Agema

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Agema (Greek: ἄγημα), plural agemata (αγήματα) is a term to describe a military detachment, used for a special purpose, such as guarding high valued targets. Due to its nature the agema most probably comprises elite troops. The word derives from the Greek verb ago (Greek: ἄγω, lit. 'to route', 'to drive'). It can literally mean a pack, a routing party and/or a detachment that has a single commander. In ancient Macedonia, the royal squadron of the Companion cavalry formed the mounted agema, and was usually led in person by the king. The senior chiliarchy (χιλιαρχία) of the hypaspists and asthetairoi, and later argyraspids (silver shields) formed the foot agema. In the eastern Diadochi states (the Seleucid Empire, Ptolemaic Egypt, the Kingdom of Bactria) they were the infantry guards of the king. The eastern agema guards wore bronze plate, Phrygian helmet (or Thracian) helmet and aspis shield, and carried a sarissa and short sword. In Macedonia, especially under Philip V of Macedon and Perseus of Macedon, the agema formed an elite body within the corps of Antigonid peltasts. This corps is not to be confused with the light infantry.