. This was perhaps an attempt to put more weight behind the "push of pikes" when two opposing states phalanxes met in battle. However, 16 ranks remained the norm and the they were drilled so that they could change depth in battle; from 8 ranks to 16, and from 16 to 32.

Phalanxes could also form a square when attacked from the flanks or rear.

Elephants (El - Elephant)

Elephants (El) were a "speciality force", like the scythed chariot. The elephants were armored, and mounted a two-man crew formed of a pikeman, archer and javelineer as well as a driver. 


Sometimes the elephants were supported by infantry to drive off opposing troops and prevent wounding of the animals and sending them into a uncontrollable madness.

Some Seleucid elephants looked after by "elephant guards" who were trained to fight around them. These were probably the thureophoroi spear-and-javelin armed infantry with helmet and oval shield.

Scythed Chariots (SCh - Scythed Chariots)

Scythed Chariot (SCh) Another of the "specialty" troops. We don’t know how many chariots were maintained, however we do know they were a relatively small force.

Livy says "These chariots were armed in the following manner. On either side of the pole where the yoke-bar was fastened spikes were fixed which projected forward like horns, ten cubits long, so as to pierce anything that came in their way, and at each end of the yoke-bar two scythes projected, one on a level with the bar so as to cut off sideways anything it came against, the other turned towards the ground to catch those lying down or trying to get under it. Similarly two scythes pointing in opposite directions to each end of the axis of the wheels".

Having said that, the value of these chariots in battle is debatable and in all of the time it was used, the scythed chariot proved to be ineffectual. Indeed their use at Magnesia (190BC) was disastrous, and contributed to the Seleucid defeat in that battle. 

The Generals (3/4 Kn - Knights) - Cataphractii (4 Kn - Knights) 

These horsemen were heavily armoured troops. They rode horses clad in full or partial armour and were widespread in the nomadic tribes of the Eurasian steppe. They had appeared previously as Persian cavalry and battles to regain rule over the Upper Satrapies (209-205 BC) impressed the Seleucids enough to make this a standard for heavy horse formations. 



The men were also fully armoured in mixtures of Iranian and Greek armour. The main weapon was a kontos, a heavy 12' lance. As shock cavalry their role was to break opposition horse cavalry and to harry the flanks or rear of enemy phalanxes. 

The kleroi (sort of land for service) gave the Seleucids a true reserve army that cost to monarch very little. It provided a large pool of trained and organised men that could be called up to bolster the army.

The Seleucid Army

The Seleucid Army lined up for painting and for battle.