08-21-2007, 09:41 AM
Yeah, thanks, I read that, but he says that
A: There is no literary evidence that mentions them dismounting.
B: All the coins that show actually Tarentine (ie from Tarentum) cavalry in the act of dismounting are probably depicting sporting events.
C: They were, at least as used by the Seleucids, a response to Parthian horse-archers (against which dismounted skirmishing with javelins would be impotent)
If anyone has any actual evidence in favour of them fighting dismounted I'd be really interested to hear it. I can't think of any strong evidence for cavalry from the Hellenistic or Roman periods that habitually fought dismounted, except possibly Alexander's experiment with the dimachi (or whatever they were called).
thanks
Phil Sidnell
p.s Excuse the plug but the paperback edition of my book [i]Warhorse:Cavalry in Ancient Warfare[\\i] is due to be published on October 20th in the UK, 2 months later in the US.
A: There is no literary evidence that mentions them dismounting.
B: All the coins that show actually Tarentine (ie from Tarentum) cavalry in the act of dismounting are probably depicting sporting events.
C: They were, at least as used by the Seleucids, a response to Parthian horse-archers (against which dismounted skirmishing with javelins would be impotent)
If anyone has any actual evidence in favour of them fighting dismounted I'd be really interested to hear it. I can't think of any strong evidence for cavalry from the Hellenistic or Roman periods that habitually fought dismounted, except possibly Alexander's experiment with the dimachi (or whatever they were called).
thanks
Phil Sidnell
p.s Excuse the plug but the paperback edition of my book [i]Warhorse:Cavalry in Ancient Warfare[\\i] is due to be published on October 20th in the UK, 2 months later in the US.
