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+--- Thread: Persian horse archers (/showthread.php?tid=10628)
Persian horse archers - Aryaman2 - 10-03-2007
In the thread about the battle of Cunaxa there is a picture representing Persian horse archers fighting scythians. In the sources Persian cavalry is usually represented with javelins, and archers on foot, anyone knows the earliest written reference of Persian horse archers?
Re: Persian horse archers - Sean Manning - 10-03-2007
Quote:In the thread about the battle of Cunaxa there is a picture representing Persian horse archers fighting scythians. In the sources Persian cavalry is usually represented with javelins, and archers on foot, anyone knows the earliest written reference of Persian horse archers?Herodotus says that Persian cavalry were armed like their infantry (some combination of spear, long knife (akinakes), bow, helmet, and body armour) although some seem to have used javelins instead. He also mentions horse archers at Plataea in 479 BCE. In the western empire the bow became less popular than a pair of spears (palta) by 400 BCE. However, the 10,000 survivors of Cyrus' Yauna mercenaries were harrassed by Artaxerxes' horse archers until they organized a force of slingers to shoot back (Xen, Anab. II or so).
Re: Persian horse archers - hoplite14gr - 10-03-2007
I think Herodotus in battle of Platea mentions horse archer pressing hard the Megareans. Kind regards