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Lance and Bow Cavalry - Flavivs Aetivs - 01-26-2013
There is debate whether Aetius introduced the "Lance and Bow" Cavalry of the Strategikon to the Roman Army through his use of Hunnic Foederati.
Renatus Profuturus Frigeridus, who provides the only description of Aetius, states in that description:
"...He was a superb horseman, skilled with the bow, and tireless with the lance..."
Could this be evidence for the introduction of their introduction int he 5th century?
Lance and Bow Cavalry - Marja - 01-26-2013
Maybe but not necessarily. I think the Strategikon describes mixed formations, with some soldiers armed with the lance and others with the bow, although it includes the idea that they should train with both.
Lance and Bow Cavalry - Frank - 01-26-2013
My understanding of the byzantine tagma or the very late roman cavalry unit is a very flexible mixed unit with a heavier armed frontline (the leaders of the unit but not neccesarily cataphracts) and less armored but more range oriented cavalrists behind them. Perhaps this was already the case for some 4th century turmae.
However, the sentence you quoted just says, that Aetius himself perfectionized both waepons.
Lance and Bow Cavalry - ValentinianVictrix - 01-28-2013
Evan, you need to check the original before it was translated into English. Often the translator will use a word such a 'pikes' but the latin states 'pila', I've seen 'lance' used for lancea many times as well.
That line also sounds suspiciously like the statement Ammianus made about Constantius II-
'In riding, in hurling the javelin, and especially in the skilful use of the bow, and in all the exercises of the foot-soldiers, he was an adept.'
'Equitandi et iaculandi, maximeque perite dirigendi sagittas, artiumque armaturae pedestris perquam scientissimus.'
I just think it was standard praise by the author for his subject if the subject was a military man.
Lance and Bow Cavalry - Macedon - 01-28-2013
Yep... for such subtle issues, the original text is always necessary. Words translated as lances, targes, shields, spears... even swords and daggers are very often broad and sometimes erroneous interpretations of much more accurate terms like hyssoi, peltae, thureoi, kontoi, machaerae or akinakes.. The word lance is used either as javelin or spear and only the original can shed light on the text. My examples are of course Greek but I am certain that in Latin texts, the same issue exists...
Lance and Bow Cavalry - Sean Manning - 01-28-2013
I think the passage is Gregory of Tours 2.8, a chapter which Gregory attributes to Renatus Frigeridus book 12. The Latin Library text of this sentence is:
"Medii corporis, virilis habitudinis, decenter formatus, quo neque infirmitudini esset neque oneri, animo alacer, membris vegitus, eques praesumptissimus, sagittarum iactu peritus, contu inpiger, bellis aptissimus, pacis artibus celebris, nullius avaritiae, minimae cupiditatis, bonis animi praeditus, ne inpulsoribus quidem pravis ab instituto suo devians, iniuriarum patientissimus, laboris adpetens, inpavidus periculorum, famis, sitis, vigiliarum tolerantissimus."
So Aetius was a most ourstanding horseman, skilled at the shooting of arrows, vigorous with the lance or contus, et cetera. What contus meant to Gregory in the sixth century I leave as an exercise to the Romanists.
I suspect that steppes cultures had been using both spears and bows on horseback since the early first millenium BCE, although the same man did not necessarily use both weapons in the same fight.
Lance and Bow Cavalry - Flavivs Aetivs - 01-28-2013
Quote:Evan, you need to check the original before it was translated into English. Often the translator will use a word such a 'pikes' but the latin states 'pila', I've seen 'lance' used for lancea many times as well.
That line also sounds suspiciously like the statement Ammianus made about Constantius II-
'In riding, in hurling the javelin, and especially in the skilful use of the bow, and in all the exercises of the foot-soldiers, he was an adept.'
'Equitandi et iaculandi, maximeque perite dirigendi sagittas, artiumque armaturae pedestris perquam scientissimus.'
I just think it was standard praise by the author for his subject if the subject was a military man.
Thanks for the advice, I'll try and find the original latin text.
Lance and Bow Cavalry - Sean Manning - 01-28-2013
You might want to look back over the last few posts ...