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TheAgrianes (Ancient Greek: Ἀγριᾶνες,[1][2]Agrianes or Ἀγρίαι,Agriai) orAgrianians, were a tribe whose country was centered at UpperStrymon, in present-day central Western Bulgaria as well as southeasternmost Serbia, at the time situated north of theDentheletae. PerStrabo thesource of the river Strymon was within Agrianes' territory. In the times ofPhilip II of Macedon, the territory of the Agrianes was administered byPella and they fought under the command ofGeneral Attalus. They werecrackjavelin throwers and an elite unit ofAlexander the Great'slight infantry.
Their name inAncient Greek was Ἀγρίανες.[3] Theethnonym is of Indo-European origin, it may have been derived from *agro- "field" (cf. Lat.ager, Grc. ἀγρόςagros, Eng.acre).[4] Irwin L. Merker considers it purelyHellenic, and lists certainGreek cognates such as the ethnonym of theDoric tribe Agraioi inAetolia and the month Agrianos,[5][6] which is found throughout theDorian andAeolian worlds.[7] An early name of theRhodopes was Achrida, which may also be a cognate.
Pausanias described thatPaeon, theeponymous ancestor of thePaionians (of whom Agrianes were members), was a brother ofEpeius andAetolus, the eponymous ancestors of the Epeians of Elis and the Aetolians respectively.[8] Their place-name has several cognates in Greece such asΠαιονίδαι (Paeonidai), ademe of the tribe Leontis inAttica. A place in theArgolid also has the same name.[5]
Herodotus described them as aPaeonian tribe,[9] together with theOdomanti andDoberes in the vicinity ofPangaeum. Although the Agrianes, clearly fell within the Thracian sphere of influence, the only writer who describes them asThracians isTheopompus.[10]
Their country was centered at UpperStrymon, in present-day westernmost Bulgaria, and also held areas of southeasternmostSerbia,[11] at the time situated north of theDentheletae. In the times of Philip II, the territory of the Agrianes was administered by Pella.[12] According to some Bulgarian researchers they inhabited an ethnocultural region known today as "Graovo", whose name probably derives from that of the Agrianes.[13][14] Its location is in the central and eastern areas of modern-dayPernik Province.[15]
Thepeltasts raised from the Agrianes were the elite light infantry of theMacedonian army. They were often used to cover the right flank of the army in battle, being posted to the right of theCompanion cavalry, a position of considerable honour. They were almost invariably part of any force on detached duty, especially missions requiring speed of movement.[16]
Peltasts were armed with a number of javelins and a sword, carried a light shield but wore no armour, though they sometimes had helmets; they were adept at skirmishing and were often used to guard the flanks of more heavily equipped infantry. They usually adopted an open order when facing enemyheavy infantry. They could throw their javelins at will at the enemy and, unencumbered by armour or heavy shields, easily evade any counter-charges made by heavily equippedhoplites. They were, however, quite vulnerable to shock-capable cavalry and often operated to particular advantage on broken ground where cavalry was useless and heavy infantry found it difficult to maintain formation.[17][18]
They are first mentioned regardingMegabazus' campaign in 511 BC.[4] In 429 BC they were subject to theOdrysian kingdom[19] and later, as early as 352 BC, they became allies ofPhilip II of Macedonia.[20]
They fought under kingLangarus with theMacedonians against theTriballians in 335 BC[21][better source needed] and succeeded in protecting the lands of Alexander and were thus rewarded with the right to govern themselves, a move that led to a long-lasting and most reliable alliance. At theBattle of Gaugamela (331 BC), during Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia, their contingent of peltasts numbered 1,000 men. During the time of theSeleucid Empire, acrack unit of Antiochus' Agrianes was brigaded together withPersians atRaphia. Contingents from the Agrianes and thePenestae, numbering 800 and 2,000 men respectively, were a part of the garrison ofCassandreia at the time of theThird Macedonian War.[22]
...an Agrianos month is found throughout the Dorian and Aeolian worlds. (Burkert 1983: 168–79).
The Agrianians were a Thracian people from the area that is now southern Serbia