Tooth isotope analysis proves ancient Greek historians wrong

By Frances Addison2021-05-14T08:30:00

An image showing a painting of the battle as imagined by a 19th century Italian painter. It shows a number of people running away from and cowering as soldiers on horseback approach.

Source: © The History Collection/Alamy Stock Photo

Analysis of ancient soldiers’ 2500-year-old remains suggests they were foreign mercenaries rather than the locals contemporary historians described

Strontium and oxygen isotope analysis have shown that it wasn’t Greek soldiers that helped a city in ancient Greece defeat its enemies in 480 BC but rather foreign mercenaries, contradicting reports from contemporary historians.