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The Armenians to provide the Persian king own soldiers. Herodotus mentioned the presence of special Armenian forces among the armies of King Xerxes when his army passed the Dardanelles during the wars of Medicia. During the time when Alexander the Great was attcking Persia the Armenians sent, according to the 2nd century historian Quinte-Curce, 40 000 infantry soldiers and 7 000 cavalry to the aid of Darius III, according to the 2nd century historian Quinte-Curce, 13. In the decisive battle of Darius III against Alexander, at Gokamel, the Armenian cavalry constituted the right flank of the Persian army. 14
Armenia was also the only nation under Persian rule from which the Persians drew commanders for their own forces. Even if the Persians used their vassals as soldiers, they never selected any commanders from among them as these posts went exclusively to the Medes and the Persians. But Gray and Cary noted that among the eight most high ranking commanders in the army of Darius III mentioned in Bisutun, one was an Armenian. 15
From the point of view of economics the Shah-n-shahs of Persia lay great importance on the maintenance of irrigation in their conquered regions. Apparently this task was one of the major duties of a satrap, because the size of the tribute that each had to pay to the Persian king was directly related to the amount of irrigation employed in each region. 16 In this the Achaemenids showed that they were far more business-oriented, in comparison with the other conquerors of the Armenian highland and in particular the Turks. As Kevork Aslan pointed out, the two centuries under Persian rule was a period of great development and social prosperity for the Armenians. 17
As to the tribute that the Armenians had to pay to Persia, Herodotus wrote the following: "Armenia, the 13th satrapy, had to pay 50 talans 18 annually, plus non-monetary tribute and this in the case of the Armenians who were skilful animal-breeders, mainly horses". Strabon mentioned Armenia had to pay 20 000 foals annually to Persia as tribute. 19
The people of Armenia, who were the heirs of the Urartu civilisation and its customs, were highly competent craftsmen. Herodotus wrote the following: "I want to tell you about another amazing thing and that is the boats that they use to travel to Babylon. They are round in shape and made of leather. These boats are manufactured in that part of Armenia which borders to the north of Assyria, and are made of tree-trunks which then are covered by leather." 20
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13) Darius III, before his coronation as Persian king, was satrap in Armenia and was known for his mildness and friendliness toward the Armenian people and was in this way win their friendship. It was of this reason that the Armenian people returned his kindness by sending assistance to him during the war against Alexander the Great.
14) W. Tarn, Alexander, The Conquest of Persia, Cambridge Ancient History, vol. IV, p. 280
15) Gray and Cary, The Reign of Darius, Cambridge Ancient History, vol. IV, p. 80
16) A. Sourian, The Society Strucutre of the Armenian Nation, graduation essay, Berlin 1925
17) Kevork Aslan, Études historiques sur le Peuple arménian, Paris, 1928, p. 70
18) Manandian quotes Xénophon who estimates this tax to 400 talans. Talan was gold in equivalent to a value of 56 000 francs (1950s currency value) and silver for approximately 5 600 francs.
19) Strabon, The Eleventh Book, pages 9 and 14
20) Herodotos, The First Book, page 194
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