The Military Organisation of the Upper Satrapies Under the Seleucids

The battle of Corupedion (281 BCE) marked the end of the wars of the Diadochi and the recognition of Seleucus I as the heir of most of the empire of Alexander the Great. Indeed, the control over the vast territory roughly going from Iran to Central Asia known as “Upper Satrapies” always represented a challenge for the Seleucid rulers, but at the same time, the area was a considerable source of men and special units such as mounted archers and war elephants. The present contribution aims to examine the military organization of the Upper Satrapies during the Seleucid rule with special attention to the policies of territorial control and defence, the role of the officials, and the question of the ethnicity of the troops. It will also consider similarities and differences with what we know of the former Achaemenid administration.