Alexander\'s Companion Cavalry (Hetairoi)

[Mythos_Ruler]

What kinds of animal skins were used on their horses? I've seen representations of lion and leopard pelts, but are tiger pelts also possible?

Secondly, what kinds of armor were used? Chamfrons? Other? And why don't Hetairoi wear greaves in reproductions? Are there literary sources for this? For me, as a cavalryman, I'd think I'd wear greaves, since my legs would be at perfect striking level.

[Idomeneas]

What kinds of animal skins were used on their horses? I've seen representations of lion and leopard pelts, but are tiger pelts also possible?

Secondly, what kinds of armor were used? Chamfrons? Other? And why don't Hetairoi wear greaves in reproductions? Are there literary sources for this? For me, as a cavalryman, I'd think I'd wear greaves, since my legs would be at perfect striking level.

and then you would fall at first bump of the ground cause you would slip over the horse :lol:

No stir ups remember? :wink:

[Mythos_Ruler]

Right, but no way to turn the greaves so that your calf gripped the horse correctly?

[Paullus Scipio]

.... while most greek/makedonian cavalry do not seem to wear greaves, there is at least one painted grave stele from Alexandria showing a "companion" type cavalryman with greaves - used as the basis of the greaved Companion cavalryman illustrated on p.82 of "Warfare in the Classical World" - John Warry

Remember too that these cavalry did not expect to fight infantry hand- to -hand. They usually engaged other, usually missile armed, cavalry or ran down fleeing light infantry.
Given this, a good grip on the horse might well have outweighed any need for leg protection.

[Nicholas Gaukroger]

I thought, from what some equestrians have said, that without stirrups the main grip comes from the thighs and not the calves.

[hoplite14gr]

Leopards were extinct from Greece during the late Bronze age.
Mountain lions existed in Thrace up to the time of Herodotus.
Sporting a snow leopard either traded or looted from the Skythians could be a sign of prestige.
The majority of the cavalrymen would have felt Skythian saddles.

Kind regards

[Mythos_Ruler]

Then why do the vast majority of reproductions show lion and leopard print skins?

[Paullus Scipio]

......simple, really ! The Alexander mosaic from Pompeii, now in the Naples museum, shows what appears to be a leopard skin shabraque on his horse, the un-armoured rider in the painting of the "kinch's tomb" relief (found near Naoussa and now lost) is shown on a leopardskin shabraque, and there is a relief of a horse and groom from around the same time ( with a Boeotian helmet in the background) showing a horse with a 'catskin' shabraque which could be either a lion (female) or leopardskin, now in the National Museum Athens,

Thats it , AFIK.

BTW, all other known depictions of 'companion type' cavalry have a fairly plain 'dagged' saddle-cloth, including statuettes and other pictures of Alexander himself.

The leopardskin shabraque could have been a mark of Royalty.

[JP Vieira]

Hedllo
So, only the most royalty of cavalrymen would wear animal (feline) skins on their hores?
That is a great tip next tip for us illustrators; thank you
Best regards
JP Vieira

[Paullus Scipio]

....note that I only said could have, we cannot know for sure, but consider this.....

* All three depictions could represent Alexander and his mount...
* Leopardskins would be a rarity - certainly never enough (hundreds/thousands) to outfit the entire Companion cavalry, plus replacements etc
* Even the riderless Athenian relief probably shows a leopardskin, therefore all three may be showing a single original, unique to Alexander.... :?

....which means if I were an Artist, to be on the safe side, I would only show Alexander so equipped. )

[Mythos_Ruler]

Could a tiger skin be a possibility as well? Rare, sure, but possible?

[Paullus Scipio]

Could a tiger skin be a possibility as well? Rare, sure, but possible?

....you keep mentioning Tiger - skin , so you must be keen to show one !

....Absolutely no evidence for one AFIK, although of course Alexander was in India and 'might' have got one as an expensive present from a Rajah, or loot.......... so one cannot rule it out , but if he did have such a thing one might have expected a depiction or mention in the sources.

You could also choose to 'interpret' the 'catskin' on the Athens relief as Tiger, but in my view it is too small to be lion or tiger, and is most likely Leopard, like the others...........

[Mythos_Ruler]

I'm just trying to think of new and interesting ways to depict probable Companions.

[Paullus Scipio]

I'm just trying to think of new and interesting ways to depict probable Companions.

Well, I certainly wouldn't depict them with feline-skin shabraques......for the reasons set out above, it is likely that it was unique to Alexander, but possibly 'aped' by his Royal Successors ( no evidence for this though).

If you are looking to 'vary' your depictions of Companion Cavalry, I'd suggest a variety of known cavalry helmet types, body armour, greaves/not greaves and variously patterned/coloured 'conventional' dagged saddle blankets, for Alexander's day, augmented as the campaign went on by trphy/Loot Persian/Indian items ( e.g. Alexander himself wore a capture Persian cuirass)

Later, successor, Companion Cavalry might have horse armour (frontal), chamfrons with crests etc as shown on Pergamene reliefs.(but we can't assign the captured trophy armour to any particular units, though we might guess.)
For further detail, see Duncan Head's excellent "Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars" . )

[hoplite14gr]

Tiger skins would be more apropriate to the Greco-Bactrian kingdom companions.
Greco-bactrian Army quick reference here:
http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/armies/dba50ryan.html#50a
http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/armies/dba50ryan.html#50b
Use only as starting point for further reading.

Kind regards