[thisrod]

> There's a reason large states arose in the first place, to displace hunter-gatherer tribes, and it is precisely this

That's a big leap, from the paleolithic world of 10 000 BC to the iron age armies of 1000 BC. Other things happened too: sedentism, agriculture, metals, buildings, money, writing, and so on. No doubt being able to feed and pay your soldiers made a big difference to their motivation!