Ranks of Ancient Greek/Hellenic Armies?

[Sean Manning]

Macedon, I think we basically agree. I suggest, following Lee, that the taxiarchoi are captains of light infantry [Xen. An. 4.1.28], the junior generals (hypostrategoi) were only present in some contingents, and the junior captains (hypolochagoi) may be the officers of the six picked lochoi who were divided into fifties and twenty-fives in order to manoeuvre more quickly. Earlier writers tend to assume that other lochoi were subdivided like the six picked lochoi who acted as rear guards and reinforcements during the retreat into Armenia (Xen. An. 3.4.19-23) but Lee points out that there is much evidence for lochoi and suskeniai and very little for other lochoi having similar subdivisions.

I think that one has to be careful about using that the mid 4th century Hipparchikos in that way, since by then many Greek militias were imitating Persian and Spartan practices. But I can't prove that the Athenian cavalry were not divided into fives and tens during the Peloponnesian War! Classical military history is an uncertain business ...