Banter.
I can see how the scythed chariots would each only require one driver. I guess I was thinking more of the war chariot. In the war chariot's case you would need a driver, and one or two other men. Perhaps three other men if you were Assyrian, haha. Then again, by the time we get to the Assyrians in the 9th century BCE we start seeing the use of cavalry as a war unit.
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MeinPanzer, it's great to see you back, man! I hope to see ya posting more often.
A single driver would make sense in a chariot that is the weapon in itself. Without a second man on the vehicle you spare about 60 to 80 kg that you can invest in more armor and/or speed and movability. So there is very good argument that the later scythed chariots were also manned only by one person.
The queen commands and we'll obey
Over the Hills and far away.
(perhaps from an English Traditional, about 1700 AD)
Drum, Kinder, seid lustig und allesamt bereit:
Auf, Ansbach-Dragoner! Auf, Ansbach-Bayreuth!
(later chorus -containing a wrong regimental name for the Bayreuth-Dragoner (DR Nr. 5) - of the "Hohenfriedberger Marsch", reminiscense of a battle in 1745 AD, to the music perhaps of an earlier cuirassier march)
Yes but, weren't they armed with a javelin thrower? I haven't read any detailed info about the Battle of Guamela (just the wikipedia article) so it is possible that there was a javalineer for skirmishing and long range attacks (they were weak against the pestalts of Alexander), please correct me if i'm wrong
~Jirisys
I doubt the equipment of such chariots was standardized. Chariots were prestige weapons, so those who chose to employ them may have added a fighter even if it wasn't strictly necessary. However, I doubt that a single javelineer would have made much difference against determined light infantry. If the noise and the scythes didn't panic their assailants, a few javelins are not going to scare them off either.
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