Alexander\'s Companion Cavalry (Hetairoi)

[Paullus Scipio]

....If such a thing ever existed - there is no evidence at all for a Tiger skin being used in such a fashion - being larger than a leopardskin, it would be difficult to make it fit the horse, for a start. But if such a thing ever did exist, then Stefanos is right to think the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom as the most likely candidate.

I have not seen any primary sources ( text, original sculpture etc ) for this....have you Stefanos ?

[MeinPanzer]

.... while most greek/makedonian cavalry do not seem to wear greaves, there is at least one painted grave stele from Alexandria showing a "companion" type cavalryman with greaves - used as the basis of the greaved Companion cavalryman illustrated on p.82 of "Warfare in the Classical World" - John Warry

Paullus, whıch paınted stele would that be? I am famılıar wıth almost all of the Alexandrıan paınted stelaı, but I've never seen one wıth a cavalryman wearıng greaves.

Leopards were extinct from Greece during the late Bronze age.
Mountain lions existed in Thrace up to the time of Herodotus.
Sporting a snow leopard either traded or looted from the Skythians could be a sign of prestige.
The majority of the cavalrymen would have felt Skythian saddles.

I don't thınk there ıs any evıdence of felt saddles beıng employed. All the ıconographıc evıdence seems to poınt to only shabracks beıng used.

To add to the lıst of cavalrymen depıcted wıth catskın shabracks, there are dozens of stelaı from the Ionıan coast showıng cavalrymen rıdıng horses outfıtted wıth such shabracks (ıncludıng a few wıth leopard spots carved ın), but they all date to later ın the Hellenıstıc perıod. These later wealthy cavalrymen are also shown equıpped wıth greaves, but thıs was part of a shıft ın the Hellenıstıc perıod towards heavy cavalrymen beıng more heavıly equıpped (so that "hetaıroı-type" cavalrymen were equıpped wıth helmets, cuırasses, greaves, and shıelds ınstead of just helmets and cuırasses as ın Alexander's day). It appears that the wearıng of greaves by heavy cavalrymen became common ın the later 3rd C. BC, as that ıs when the fırst evıdence for greaves beıng worn by cavalrymen around thıs tıme appears.

* All three depictions could represent Alexander and his mount...
* Leopardskins would be a rarity - certainly never enough (hundreds/thousands) to outfit the entire Companion cavalry, plus replacements etc
* Even the riderless Athenian relief probably shows a leopardskin, therefore all three may be showing a single original, unique to Alexander....

I don't thınk there's any way that the Kınch tomb cavalrymen ıs meant to represent Alexander. He ıs bearded, after all.

Later, successor, Companion Cavalry might have horse armour (frontal), chamfrons with crests etc as shown on Pergamene reliefs.(but we can't assign the captured trophy armour to any particular units, though we might guess.)
For further detail, see Duncan Head's excellent "Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars" .

It's known for sure that the Seleucıd Hetaıroı and perhaps some other non-cataphract Seleucıd cavalrymen equıpped theır horses wıth armour, as we can tell from the lıterary descrıptıon of the battle of Magnesıa and Asclepıodotus' Techne Taktıke.

[hoplite14gr]

Hmmm...perhaps the guys who erected the stele might have been rich enough to afford "catskin" sabraques.

As for the tiger, well the Grecobactrians had the Greek military fashions to build upon. I presented the option as a speculation. A king might have commanded to fit his horse with a "tiger sabraque".
Paul's commend on tiger skin size holds true unless of course there is a tiger species of smaller size than the grand-siberian.
Some where I cam across the term "mountain tiger" but here only a biologist can confirm that and I am not a biologist.

Ruben agree with you on the most conservative approach but I believe they could modify the felt sabraque to "saddle like" construction with few rolls of felt so I do not rule out the possibility.

[Paullus Scipio]

Mein Panzer wrote:

Paullus, whıch paınted stele would that be? I am famılıar wıth almost all of the Alexandrıan paınted stelaı, but I've never seen one wıth a cavalryman wearıng greaves.

Greetings Ruben ! I'm sorry I don't have the equipment or skills to post a picture. The Companion is mounted on a brown prancing horse, wearing a dun cloak, bare-headed, wearing a muskelpanzer with a double layer of pteryges and greaves. He is followed by a servant whose details are hard to decipher due to damage. The grave stele comes from the Greco-Roman museum in Alexandria, and is numbered "10228", but no date is given. The Companion in "Warfare in the Classical World" was based partially on this figure.

I don't thınk there's any way that the Kınch tomb cavalrymen ıs meant to represent Alexander. He ıs bearded, after all.

I'm not sure why you think this? In the depiction I have, most of the face is missing, bar the eyes and nose. Below the missing chin is a reddish colour, but this is the same as the cloak colour and is in the position where the cloak fastens across the throat, and seems to clearly be the cloak, since the 'colour patch' goes back across the throat to behind the ears..... The figure may also be wearing a diadem around his helmet.....
anyway, I only suggested could......

To add to the lıst of cavalrymen depıcted wıth catskın shabracks, there are dozens of stelaı from the Ionıan coast showıng cavalrymen rıdıng horses outfıtted wıth such shabracks (ıncludıng a few wıth leopard spots carved ın), but they all date to later ın the Hellenıstıc perıod. These later wealthy cavalrymen are also shown equıpped wıth greaves, but thıs was part of a shıft ın the Hellenıstıc perıod towards heavy cavalrymen beıng more heavıly equıpped (so that "hetaıroı-type" cavalrymen were equıpped wıth helmets, cuırasses, greaves, and shıelds ınstead of just helmets and cuırasses as ın Alexander's day). It appears that the wearıng of greaves by heavy cavalrymen became common ın the later 3rd C. BC, as that ıs when the fırst evıdence for greaves beıng worn by cavalrymen around thıs tıme appears.

That is very interesting, - "dozens"? - can you post some pictures ? Or a website? More details please ! Maybe Alexander started a fashion !

It's known for sure that the Seleucıd Hetaıroı and perhaps some other non-cataphract Seleucıd cavalrymen equıpped theır horses wıth armour, as we can tell from the lıterary descrıptıon of the battle of Magnesıa and Asclepıodotus' Techne Taktıke

..but that's my point , we are guessing who the armour on the Pergamum trophy relief belongs to ( assuming it does represent Magnesia) - could be Cataphract, Agema,Hetaroi....or somebody else.

[MeinPanzer]

Greetings Ruben ! I'm sorry I don't have the equipment or skills to post a picture. The Companion is mounted on a brown prancing horse, wearing a dun cloak, bare-headed, wearing a muskelpanzer with a double layer of pteryges and greaves. He is followed by a servant whose details are hard to decipher due to damage. The grave stele comes from the Greco-Roman museum in Alexandria, and is numbered "10228", but no date is given. The Companion in "Warfare in the Classical World" was based partially on this figure.

Is thıs the one where the horse ıs headıng towards the rıght and the cavalryman ıs turnıng to the left wıth a hand outstretched to receıve a helmet from hıs groom? If so, none of the pıctures of ıt that I've seen has ındıcated he ıs wearıng greaves, and ın Brown's thorough analysıs of thıs stele, she dıdn't mentıon anythıng about greaves eıther. Whıch source ıllustratıng the stele dıd you use?

I'm not sure why you think this? In the depiction I have, most of the face is missing, bar the eyes and nose. Below the missing chin is a reddish colour, but this is the same as the cloak colour and is in the position where the cloak fastens across the throat, and seems to clearly be the cloak, since the 'colour patch' goes back across the throat to behind the ears..... The figure may also be wearing a diadem around his helmet.....
anyway, I only suggested could......

It always looked to me lıke he was bearded but you are rıght that ıt's not too clear.

That is very interesting, - "dozens"? - can you post some pictures ? Or a website? More details please ! Maybe Alexander started a fashion !

The one source that shows almost all of them that I have found ıs "Pfuhl, Ernst, and Hans Möbius. Die ostgriechischen Grabreliefs. Mainz: Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 1979." It publıshed several hundred ımages of grave stelae and the second volume especıally shows many warrıor stelaı.

..but that's my point , we are guessing who the armour on the Pergamum trophy relief belongs to ( assuming it does represent Magnesia) - could be Cataphract, Agema,Hetaroi....or somebody else.

Ah, I understand what you mean, but when you saıd "Later, successor, Companion Cavalry might have horse armour (frontal)" ıt sounded lıke you were questıonıng whether they had any horse armour at all, whıch they clearly dıd, though of course we don't know the exact nature of ıt.

[Paullus Scipio]

Is thıs the one where the horse ıs headıng towards the rıght and the cavalryman ıs turnıng to the left wıth a hand outstretched to receıve a helmet from hıs groom? If so, none of the pıctures of ıt that I've seen has ındıcated he ıs wearıng greaves, and ın Brown's thorough analysıs of thıs stele, she dıdn't mentıon anythıng about greaves eıther. Whıch source ıllustratıng the stele dıd you use?

No, the horseman is facing left, looking ahead, the horse is prancing with both forelegs raised and the servant follows. The best pictures I have are in "Philip of Macedon", various authors, National Hellenic Research Foundation, published by Heinemann 1981 ISBN 0 435 36340 9 1981 .
I've scanned this into my computer as a jpeg, but can't make the image function work - I'd post them if someone can tell me how ! (for my sins, I am not very computer-savvy ! )

[Zenodoros]

I've scanned this into my computer as a jpeg, but can't make the image function work - I'd post them if someone can tell me how ! (for my sins, I am not very computer-savvy !)

Paul, have you tried using www.imageshack.us ?

[D B Campbell]

I've scanned this into my computer as a jpeg, but can't make the image function work - I'd post them if someone can tell me how ! (for my sins, I am not very computer-savvy ! )

You can actually do it using only RAT. It's the "Add an Attachment" button, Paul.
Check Jasper's instructions here.

[Paullus Scipio]

Thanks, Barbara and Duncan! ..........Here goes....
Oh, I see, can't attach to 'quick reply'......uh,oh........picture exceeds 256 k limit......so try Imageshack.....



Eureka !! If you click on the image and view it enlarged, the greaves are clear.For completeness, I've included the Kinch's tomb warrior as well.

Thanks again, guys !! D

[MeinPanzer]

I'm afraid I think you are mistaken, Paullus. What you see as greaves is actually just the deterioration of the paint on the horseman's leg. Evaristo Breccia included in his 1912 publication "La Necropoli di Sciatbi" a colour painting made of the stele made when it was first discovered that shows the paint a bit clearer before it began to fade and it is clear that the rider is not wearing greaves. None of the authors who wrote about the stele in the early twentieth century (almost all of whom examined it in person before the paint began to deteriorate), most prominently Breccia and Reinach, mention greaves, and neither does Brown, writing about it in the middle of the century.

Unfortunately, as I've found in my research into the Hellenistic painted stelai, you can't often rely on the stelai as they appear today to discern what they actually looked like. Whenever possible, you have to return to the original publications, usually the excavation reports that first described these stelai, to get the best picture of what they once looked like.

[Paullus Scipio]

That is very hard to believe, Ruben. The colour of the supposed "greaves" is distinctly darker than the background leg, or the general background, so is not due to flaking or fading. But perhaps you are right - the "greave" is close to the colour of the horse ( but equally, very distinct from the saddle-cloth ). Also, it would be stretching co-incidence that the flaking/fading occurs at knee and ankle in exactly the right place for a greave........Can you post a picture of the discoverers/Breccia's painting?

Unfortunately, as I've found in my research into the Hellenistic painted stelai, you can't often rely on the stelai as they appear today to discern what they actually looked like. Whenever possible, you have to return to the original publications, usually the excavation reports that first described these stelai, to get the best picture of what they once looked like.

Quite true of course, but often it is equally true that the original report misses something in its original description, or is itself inaccurate, which is only picked up by later commentators - which just makes interpreting this stuff harder ! :? ? roll:

[MeinPanzer]

That is very hard to believe, Ruben. The colour of the supposed "greaves" is distinctly darker than the background leg, or the general background, so is not due to flaking or fading. But perhaps you are right - the "greave" is close to the colour of the horse ( but equally, very distinct from the saddle-cloth ). Also, it would be stretching co-incidence that the flaking/fading occurs at knee and ankle in exactly the right place for a greave........

Ah, I see what you are saying, now. The part that you take for his leg is actually the lower part of his white or off-white tunic, showing through under his pteruges, while the part you think is a greave is actually his leg. Look at the colour of his face and arm- it doesn't match the colour of his "leg" in your interpretation, while the part that you take for the exposed flesh of his leg matches perfectly the colour of the sleeve of his tunic (which is shown under the shoulder piece of his cuirass). Besides, if that darker portion really was a greave that he was wearing, then it would be much too high- that area stretches well above his knee in the image.

Can you post a picture of the discoverers/Breccia's painting?

Yes, I can, as well as a clear reproduction of his upper body showing the parts of the cuirass and chiton very clearly (if you don't think that that white portion under his arm is in fact his chiton), but at the moment I can't upload them from my laptop to my PC, and my laptop unfortunately cannot connect to the internet.

Quite true of course, but often it is equally true that the original report misses something in its original description, or is itself inaccurate, which is only picked up by later commentators - which just makes interpreting this stuff harder ! :? ? roll:

True, which is why it is best to take a balance of the two!

[Paullus Scipio]

The part that you take for his leg is actually the lower part of his white or off-white tunic,

You have got me looking very hard at that depiction now, Ruben, blown up too! :?
I don't think the 'white' below the pteryges is tunic, but rather a piece that has flaked off, over the thigh ( c.f. colour to background plaster ). Beneath that, you can see the black 'lines' of what appears to be the under-drawing sketch outlining the thigh. Similarly, the 'greave', if that is one, is similarly outlined with a dark line, and the outline contiues across the leg at knee and ankle, just where you'd expect the lines of a greave to be.... There is another outline of the sleeve at the shoulder, on the 'flaked patch' on the torso, which is also probably the fresco's under-drawing.
(sigh! :roll: ) However, I now have considerably more doubts than I did before....now I would have to say' may or may not' instead of 'probably' shows a greave !!

Yes, I can, as well as a clear reproduction of his upper body showing the parts of the cuirass and chiton very clearly

Perhaps when you post this, much more will be revealed, but one would have to be cautious. Even now, those who make original paintings/copies can't help 'restoring' what they think ought to be there - e.g. the recent Macedonian tombs, although they now say "may have looked like originally.." Copyists were even more liberal with their interpretations in the past....... looking forward to your post ! )

[MeinPanzer]

The part that you take for his leg is actually the lower part of his white or off-white tunic,

You have got me looking very hard at that depiction now, Ruben, blown up too! :?
I don't think the 'white' below the pteryges is tunic, but rather a piece that has flaked off, over the thigh ( c.f. colour to background plaster ). Beneath that, you can see the black 'lines' of what appears to be the under-drawing sketch outlining the thigh. Similarly, the 'greave', if that is one, is similarly outlined with a dark line, and the outline contiues across the leg at knee and ankle, just where you'd expect the lines of a greave to be.... There is another outline of the sleeve at the shoulder, on the 'flaked patch' on the torso, which is also probably the fresco's under-drawing.
(sigh! :roll: ) However, I now have considerably more doubts than I did before....now I would have to say' may or may not' instead of 'probably' shows a greave !!

Yes, I can, as well as a clear reproduction of his upper body showing the parts of the cuirass and chiton very clearly

Perhaps when you post this, much more will be revealed, but one would have to be cautious. Even now, those who make original paintings/copies can't help 'restoring' what they think ought to be there - e.g. the recent Macedonian tombs, although they now say "may have looked like originally.." Copyists were even more liberal with their interpretations in the past....... looking forward to your post ! )

Sorry for the delay, but I can finally post some images.

http://www.antiquemilitaryhistory.com/i ... vescav.JPG
http://www.antiquemilitaryhistory.com/i ... escav1.JPG

The first is a more detailed image of a recent picture of the stele. The second is the reconstruction painting from when it was discovered (made around 1905, IIRC). I can't find the close-up image made of the rider's torso right now, but I will post it later.

You can see quite clearly which areas (the sleeve of his tunic, the bottom of his chiton beneath the pteruges) have been outlined and are clearly painted in and not chipped off paint. The tunic may not have been white, but it was clearly painted at some point (like the man's hair, it may have faded). The reconstruction painting also shows that the line that you take for the top edge of a greave is in fact just the result of the deteriorating paint.

[hoplite14gr]

Sorry for being late im answerimg that but:

Greaves and "epimeridia" are depicted on an Attic vase found in Vulchi (Etruria) dated 510 B.C. and attributed top the painter of Villa Julia-
It shows 2 horsmen with this equipment trampling a Skythian.
Tampa Museum of art (Tampa 86.42) Image available om Perseus project.

So greaves did exist in the Arcahic period.

Kind regards