Ancient Greek mercenaries

Xenophon of Athens (; ; 355/354 BC) was a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian. At the age of 30, he was elected as one of the leaders of the retreating Greek mercenaries, the Ten Thousand, who had been part of Cyrus the Younger's attempt to seize control of the Achaemenid Empire. As the military historian Theodore Ayrault Dodge wrote, "the centuries since have devised nothing to surpass the genius of this warrior".

thumb|Imaginary drawing of Iphicrates thumb|Peltasts on the [[Tomb of Payava (circa 360 BC), around the time of Iphicrates. They are equipped with the exomis, the pilos with crest and cheekpiece, and the round pelte shield, and are depicted thrusting overarm with a long spear.]]

Antiquity-era Spartan general

Spartan general

Machanidas () was a tyrant of Lacedaemon near the end of the 3rd century BC. He was defeated and slain by Philopoemen.

Pretender to the Spartan throne, son of Cleomenes II

Phalaecus () was the ruler of Phocis in Greece during the Third Sacred War before he was ousted. After his ousting he became the leader of a group of mercenaries, whose services were sought by Knossos in Crete. Once he arrived in Crete, Knossos leadership ordered him to attack their enemy, the city of Lyttus. The Lyttians appealed to the Spartans who came to Crete with an army under their king Archidamus III. As Phalaecus was besieging Lyttus, the Spartans arrived and relieved the siege. Later in 343 BC Phalaecus attacked and laid siege to Kydonia, where his army was routed and he was killed.

Charidemus (or Kharidemos, ), of Oreus in Euboea, was an ancient Greek mercenary leader of the 4th century BC. He had a complicated relationship with Athens, sometimes aiding the city in its efforts to secure its interests in the northern Aegean, sometimes working against it. He was castigated by Demosthenes in his oration Against Aristocrates for repeated treacherous actions toward Athens, yet later he received Athenian citizenship and was elected one of its generals. In this capacity he ran afoul of Alexander III (the Great) of Macedon and was ordered into banishment after the destruction of

Greek mercenary general (c. 436–401 BC)

Polyxenidas () the Rhodian, was a general and admiral who was exiled from his native country and entered the service of Antiochus III the Great.

Hybrias () (fl. 6th century BC) was a Cretan mercenary and lyric poet. He was the author of a highly esteemed skolion (drinking song) called the "Spear-song", which has been preserved by Athenaeus, Eustathius of Thessalonica, and the Analecta Veterum Poetarum Graecorum.

Alexon (Ancient Greek: ) was an ancient Greek mercenary from Achaea, who served in the Carthaginian garrison at Lilybaeum while it was besieged by the Romans in 250 BC, during the First Punic War. During the siege, some of the Gallic mercenaries engaged in the service of the Carthaginians started planning to betray their Carthaginian commanders. Alexon, who had also saved the town of Agrigentum from a similar attempt by treacherous mercenaries, gave information of the plot to the Carthaginian commander Himilco. Alexon then assisted Himilco to persuade the remaining mercenaries to stay loyal to

Sophaenetus () was one of the leaders of the Ten Thousand, an army of Greek mercenaries in the service of Cyrus the Younger, in 401–400 BC. A native of Stymphalus, he was an older man when he recruited and led one thousand hoplites to join Cyrus. He led the army back to the Black Sea and from Trapezus to Cerasus by ship. At Cotyora, he was fined 10 minae for mishandling funds.