Mounted Archers in Britain

[John Conyard]

You are more than welcome. Strensall is the other side of York, around 5 miles away. We train near Howden around 40 minutes to the south. This time of year I train about once a week, sometimes more seldom less. Rain or shine. Archery is all a bit Scythian at present, done bareback with a 67lb Grozer bicomposite and cane arrows. As ever it all comes down to the release and reloading.

All our riders need to work on their speed of shooting over the winter. I ride around in a circle using both hands to string each arrow. Frankly I do not think I could ever achieve 1.5 seconds per release! That is brilliant.

Our riders also have to cope with a range of horses, but they are all well trained, and we have our favourites. But our riders tend to use the same saddle. We address accuracy by getting closer to the target, and of course every arena is different in size and layout.

I really enjoy horse archery. Waiting for that special moment when the horse is in balance and everything is just right is brilliant. We will meet up soon.

JC

[JeffF]

What of the 5500 Sarmatian cavalry sent to Britain by Marcus Aurelius? Of the 8000 horsemen they had to provide for Roman army service, 5500 were sent to Britain. Would not most of these have been horse archers? I understand that Sarmatian minor nobility provided the armored horsemen while their retainers made up the more numerous horse archers or light cavalry. Is that not correct? Have I mistaken a description of the Parthians or another mounted military culture?

[Surena]

Is there.. something up with my display name because my Name is Evan, and the Display is supposed to Say Magister Militum Flavius Aetius, and bot of you guys put Ewan...

Sorry! In my sort of defence, I was just copying John and didn't notice that he'd got it wrong...

[John Conyard]

Sorry, my mistake.

[Surena]

All our riders need to work on their speed of shooting over the winter. I ride around in a circle using both hands to string each arrow. Frankly I do not think I could ever achieve 1.5 seconds per release! That is brilliant.
JC

I didnt say I can do it, just that I'm working on it! I can sometimes manage about 1.5s but I'm more usually 2.5 or so. Then there are the bad days...

Speed of nocking is vital in the sport, as it lets you ride faster, thereby gaining points, whilst still having time for accurate shooting.

What makes it ever is using a lighter bow. My main bow pulls about 45lbs at my draw length, but I often compete with a lighter one of 33lbs or so. Slowly building the strength in my shoulder because I do prefer a heavier bow but after two lots of surgery for a dislocating shoulder I need to build up slowly.

[Occulus]

Sadly I can’t confirm whether cohors I Hammiorum Saggitariorum (The First Cohort of Hamian Archers) was a part-mounted equitata unit, or peditata, although the evidence seems to point to it being an infantry unit.

It is attested at Carvoran (Magnis) between AD136-8 when the Prefect Titus Flavius Secundus put up an altar to the Emperor’s fortune for the welfare of Lucius Aelius Caesar (RIB1778). A later inscription dedicated by Licinius Clemens Prefect of the cohort was dedicated to Deae Syriae under Calpurnius Agricola between AD163-166 (RIB1792).
(On a side note, there is a reference to Richmond 1943, Archaeologia Aeliana Series 4 Vol. xxi p203, stating that “that among military units in Britain the worship of Dea Syria was restricted to Coh. Hammiorum at Carvoran”. This information may well be out of date :-) )

There are building stones where Secundus is mentioned again (RIB 1818 where “the century of Prim[…] built 112? Feet of rampart under the command of Flavius Secundus the Prefect” and RIB 1820 where “the century of Silvanus built 112 feet of rampart under the command of Flavius Secundus the Prefect”)

Sion