agema

• a corps or division of soldiers: addita his ala mille ferme equitum: agema eam vocabant, Liv. 37, 40; 42, 51; so id. 42, 58; Curt. 4, 13, 26.

• , ἄγημα, the flower of the (Macedonian) cavalry, L., Cu.

AGE´MA(ἄγημα, from ἄγω), the name of a chosen body of troops in the Macedonian army, forming the royal guard, consisting of horse-soldiers and foot-soldiers, but usually of the former. It seems to have varied in number; sometimes it consisted of 150 men, at other times of 300, and in later times it contained as many as 1000 or 2000 men. (Arrian, Arr. Anab. 1.1.11; 2.8.3-Z3; 4.24-Z2.1; Diod. 19.27, 28; Liv. 37.40; 42.51-Z2, 58; Curt. 4.13; Plb. 5.25, 65, 31.3-Z2; Appian, App. Syr. 32; Hesych. and Suid. s. v.; Eustath. ad Od. 1. p. 1399, 62.)

(ἄγημα, from ἄγω). The name of a chosen body of troops in the Macedonian army, which generally consisted of horsemen. The agema seems to have varied in number: sometimes it consisted of 150 men, at other times of 300, and in later times it contained as many as 1000 or 2000 men.