08-01-2013, 04:34 PM
Mention of Palestinian clubmen reminds me of one description of cavalry attacking each other, or attempting to, from Zosimus's Historia Nova, describing Aurelian's Palmyrene campaign:
"(Aurelian) charged his cavalry not to engage immediately with the vigourous cavalry of the Palmyrenians, but to wait for their attack, and then, pretending to fly, to continue so doing until they had wearied both the men and their horses through excess of heat and the weight of their armour; so that they could pursue them no longer. This project succeeded, and as soon as the cavalry of the emperor saw their enemy tired, and that their horses were scarcely able to stand under them, or themselves to move, they drew up the reins of their horses, and, wheeling round, charged them, and trod them under foot as they fell from their horses. By which means the slaugther was promiscuous, some falling by the sword, and others by their own and the enemies' horses."
The order not to 'engage immediately' implies that otherwise this would have been the usual tactic! The Roman cavalry here seem to have been rather more lightly armoured and equipped than their adversaries. Later in the account Zosimus specifically mentions the Equites Dalmatae and Mauri, and implies the presence of the Equites Singulares - so a mix of light and medium cavalry, perhaps.
The following battle went like this:
"At the commencement of the engagement, the Roman cavalry receded, lest the Palmyrenes, who exceeded them in number, and were better horsemen, should by some stratagem surround the Roman army. But the Palmyrene cavalry pursued them so fiercely, though their ranks were broken, that the event was quite contrary to the expectation of the Roman cavalry. For they were pursued by an enemy much their superior in strength, and therefore most of them fell. The foot had to bear the brunt of the action."
'The foot' in this case including the aforementioned clubmen, who deal with the cataphracts. The initial tactic is a bit obscure, but it sounds like the Romans feared being flanked by the Palmyrenes, so drew the cavalry back behind (?) the infantry flank - the Palmyrenes followed this up with a quick charge and turned the tactical retreat into a rout. Either way, we seem to have cavalry deliberately pitted against cavalry here.
Source: Zosimus, Historia Nova, Book 1
"(Aurelian) charged his cavalry not to engage immediately with the vigourous cavalry of the Palmyrenians, but to wait for their attack, and then, pretending to fly, to continue so doing until they had wearied both the men and their horses through excess of heat and the weight of their armour; so that they could pursue them no longer. This project succeeded, and as soon as the cavalry of the emperor saw their enemy tired, and that their horses were scarcely able to stand under them, or themselves to move, they drew up the reins of their horses, and, wheeling round, charged them, and trod them under foot as they fell from their horses. By which means the slaugther was promiscuous, some falling by the sword, and others by their own and the enemies' horses."
The order not to 'engage immediately' implies that otherwise this would have been the usual tactic! The Roman cavalry here seem to have been rather more lightly armoured and equipped than their adversaries. Later in the account Zosimus specifically mentions the Equites Dalmatae and Mauri, and implies the presence of the Equites Singulares - so a mix of light and medium cavalry, perhaps.
The following battle went like this:
"At the commencement of the engagement, the Roman cavalry receded, lest the Palmyrenes, who exceeded them in number, and were better horsemen, should by some stratagem surround the Roman army. But the Palmyrene cavalry pursued them so fiercely, though their ranks were broken, that the event was quite contrary to the expectation of the Roman cavalry. For they were pursued by an enemy much their superior in strength, and therefore most of them fell. The foot had to bear the brunt of the action."
'The foot' in this case including the aforementioned clubmen, who deal with the cataphracts. The initial tactic is a bit obscure, but it sounds like the Romans feared being flanked by the Palmyrenes, so drew the cavalry back behind (?) the infantry flank - the Palmyrenes followed this up with a quick charge and turned the tactical retreat into a rout. Either way, we seem to have cavalry deliberately pitted against cavalry here.
Source: Zosimus, Historia Nova, Book 1
Nathan Ross
