degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era

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degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era

Aulus Perrinius Offline

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#48

07-09-2010, 09:17 PM

Quote:It is obvious if one looks at the mechanics involved that if the infantry do not flinch prior to contact, but pack in tight, it is suicidal for a horse to charge into them at speed. This is because 12 ranks of men has a mass of almost 2000 lbs. If the men have not spread out, and men with almost no space between them are forced together at some 20+ mph, this would be like hitting a wall for the horse. At best the rider goes over his neck and the horse dies.

Sometimes this probably happened when horses, and men, were caught in the mindless stampede of a herd, but it is suicidal. More likely is that the horse charges at speed and if the infantry waivers, then press home into men who have opened their order. If they don't flinch, then the horses pull up, but it is important to remember that they can still fight their way into infantry at the walk and then if the men don't hold firm the cavalry can wade into them as mounted riot police do today.

However a horse weighs around 1,500 pounds, couple that with the combined weight of the riders gear and you get close to a ton. Now add another horse and rider to and you get an even weight on both sides. Besides every cavalry instruction on charges I've ever seen instructs to build up speed and then go to gallop within fifty yards of the enemy. And a running horse crosses that distance in about two seconds. Even if the rider was super-human and was fast enough to pull back on the reins the horse will still keep going for at least nine feet.

Ben.

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Messages In This Thread

degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by eugene - 06-20-2010, 10:07 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Sean Manning - 06-24-2010, 02:50 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paullus Scipio - 06-24-2010, 04:58 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Eleatic Guest - 06-24-2010, 10:01 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by eugene - 06-24-2010, 12:51 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by eugene - 06-24-2010, 04:10 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Astiryu1 - 06-24-2010, 04:34 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Dan Howard - 06-24-2010, 09:44 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Sean Manning - 06-25-2010, 02:37 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 06-25-2010, 06:03 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by hoplite14gr - 06-26-2010, 12:00 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Lysimachos - 06-28-2010, 03:31 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Timotheus - 07-02-2010, 03:19 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Giannis K. Hoplite - 07-02-2010, 04:03 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Timotheus - 07-02-2010, 06:42 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-04-2010, 05:22 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Timotheus - 07-04-2010, 05:41 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by John Conyard - 07-04-2010, 05:44 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Sean Manning - 07-04-2010, 06:24 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Giannis K. Hoplite - 07-04-2010, 06:41 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Timotheus - 07-05-2010, 12:19 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-05-2010, 04:34 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paullus Scipio - 07-05-2010, 06:13 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-05-2010, 06:38 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Sean Manning - 07-06-2010, 02:09 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Timotheus - 07-06-2010, 02:33 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-06-2010, 04:31 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Timotheus - 07-06-2010, 06:59 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-06-2010, 08:24 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Timotheus - 07-07-2010, 11:35 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Macedon - 07-07-2010, 04:03 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-07-2010, 09:58 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Macedon - 07-08-2010, 01:08 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-08-2010, 02:44 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paullus Scipio - 07-08-2010, 04:40 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Macedon - 07-08-2010, 12:18 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by John Conyard - 07-08-2010, 12:28 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paullus Scipio - 07-08-2010, 09:57 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-08-2010, 10:05 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Giannis K. Hoplite - 07-08-2010, 11:10 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-08-2010, 11:54 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Sean Manning - 07-09-2010, 02:17 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Macedon - 07-09-2010, 03:51 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-09-2010, 04:39 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paullus Scipio - 07-09-2010, 05:02 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paullus Scipio - 07-09-2010, 06:46 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by geala - 07-09-2010, 09:05 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-09-2010, 09:17 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-09-2010, 09:59 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Sean Manning - 07-10-2010, 02:06 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by geala - 07-10-2010, 05:22 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paullus Scipio - 07-10-2010, 07:16 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paralus - 07-10-2010, 07:30 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paullus Scipio - 07-10-2010, 07:41 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Paralus - 07-10-2010, 07:50 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by geala - 07-10-2010, 07:57 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Macedon - 07-10-2010, 03:08 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by geala - 07-10-2010, 06:39 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Giannis K. Hoplite - 07-10-2010, 07:56 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by geala - 07-11-2010, 07:39 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Macedon - 07-11-2010, 02:36 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-11-2010, 10:16 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-12-2010, 04:21 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-12-2010, 06:51 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-12-2010, 10:29 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Macedon - 07-13-2010, 02:02 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-13-2010, 03:15 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Aulus Perrinius - 07-13-2010, 10:48 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-13-2010, 11:30 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Macedon - 07-14-2010, 12:33 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-14-2010, 05:08 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by hoplite14gr - 07-14-2010, 10:53 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Macedon - 07-14-2010, 11:18 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Giannis K. Hoplite - 07-14-2010, 02:10 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by hoplite14gr - 07-14-2010, 03:12 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-14-2010, 04:22 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Giannis K. Hoplite - 07-14-2010, 05:00 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-14-2010, 05:23 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Giannis K. Hoplite - 07-14-2010, 07:09 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-14-2010, 08:53 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Astiryu1 - 07-14-2010, 11:25 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by hoplite14gr - 07-15-2010, 10:04 AM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by Felix - 07-20-2010, 10:45 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-21-2010, 03:33 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by abou - 07-23-2010, 02:23 PM

Re: degradation of Greek cavalry in Hellenistic era - by PMBardunias - 07-23-2010, 03:48 PM

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