07-29-2007, 11:52 PM
Hi, Giannis !
While Herodotus doesn't specifically say so, I would be almost certain they were infantry, and almost certain they were "Immortals", for the following reasons :-
1.When cavalry are involved, H. tells us so - the skirmish when Masistius is killed, for example.
2.We know the "Immortals" were the highest status royal guards in Persia, and H. calls Mardonius guards"the flower of the Army", and later"the best troops"
3. Mardonius frequently orders the cavalry into action, but never leads them himself
4. The Persians under Mardonius set up a barricade of shields and bombard the Spartans from behind it.
5. The Spartans charge, there is a struggle at the barricade, then a fierce hand-to-hand struggle --- cavalry would have evaded the infantry charge, as they did earlier.
6.Mardonius was conspicuous on his white horse, but would not have been if he were surrounded by cavalry.
I could give more reasons, but I think these suffice.........
I can't recall off-hand seeing any spear armed Persian infantry on Greek pottery, even those where the wicker pavises (spara) are shown - but this is likely to be for artistic reasons, and is therefore of doubtful use in trying to reconstruct the Persian army.
While Herodotus doesn't specifically say so, I would be almost certain they were infantry, and almost certain they were "Immortals", for the following reasons :-
1.When cavalry are involved, H. tells us so - the skirmish when Masistius is killed, for example.
2.We know the "Immortals" were the highest status royal guards in Persia, and H. calls Mardonius guards"the flower of the Army", and later"the best troops"
3. Mardonius frequently orders the cavalry into action, but never leads them himself
4. The Persians under Mardonius set up a barricade of shields and bombard the Spartans from behind it.
5. The Spartans charge, there is a struggle at the barricade, then a fierce hand-to-hand struggle --- cavalry would have evaded the infantry charge, as they did earlier.
6.Mardonius was conspicuous on his white horse, but would not have been if he were surrounded by cavalry.
I could give more reasons, but I think these suffice.........
I can't recall off-hand seeing any spear armed Persian infantry on Greek pottery, even those where the wicker pavises (spara) are shown - but this is likely to be for artistic reasons, and is therefore of doubtful use in trying to reconstruct the Persian army.
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
