Peltasts and chariots at Cunaxa

[Sean Manning]

You all assume that the chariots were scythed, but I did not find that in the Anabasis.

Hi Eduard,

You must have overlooked Xen. An. 1.8.10: πρὸ δὲ αὐτῶν ἅρματα διαλείποντα συχνὸν ἀπ'
ἀλλήλων τὰ δὴ δρεπανηφόρα καλούμενα· εἶχον δὲ τὰ δρέπανα ἐκ τῶν ἀξόνων εἰς πλάγιον ἀποτεταμένα καὶ ὑπὸ τοῖς δίφροις εἰς γῆν βλέποντα, ὡς διακόπτειν ὅτῳ ἐντυγχάνοιεν.

That is "In front of them [i.e. Artaxerxes' soldiers] at wide intervals from one another were the chariots called 'scythe-bearing'; they had scythes extending from the axles towards the side and under the bodies looking towards the ground, in order to cut up whoever they happened to meet."

See also the listing of the King's forces at Xen. An. 1.7.11 (here). There may be other passages, such as the scene where the Greek soldiers use the wood from the chariots to cook dinner, but I don't have time to track down all the references.