Skythian Slave Units.

[Magister Militum Titus Pullo]

I've read somewhere that Athens employed Skythian archers as a police force and city garrison. Those guys were apparently slaves, but there must have been a reason why they were so trusted and valued by their Athenian masters. There were originally three hundred of those slave soldiers in the city's service, but that number was later increased to nine hundred. In peace time, they would act as an escort for the city's archons and magistrates. And even went as far as being used as a form of crowd control during festivals and Boule sessions. In war, two hundred of these men would be mounted and employed to act as auxilliaries for Athen's one thousand strong hippeon corps. Just a thought.

[Watchman]

I thought they were mercenaries ?

[Magister Militum Titus Pullo]

Every source I've read confirms that they were state-owned slaves. How such martially skilled warriors can allow themselves to be kept in that condition, though, is something of a mystery to me. Perhaps they enjoyed certain privilages compared to normal douloi, and were guruanteed their eventual freedom? Or maybe it was the fact that they were far away from home and surrounded by thousands of greeks who would converge and cut them down if they even dared to rebel? Besides, there numbers weren't just limited for economic reasons.