05-18-2017, 09:36 AM
Zonaras Book XIII
5
Hormisdas was very strong and expert with the javelin (άκοντιστής), so much that, while aiming a javelin at someone, he could predict where it would strike the enemy. So then, when he had been appointed to command a large detachment of cavalry (άρχειν ταχϑείς ίππέων ίλης πολλής), he campaigned with Constantius against his countrymen.
This is a very intriguing sentence. Why does Zonaras call the detachment of cavalry ippeon iles? Why not plain old regular iles? This statement implies the existence of infantry iles.
I have a hypothesis which is:
Just as a cuneus can be composed of infantry or cavalry and a globus/drungus can be composed of infantry or cavalry, so an ilê can be composed of infantry or cavalry.
Let’s see if someone can falsify this theory.
5
Hormisdas was very strong and expert with the javelin (άκοντιστής), so much that, while aiming a javelin at someone, he could predict where it would strike the enemy. So then, when he had been appointed to command a large detachment of cavalry (άρχειν ταχϑείς ίππέων ίλης πολλής), he campaigned with Constantius against his countrymen.
This is a very intriguing sentence. Why does Zonaras call the detachment of cavalry ippeon iles? Why not plain old regular iles? This statement implies the existence of infantry iles.
I have a hypothesis which is:
Just as a cuneus can be composed of infantry or cavalry and a globus/drungus can be composed of infantry or cavalry, so an ilê can be composed of infantry or cavalry.
Let’s see if someone can falsify this theory.
