Roxolani and Iaziges

[Alanus]

Hello, Michael

I'm not sure what your question is, but in the steppe world there wasn't a whole lot of infantry. Horses were everywhere, each tribe having a huge inventory of livestock. The large horse was probably developed for heavy armor and the contus, yet it was also a status symbol-- only the elite had big horses. At the same time, every tribal member (man and woman) was an expert rider before they reached their teens. Most women used the bow, sometimes a sword; and at least one woman has been found buried in complete armor with multiplex weapons... indicating she was a cataphract. mile:

Renatus, I'll try to find the archaeological source for this tidbit. The armor was typical scale.

Although the Iaz were light horsemen, it's believed that they were instrumental in intoducing the draco as a Roman army symbol. No doubt the Roxolani had a hand in its popularity, too. At first it was at the forefront of cavalry units, but it was adopted by infantry cohorts as well.