Xerxes Five Million Men

[hoplite14gr]

I agree, ancient writers might be found to contradict each other.
In some case they might even write the number at one's disposal not the ones actually fielded. 10000 horsemen are not unlikely in Granicos. 20000 possibly if we assume that the Persians used something like the Thematic system that one province's good troops are sent to aid a province in trouble that feilds all the troops that it can spare. I am inclined to accept up to 60000 troops in Granicus but not 600000. The cavalry that was the most reliable element in the Persian Army so it might have been numerus.
So far I don´t know any site quoting original Iranian text about this period.
Does any body know? My knowledge so far is about the Persian army uniforms and levies but not logistics in detail.
Somewhere I read at the time of ChosroesII, Greek literature was translated in Iranian. Did any Sassanid scholars texts with comments survive?
Any historian Archaologist in the forum please?
Kind regards
Stefanos