Did the Seleucids Invent Heavy Cavalry?

[Michael Kerr]

Just on the Seleucid cataphract Erich Anderson included a depicted relief of captured Seleucid arms and armour after their defeat at the Battle of Magnesia in his article for Ancient Warfare V5 issue 6 as well as his book Cataphracts Knights of the Ancient Eastern Empires. it was from the stoa of the temple of Athena Polias Nikephorus which was at Pergamon but this piece is at Berlin Museum, so probably erected by Eumenes II who played a major part in the Roman victory over Antiochus III at Magnesia. Looks a lot like parade armour with face mask, laminated limb armour and horse armour too.

   

Regards

Michael Kerr