PARTHIAN HEAVY CAVALRY

The Parthian state (or a party state) is a power that in antiquity spread over today's Iran, a large part of Iraq, but also in Turkey, Syria and Afghanistan, among others. It is assumed that this state was formed around 250 BC and existed until 226 AD. It repeatedly entered into armed conflicts with the Roman state, often emerging victorious from them. It is not infrequently assumed that the armed forces of this vast country consisted only of a small extent from professional troops, and to a much greater extent were convened by means of mass mobilization. As Parthians were famous in antiquity as great horsemen, it is not surprising that cavalry was the most important and key element of their armed forces. Undoubtedly, the most elite formation in the Parisian cavalry were the cataphracts, i.e. well-trained and armed soldiers from head to toe armored with scale or lamellar armor, who also mounted armored war horses. They were used for classic cavalry charges and for breaking enemy lines on the battlefield. The concept of such an armed and fighting heavy cavalry was later adopted by the Sassanid State or the Byzantine Empire. However, a large part of the Parthian cavalry were also horse archers, who almost certainly used composite bows with a great penetration power for those times, who were famous for their mobility, maneuverability and who were able to inflict defeats on the Roman army. It is assumed that the Parthians were able to put up to tens of thousands of venoms in the field.