Re: Dogafracts

From: Alan and Carmel Brain <aebrain_at_dynamite.com.au>
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 22:04:52 +1000


> From: Svechin_at_cs.com
> Subject: Carmanian cavarly
>
> Jose (great post BTW)
> > Let's not forget that the battles between byzantines and Norman's in
> >Italy were determinant in the latter adoption of the couched lance (with
> >other influences thrown in). And it is indeed true that the Norman charge
> >had a heavier impact than the 10th century Byzantine...
>
> Yes, this is the case. The 10th century Kataphractoi attacked at the
trot,
> in wedge, with very few lancers in the formation, mostly with maces and a
> significant body of horse archers
>
> > So, do the partially persian Carmanians value the bow (as the
persians
> >did) or not?

I've done some little research on the Sassanian Dynasty and it's military structure.
Don't know how relevant this is to Carmania, but here goes:

The Early Sassanian Noble Cavalry were armed primarily with bow, had mail hauberks,
but were also armed with lances used overhanded, ie with arms outstretched over the
head. They were also armed with an assortment of swords, axes, maces (or at least,
they were supposed to be). Tactics appear to have been to trot up just outside of
thrown javelin range of the enemy infantry, pepper them with arrows until they were
disordered, then charge home at a canter. Often the horses were armoured with metal at the
front, or felt all round.
Against the Romans they also used some much, much heavier cavalry. These were
armoured head-to-foot with horn scalemail, as were their horses. Armament was a
Kontos, otherwise knows as a Telephone Pole with a heavy sword at the end. It appears that these were used by raising them vertically, then letting them drop
in a full 90 degree arc, splitting the enemy literally in two. But sources differ, they may
have been lighter and used more conventionally for stabbing. Certainly they charged at a
walk or just possibly trot.
Two really good sources:
Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome by the Wargames Reserach Group Saracen Archery, which deals with mainly Islamic, but also pre-Islamic archery,
both on horse and on foot.


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