Hellenistic Greek cavalry

[Cataphract_Of_The_City]

What kind of cavalry did the Greek cities and the Aetolian and Achaean Leagues use during the Hellenistic era (say 330 - 200)? What was their equipment and how did they fight? I am specifically interested in Ionian, Athenian, Theban, Thessalian and Peloponessian (Spartan included) cavalry.

[Marshal Murat]

It's mostly light cavalry. While specifics are vague, Thessaly had the best horsemen until Macedon reached pre-eminence amongst city-states with the Companions.

The Athenians, Thebans, Spartans, and other city states used light troops, riding bare-back or on a saddle cloth.
Tunic, Boetian Helmet, usually used to scatter archers (just as rare because of a very poor drawing technique) peltasts, or slingers. Armed with javelins, a short sword, shield.

Hellenistic, they changed it (more postulation here) to a Macedonian Companion style horsemen. However, Thessaly probably still had the best, but the Successors had the best horsemen at the time.

[Watchman]

By what I know of it, there were three main types. The lightest was the hippakontistai pattern - mounted javelin skirmishers, basically. Essentially pure light cavalry, armed with javelins, shields, and whatever light armour they could afford. These guys are probably what most sources call "Tarentinoi".

The next one was a developement of the old hippeis all-purpose cavalry, well-equipped horsemen armed with varying combinations of javelins and dory (the standard Greek fighting-spear, a little over two meters long; the horsemen used it both as a short-range heavy javelins and a shock weapon); already in the Clasical period they might wear as much armour as full "bell" or "muscle" bronze quirasses, and they adopted shields around the beginning of the 3rd century BC. The exact inspiration for that is unknown; Italian influences through Pyrrhus' campaigns are one possibility, Thracian, Scythian and Persian contacts another. The crude but workable "Scythian" saddle may also have been adopted from the Thracians, who are known to have made use of it already around Alexander's time. In any case these guys were jack-of-all trades cavalry, "heavy skirmishers" capable of both hit-and-run work and heavy shock action.

The heaviest type was the Macedonian-pattern xystophoroi lancer, who was a specialist shock-trooper. They may have started using shields later on, and there may have been alterations to their lance techniques due to Eastern influences over time, but for the most part they can be thought of as a less elite version of the Hellenistic Hetairoi. Probably not very common among the peninsular Greeks though.

[Cataphract_Of_The_City]

Thanks for the info. Does anyone have the number of each type of cavalry Athens, Thebes, Sparta and the two Leagues fielded? Or perhaps a book I can see on this subject?

[conon394]

Does anyone have the number of each type of cavalry Athens, Thebes, Sparta and the two Leagues fielded? Or perhaps a book I can see on this subject?

I G Spence “the Cavalry of Classical Greece” is an excellent book for Hellenic cavalry in the 5th and 4th centuries.

You might also consider Xenophon’s works. Whatever his failing as a historian, Xenophon was a professional and skilled cavalry officer who spent a fair amount of time in the field (you know that whole march up country and all…).

Marshal Murat

It's mostly light cavalry. While specifics are vague, Thessaly had the best horsemen until Macedon reached pre-eminence amongst city-states with the Companions.

The Athenians, Thebans, Spartans, and other city states used light troops, riding bare-back or on a saddle cloth.
Tunic, Boetian Helmet, usually used to scatter archers (just as rare because of a very poor drawing technique) peltasts, or slingers. Armed with javelins, a short sword, shield.

I disagree strongly. Aside from combing the sarissa with the wedge the Macedonian cavalry was no ‘heavier’ than Greek cavalry it just had better reach – nor was Greek cavalry just light. Greek cavalry could do a lot more than scatter archers (a rather pointless goal since almost no Greek states deployed archers…). At Plataea for example the vaunted Persian cavalry did squat, but the Theban cavalry managed to run down the Hoplites of Megara – hardly only light. If you read Xenophon (Anabasis) it is pretty clear he was not a light cavalry man and his recommendations in ‘Hipparchikos’ are hardly for light cavalry.

Watchman

The heaviest type was the Macedonian-pattern xystophoroi lancer, who was a specialist shock-trooper. They may have started using shields later on, and there may have been alterations to their lance techniques due to Eastern influences over time, but for the most part they can be thought of as a less elite version of the Hellenistic Hetairoi. Probably not very common among the peninsular Greeks though.

Calling the Macedonians ‘shock-troopers’ seems like a mistake. They may have been good, and armored and skilled; but they could not execute a shock attacked against decent heavy infantry – anymore than Greek or Thessalian cavalry could. The Thessalinas drove the Macs of the field in every battle of the Lamina war – but neither they nor their defeated rivals could have (or did) overrun the Greek or Macedonian phalanxes (that were not surprised or flanked or disorder, etc.)

[Watchman]

Well, duh. Shock cavalry never did very well in frontal attacks against steady pikes, so the distinction somewhat eludes me.

[Reenk Roink]

I G Spence “the Cavalry of Classical Greece” is an excellent book for Hellenic cavalry in the 5th and 4th centuries.

I'd also add Cavalry Operations in the Ancient Greek World by Gaebel.

With those two on hand, you'll know all you ever wanted to know. :boo:

Bryn Mawr Classical Review of Gaebel