Sacred Band of Carthage

The Sacred Band (Greek hieros Lochos ἱερὸς λόχος ) was the Greek name for a core group of the Carthaginian army.

The sacred band is mentioned by various historians of antiquity, others lower in Polybius, Plutarch and Diodorus, but the surviving information about them is very sparse and sometimes contradictory. Really saved is that they consisted of about 2500-3000 Carthaginian citizens and in the second half of the 4th century BC came to Sicily in the wars used.

The fact that it was composed of Carthaginian citizens, they occupied a special status within the army, as the rest of the troops only had Carthaginian officers and otherwise consisted of either mercenaries or military service undertook a population of controlled areas of Carthage and allies.