Immortals (Persian Empire)

Immortals (Persian Empire)

The "Immortals" (from the Greek Ἀθάνατοι, sometimes "Ten Thousand Immortals" or "Persian Immortals") was the name given by Herodotus to an elite force of soldiers who fought for the Achaemenid Empire. This force performed the dual roles of both Imperial Guard and standing army during the Persian Empire's expansion and during the Greco-Persian Wars. Its Persian name may have been Anûšiya ('companions').

Herodotus describes the 'Immortals' as being heavy infantry led by Hydarnes that were kept constantly at a strength of exactly 10,000 men. He claimed that the unit's name stemmed from the custom that every killed, seriously wounded or sick member was immediately replaced with a new one, maintaining the numbers and cohesion of the unit.

This elite corps is only called the 'Immortals' in sources based on Herodotus. While there is evidence for them from Persia, this does not mention this name for them. "Probably, Herodotus' informant has confused the name Anûšiya ('companions') with Anauša ('Immortals')."