01-14-2018, 04:06 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-15-2018, 01:56 PM by Michael Kerr.)
I am not convinced that the Seleucids invented heavy cavalry/cataphracts although they were influenced by the military usefulness of heavy cavalry by their eastern subjects and did eventually use them. Bar-Kochva in his book on the Seleucid army mentions the Agema cavalry recruited from Medes and other eastern provinces as opposed to the Seleucid Companion cavalry, recruited from more Westerly provinces so at some stage the Seleucids incorporated cataphracts into their army. The Medes probably made good soldiers for firstly Alexander and then the Seleucids as they would have been grateful to break free of the Persian yoke. Tarn thinks changes to the Seleucid military organisation occurred around the time of Antiochus III in his campaigns against the upper Satrapies and the Parthians.
I always thought heavy cavalry was invented by the Massagetae/Choresmians based on excavations at Chirik Rabat where pieces of iron plates were found and the descriptions by Herodotus of Massagetae armour for horses. As for Parthian influence Tarn thinks it was the time of Antiochus III in his campaigns against the upper Satrapies and the Parthians.
Xenophon mentions in his Anabasis the armour of Cyrus the Younger’s cavalry who were armed with breastplates and thigh pieces and helmets. Their horses had frontlets and breastpieces.
A lot of people credit the ancient Assyrians with the invention of armoured cavalry with reforms under the reign of Sennacherib in late 600s BC where cavalrymen wore lamellar armour and helmets as well as boots and about 30 years later to reduce the loss in horses, horse armour was introduced.
I wouldn't totally discount the origin being further north-east around the regions encompassed between the Urals and the Altai with their accessible mineral deposits and metallurgy industry and larger horses for the rise of armoured cavalry there as well but there has always been a brisk horse trade between east and west by then.
A lot of people credit the ancient Assyrians with the invention of armoured cavalry with reforms under the reign of Sennacherib in late 600s BC where cavalrymen wore lamellar armour and helmets as well as boots and about 30 years later to reduce the loss in horses, horse armour was introduced. Whether heavy cavalry was invented in Persia or further east all the regions mentioned were basically straddled by the steppes were the transference of ideas, weapons and technology was rapid.
I always thought heavy cavalry was invented by the Massagetae/Choresmians based on excavations at Chirik Rabat where pieces of iron plates were found and the descriptions by Herodotus of Massagetae armour for horses. As for Parthian influence Tarn thinks it was the time of Antiochus III in his campaigns against the upper Satrapies and the Parthians.
Xenophon mentions in his Anabasis the armour of Cyrus the Younger’s cavalry who were armed with breastplates and thigh pieces and helmets. Their horses had frontlets and breastpieces.
A lot of people credit the ancient Assyrians with the invention of armoured cavalry with reforms under the reign of Sennacherib in late 600s BC where cavalrymen wore lamellar armour and helmets as well as boots and about 30 years later to reduce the loss in horses, horse armour was introduced.
I wouldn't totally discount the origin being further north-east around the regions encompassed between the Urals and the Altai with their accessible mineral deposits and metallurgy industry and larger horses for the rise of armoured cavalry there as well but there has always been a brisk horse trade between east and west by then.
A lot of people credit the ancient Assyrians with the invention of armoured cavalry with reforms under the reign of Sennacherib in late 600s BC where cavalrymen wore lamellar armour and helmets as well as boots and about 30 years later to reduce the loss in horses, horse armour was introduced. Whether heavy cavalry was invented in Persia or further east all the regions mentioned were basically straddled by the steppes were the transference of ideas, weapons and technology was rapid.
Regards
Michael Kerr
Michael Kerr
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
