{"slug": "mercenary", "label": "Mercenary", "wikipedia": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercenary", "wikidata": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q178197", "qid": "Q178197", "description": "soldier who fights for hire", "entries": 8, "years": 8, "span": [-372, 1981], "span_label": ["373 BCE", "1981 CE"], "topics": [{"title": "Conflict & Security", "count": 6}, {"title": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "count": 1}, {"title": "Health & Medicine", "count": 1}], "also_known_as": [], "related": [{"slug": "scottish-people", "label": "Scottish people", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "egypt", "label": "Egypt", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "achaemenid-empire", "label": "Achaemenid Empire", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "artaxerxes-ii", "label": "Artaxerxes II", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "memphis-egypt", "label": "Memphis, Egypt", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "pharnabazus-ii", "label": "Pharnabazus II", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "turkey", "label": "Turkey", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "anatolia", "label": "Anatolia", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "suleiman-ibn-qutalmish", "label": "Suleiman ibn Qutalmish", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "nikephoros-iii-botaneiates", "label": "Nikephoros III Botaneiates", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "picts", "label": "Picts", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "great-britain", "label": "Great Britain", "shared": 1}], "items": [{"year": -372, "year_label": "373 BCE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "The Persian King Artaxerxes II launches an invasion of Egypt to bring that country back under Persian rule. The invasion is led by Pharnabazus. After initial successes, the Greek mercenaries fighting for the Persians push on towards Memphis. However, King Nectanebo I is able to gather his forces and repulse the Persian invasion.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1080639284#Persian_Empire", "title": "373 BC", "revid": 1080639284, "section": "Events › By place › Persian Empire"}}, {"year": 428, "year_label": "428 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "King Vortigern invites a number of Germanic warriors to aid him in consolidating his position in Britain, according to the Historia Brittonum. He hires Saxons who are probably settled in Kent as mercenaries to fight against the Picts and the Scots beyond Hadrian's Wall.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1321157185#Europe", "title": "428", "revid": 1321157185, "section": "Events › By place › Europe"}}, {"year": 756, "year_label": "756 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "May", "text": "May – Emperor Xuan Zong hires 4,000 Muslim mercenaries to help defend Chang'an against the rebels. Loyalist forces take defensible positions in the mountain passes, but chancellor Yang Guozhong gives orders for them to leave their posts.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1366654675#Chinese_Empire", "title": "756", "revid": 1366654675, "section": "Events › By place › Chinese Empire"}}, {"year": 1080, "year_label": "1080 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Autumn – Nikephoros Melissenos, a Byzantine general and aristocrat, seizes control of what remains of Byzantine Asia Minor (modern Turkey), and proclaims himself emperor against Nikephoros III Botaneiates. Melissenos makes an alliance with Sultan Suleiman ibn Qutulmish and recruits many Turkish mercenaries to his army.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1363303187#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "1080", "revid": 1363303187, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 1575, "year_label": "1575 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "June 27", "text": "June 27 – Turlough Luineach O'Neill submits to the English authorities and receives extensive grants of lands and permission to employ 300 Scottish mercenaries.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1323611124#Events", "title": "1575 in Ireland", "revid": 1323611124, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1659, "year_label": "1659 CE", "section": "Health & Medicine", "date": null, "text": "The plague ravages Denmark, particularly Jutland, probably brought to the country by German and Polish mercenaries.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1342966388#Undated", "title": "1659 in Denmark", "revid": 1342966388, "section": "Events › Undated"}}, {"year": 1947, "year_label": "1947 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "November 25", "text": "November 25 – The new Pakistan Army and Pashtun mercenaries overrun Mirpur in Kashmir, resulting in the death of 20,000 Hindus and Sikhs.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371901060#November", "title": "1947", "revid": 1371901060, "section": "Events › November"}}, {"year": 1981, "year_label": "1981 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "November 25", "text": "November 25–26 – 1981 Seychelles coup d'état attempt: A group of mercenaries led by Mike Hoare take over Mahe airport. Most of them escape by a commandeered Air India passenger jet; six are later arrested.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369107326#November", "title": "1981", "revid": 1369107326, "section": "Events › November"}}]}