04-08-2013, 11:49 AM
The enormeous drums and trumpets use by the armies of the Middle East had a very significant downside: they were a heavy load to carry, so in the case of a defeat they were often lost, just like the tents, footservants and the like.
The Sarmatians, like all nomads, were described as lightly equipped, not in reference to their armour and weapons, but to the fact that they did not carry along the enormeous bagagetrain of civilised armies. Everything they needed was carried along on pack-horses. So usually, nomad armies did not carry drums and other such paraphernalia along. Instead of drumming, the nomads yelled. The Sarmatians moving into the Alfoldi plain probably retained this tradition.
The Sarmatians, like all nomads, were described as lightly equipped, not in reference to their armour and weapons, but to the fact that they did not carry along the enormeous bagagetrain of civilised armies. Everything they needed was carried along on pack-horses. So usually, nomad armies did not carry drums and other such paraphernalia along. Instead of drumming, the nomads yelled. The Sarmatians moving into the Alfoldi plain probably retained this tradition.
