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The Parthian Shot Newsletter of the British Horseback Archery Association The Parthian Shot Newsletter of the British Horseback Archery Association Issue 2, June 2010 Welcome to the Parthian Shot, occasional newsletter of the BHAA. This is the second issue, slightly behind schedule but nonetheless packed full of interesting historical and practical information for the modern horse archer. And uniquely nothing about football or World Cups! Also included are two reviews of Horseback Archery tuition courses - as the sport starts to take hold in the UK - and a round up of what’s going on in the rest of the world. The Parthians by Rick Lippiett The Parthian Empire was founded in the mid- 3rd century BC by Arsaces I of Parthia, leader of the Parni tribe, when he conquered the Parthia region in rebellion against the Greeks. At its height, the Parthian Empire stretched from the northern reaches of the Euphrates, in what is now eastern Turkey, to eastern Iran. The empire, located on the Silk Road trade route between the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean Basin and the Han Dynasty in China, quickly became a centre of trade and commerce. The Parthians largely adopted the art, architecture, religious beliefs, and royal insignia of their culturally diverse empire, which encompassed Hellenistic, Persian, and regional cultures. For about the first half of its existence, the Arsacid court adopted Greek culture, though it eventually saw a gradual revival of Iranian traditions. Parthian Horse Archer - the fabled Parthian shot The Parthian Empire had no standing army, yet was able to quickly recruit troops in the enemies while riding and facing away from Parthians In Historical Context event of local crises. The main striking force of them; this technique, known as the Parthian the Parthian army was its cataphracts; heavy Shot proved a highly effective tactic. Light The earliest enemies of the Parthians were cavalry with man and horse decked in mailed infantry units, composed of levied commoners the Seleucids in the west and the Scythians armour. The cataphracts were equipped with and mercenaries, were used to disperse enemy in the east. During the reign of Mithridates a lance for charging into enemy lines, as well troops after cavalry charges. I (171–138 BC) the Parthian Empire was at as bows and arrows. Due to the cost of their its zenith, conquering Media, Babylonia and equipment and armour, cataphracts were The Parthian Empire, being culturally and Mesopotamia in the west and as far East as the recruited from among the aristocratic class politically diverse, had a variety of religious Indus River. who, in return for their services, demanded a systems and beliefs, the most widespread measure of autonomy at the local level from being those dedicated to Greek and Iranian Mithridates also established royal residences the kings. The light cavalry was recruited from cults. Most Parthians were polytheistic and at Seleucia, Ecbatana, Ctesiphon and his newly among the commoner class and acted as horse as with Seleucid rulers, Parthian art indicates founded city, Mithradatkert (Nisa, in modern archers. Horse archers wore a simple tunic that the Arsacid kings viewed themselves as day Turkmenistan), where the tombs of the and trousers into battle. They used composite, gods; this cult of the ruler was perhaps the Arsacid kings were built and maintained. recurved bows and were able to shoot at most widespread. What was the Parthian Shot? The Parthian shot was a military tactic made famous by the Parthians. The Parthian horse archers, mounted on light horses, would feign retreat; then, while at a full gallop, turn their bodies back to shoot at the pursuing enemy. The manoeuvre required superb equestrian skills, since the rider’s hands were occupied by their bow and the rider had neither saddle nor stirrups to aid them. This tactic was used by most Eurasian nomads, including the Scythians, Huns, Magyars, Turks and Mongols and later Byzantine & Sassanids. The Parthian Shot Newsletter of the British Horseback Archery Association During the reign of Phraates II, incursions by Antiochus of Syria in the West (aiming to retake Mesopotamia, but ultimately leading to his defeat and death) were followed by a more protracted invasion by the nomadic Saccae (Scythians) in the East. The Scythians continued to raid and eventually caused the fall of both Phraates II in 128BC and his successor Artabanus I in 124BC. However Mithridates II recovered the lost lands to the east, and made some alliances with the Chinese Han Empire to encourage trade from West to East along the Silk Road, and the Indo-Parthian Kingdom in the 1st Century BC. Despite securing his Eastern borders with these shrewd alliances, Mithridates ultimately became embroiled in a conflict with Armenia on his north eastern borders which drew the attentions of the Romans (who were looking to set up a puppet state of their own in Armenia). His successors were to have much to do with Parthian Horse Archers in action against the Roman formations the upstart new Roman Empire. During the reign of Phraates III, after much Emboldened by the victory over Crassus, the The Roman emperor Tiberius (14–37 AD) political upheaval, the Parthian backed Parthians attempted to capture Roman-held became involved in a plot by Pharasmanes I Armenian prince Tigranes the Younger was territories in Western Asia. The Arsacids sided of Iberia to place his brother Mithridates on brought to Rome as a hostage. Phraates with Pompey in his civil war against Julius the throne of Armenia by assassinating the demanded Pompey return Tigranes to Caesar and even sent troops to support the Parthian ally King Arsaces of Armenia - just him, but Pompey refused. In retaliation, anti-Caesarian forces at the Battle of Philippi one of many convoluted intrigues employed to Phraates launched an invasion into Corduene in 42 BC. de-stabilise the region and keep the Parthians (southeastern Turkey). Shortly after, Phraates busy fighting amongst themselves and their was assassinated by his sons Orodes & Despite eventually occupying most of the immediate neighbours. Mithridates III - but there followed a period Levant, except Tyre, the Parthians were soon of civil war between the two successors and driven out by Roman counter-offensives led by However by the middle of the 1st century, the the Romans effectively used this to divide Mark Anthony. Parthians had finally succeed in deposing the the Parthians, supporting Mithridates (who More Parthian unrest, internal conflict and Roman-backed Iberian King Rhadamistus was eventually hunted down and executed by assassinations greatly aided the Romans from the Armenian throne, and by doing so Orodes’ general, Surenas). once more - although the Parthians were founded the Arsacid line of Armenian kings. Marcus Licinius Crassus, one of the triumvirs eventually able to expel the Romans from who was now proconsul of Syria, launched Armenia once and for all. Following the Decline and Fall an invasion into Parthia in 53 BC; feigning defeat of Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 Ultimately the frequent civil wars between belated support of Mithridates. As his army BC, Octavian became the emperor of Rome, Parthian contenders to the throne proved marched to Carrhae, Orodes (now Orodes II) now a republic in name only (the Romans more damaging than foreign incursions. A invaded Armenia, cutting off support from were also no strangers to internecine power succession of campaigns from Trajan, Hadrian Rome’s ally Artavasdes II of Armenia. struggles! ) Octavian, now named Augustus ( 27 BC – 14 AD) by the Roman Senate, was and the great Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd What followed was one of the worst military able to engineer (through taking hostage century AD merely hastened the Empire’s defeats of Roman history (see full feature on the son of Phraates IV) the return of the inevitable decline and fall. Parthian power the Battle of Carrhae). Legion standards lost at Carrhae. Octavian declined until Ardashir I established the unscrupulously made full use of this political Sassanid Empire, which ruled Iran and much Parthia’s victory cemented its reputation as victory over Parthia to further strengthen his of the Near East until the Muslim conquests a formidable contender to Rome - Surenas rule of Rome. of the 7th century AD (although the Arsacid returned to Seleucia in triumph, the hero of dynasty lived on through the Armenian line). the Parthian nation. However, fearing his Subsequently, although nominally at peace ambitions even for the throne, Orodes had with Parthia, Rome continued interfering in its Surenas executed shortly thereafter. affairs over the next century. The Legacy of Carrhae ( Dan Sawyer) Carrhae demonstrates the classic tactics of the horseback archer. The enemy was drawn into an exposed position and then peppered with arrows. Any attempt to engage was met with a feigned withdrawal and subsequent massacre of the isolated pursuers. This was a style of warfare that would torment Western armies for more than a thousand years. The Parthian Shot Newsletter of the British Horseback Archery Association THE BATTLE OF CARRHAE 53 BC by Dan Sawyer In 53BC a Roman army invaded the Kingdom of Parthia (modern Iran). It was led by Marcus Licinius Crassus, the general who had put down Spartacus’ rebellion and who had, in the intervening years, become one of the three men who virtually ruled the Roman Republic (with Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great). Now he sought to relive his glory days and take the fabled wealth of the East. Crassus set off into the desert with some 35,000 heavy infantry, 4000 light infantry and 4000 cavalry, commanded by his son, Publius Crassus, who had fought with distinction under Julius Caesar in Gaul and had been sent with his Gaulish horsemen to bolster his father’s army. Roman armies, whilst they had the finest infantry in the world, had always lacked really efficient cavalry, relying on foreign auxiliaries like Publius’ Gauls.
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