Persian Invasion of 480 BC - articles

[Aryaman2]

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Water transport is 10 to 100 times cheaper, which is why great premodern cities are almost always on rivers, lakes, or the seacoast, and is why I think we cannot rule out Xerxes having invaded Greece with over 100,000 people (not all soldiers). .

Yes, that is sensible, Herodotus himself says "These things were being done by Xerxes thus; and meanwhile he caused ropes also to be prepared for the bridges, made of papyrus and of white flax,[26] appointing this to the Phenicians and Egyptians; and also he was making preparations to store provisions for his army on the way, that neither the army itself nor the baggage animals might suffer from scarcity, as they made their march against Hellas. Accordingly, when he had learnt by inquiry of the various places, he bade them make stores where it was most convenient, carrying supplies to different parts by merchant ships and ferry-boats from all the countries of Asia. So they conveyed the greater part of the corn[27] to the place which is called Leuke Acte in Thrace, while others conveyed stores to Tyrodiza of the Perinthians, others to Doriscos, others to Eïon on the Strymon, and others to Macedonia, the work being distributed between them". VII 25
but right after he says "the whole land-army had been assembled together and was marching with Xerxes to Sardis, setting forth from Critalla in Cappadokia; for there it had been ordered that the whole army should assemble, which was to go with Xerxes himself by the land" VII 26. So we have the whole Persian army marching by inland before taking on the coastal route. However if we are to discard completely Herodotus testimony and talk only about logistic possibilities, I think 100.000+ including non combatants is probably just within the top, and I personally suggested that number in the first thread discussing this topic. That give us around 50.000 combatants, still a very large army but not impossibly large.