DOTLAN EveMaps

u'One of the most feared and famous armies of antiquity, the Immortals were a 10,000-strong fighting force associated with the Achaemenid Empire of Persia. These spear-toting warriors first appear in the Greek chronicler Herodotus\u2019s account of the Persian invasion of Greece, where they are described as \u201cthe best\u2026and most magnificently equipped\u201d soldiers operating under the command of King Xerxes. According to Herodotus, the nickname \u201cImmortals\u201d arose because the unit always had the same number of troops. If even a single Immortal fell sick or died in battle, he was immediately replaced so that the unit\u2019s strength was \u201cnever more nor less than 10,000.\u201d

While the Persian army was a multinational force, only those with Persian or Medic ancestry were allowed to serve in the Immortals, and they were adorned with gold jewelry to signify their high status. The 10,000 primarily served as the king\u2019s personal bodyguards, but they also took to the field in times of war. Their most famous action came during the Persian victory at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., when they bypassed a blocked path and ambushed the Spartan-led Greeks from the rear.'