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The diverse genetic origins of a Classical period Greek army.

ABSTRACT: Trade and colonization caused an unprecedented increase in Mediterranean human mobility in the first millennium BCE. Often seen as a dividing force, warfare is in fact another catalyst of culture contact. We provide insight into the demographic dynamics of ancient warfare by reporting genome-wide data from fifth-century soldiers who fought for the army of the Greek Sicilian colony of Himera, along with representatives of the civilian population, nearby indigenous settlements, and 96 present-day individuals from Italy and Greece. Unlike the rest of the sample, many soldiers had ancestral origins in northern Europe, the Steppe, and the Caucasus. Integrating genetic, archaeological, isotopic, and historical data, these results illustrate the significant role mercenaries played in ancient Greek armies and highlight how participation in war contributed to continental-scale human mobility in the Classical world.

SUBMITTER: Reitsema LJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9564095 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The diverse genetic origins of a Classical period Greek army.

Reitsema Laurie J LJ Mittnik Alissa A Kyle Britney B Catalano Giulio G Fabbri Pier Francesco PF Kazmi Adam C S ACS Reinberger Katherine L KL Sineo Luca L Vassallo Stefano S Bernardos Rebecca R Broomandkhoshbacht Nasreen N Callan Kim K Candilio Francesca F Cheronet Olivia O Curtis Elizabeth E Fernandes Daniel D Lari Martina M Lawson Ann Marie AM Mah Matthew M Mallick Swapan S Mandl Kirsten K Micco Adam A Modi Alessandra A Oppenheimer Jonas J Özdogan Kadir Toykan KT Rohland Nadin N Stewardson Kristin K Vai Stefania S Vergata Chiara C Workman J Noah JN Zalzala Fatma F Zaro Valentina V Achilli Alessandro A Anagnostopoulos Achilles A Capelli Cristian C Constantinou Varnavas V Lancioni Hovirag H Olivieri Anna A Papadopoulou Anastasia A Psatha Nikoleta N Semino Ornella O Stamatoyannopoulos John J Valliannou Ioanna I Yannaki Evangelia E Lazaridis Iosif I Patterson Nick N Ringbauer Harald H Caramelli David D Pinhasi Ron R Reich David D

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20221003 41

Trade and colonization caused an unprecedented increase in Mediterranean human mobility in the first millennium BCE. Often seen as a dividing force, warfare is in fact another catalyst of culture contact. We provide insight into the demographic dynamics of ancient warfare by reporting genome-wide data from fifth-century soldiers who fought for the army of the Greek Sicilian colony of Himera, along with representatives of the civilian population, nearby indigenous settlements, and 96 present-day ...[more]

PMID: 36191217

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Dataset Information

The diverse genetic origins of a Classical period Greek army.

Publications

The diverse genetic origins of a Classical period Greek army.

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