The Changes in Manpower and Ethnic Composition of the Hasmonaean Army (167-63 BCE)
The nature of the Hasmonaean army, as well as its ethnic composition, underwent far-reaching changes between the outbreak of revolt in Modein (167 BCE) and the Roman conquest by Pompey (63 BCE). From an underground force of idealistic volunteers under the leadership of Mattathias and Judas Maccabaeu...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Penn Press
1991
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| In: |
The Jewish quarterly review
Year: 1991, Volume: 81, Issue: 3/4, Pages: 325-352 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The nature of the Hasmonaean army, as well as its ethnic composition, underwent far-reaching changes between the outbreak of revolt in Modein (167 BCE) and the Roman conquest by Pompey (63 BCE). From an underground force of idealistic volunteers under the leadership of Mattathias and Judas Maccabaeus, the Hasmonaean army gradually became a highly skilled national standing army under Jonathan and Simeon. In the course of time, and primarily due to the glut of wars and conquests since the days of John Hyrcanus I, mercenary units, at first purely Jewish, were later staffed also by non-Jews of Hellenic origin. The people's militia admittedly remained the principal component of the armed forces. Yet as it became more necessary to use the army in order to achieve the Hasmonaean rulers' political and personal aims (like in Alexander Jannaeus' days), the need for more paid troops, and especially for foreign mercenaries, increased. The objective of retaining permanent control of the newly conquered areas by Jewish settlements, also affected the nature and composition of the Hasmonaean army. Those Jewish settlers who left active service to settle in conquered regions were replaced by mercenaries. Thus the number of non-Jewish mercenary troops increased even further, as did their importance, both from a functional military standpoint and as an instrument to be used in implementing the personal policy of the Hasmonaean rulers. The unrestrained ruling ambitions of the last Hasmonaeans (Judas Aristobulus II and John Hyrcanus II), as well as the growing use of the army in carrying out these ambitions, aroused a profound controversy among the people. This controversy escalated to the point of rupture, leading to the civil war and eventual loss of Jewish sovereignty. |
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| ISSN: | 1553-0604 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The Jewish quarterly review
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/1455323 |