Pahlava infantry

[Foot]

Wiesehofer says, "In comparison, the infantry was evidently of secondary importance, although according to the Christian-Syrian 'Chronicle of Arbela', Vologeses III was said to have sent 20,000 footsoldiers against the Alans in 136 AD." [Ancient Persia, p148]

It must be remembered that the main enemies for much of Parthia's history were the greeks and then the romans, both of whom had powerful heavy infantry. We know of Parthian armies through the eyes of the western authors, whose armies would have met the cavalry rather than any infantry; the infantry of the parthians could not have stood against the heavy infantry of the west. But the Chronicle of Arbela, as noted above, suggests that did the need arise the Parthians could call upon a vast reserve infantry (probably mostly archer/spearmen).

Foot

[Son of Perun]

Wiesehofer says, "In comparison, the infantry was evidently of secondary importance, although according to the Christian-Syrian 'Chronicle of Arbela', Vologeses III was said to have sent 20,000 footsoldiers against the Alans in 136 AD." [Ancient Persia, p148]

It must be remembered that the main enemies for much of Parthia's history were the greeks and then the romans, both of whom had powerful heavy infantry. We know of Parthian armies through the eyes of the western authors, whose armies would have met the cavalry rather than any infantry; the infantry of the parthians could not have stood against the heavy infantry of the west. But the Chronicle of Arbela, as noted above, suggests that did the need arise the Parthians could call upon a vast reserve infantry (probably mostly archer/spearmen).

Foot

That's interesting but did actually Parthians have same army compositions in 136 AD and 272 BC?

[Foot]

That's interesting but did actually Parthians use the same i

I assume you got cut off there, but I'll answer as best I can.

If we presume that the majority of their infantry was used in engagements with nomadic tribes, then anti-arrow/anti-cav would be the name of the game. In other words spear, and large wicker shield. Not to mention a multitude of archers to rein death upon the enemy. Sounds like the basic infantry for the parthians to me. Nizag Gund, Eransahr Artshbara, and Thanvare Payahdag.

Foot

[Watchman]

Which sounds like it was more or less directly copied off earlier Achaemenid patterns - which the Hellenic rulers of the land in between had presumably used as well for the same purpose, for the rather simple reason it worked. About as well as you now could manage with infantry against excessively mobile cavalry armies. The Crusaders used a variation of the theme to keep the Turks at bay, and the Chinese had similar tactical schemes (although they apparently often had the archers and crossbowmen in the front ranks - talk about a redshirt job...).

'Course, as pretty much everyone in the East uses these guys in EB, too many references to the Parthians specifically would seem somewhat misplaced.

[Son of Perun]

Sorry, that was mistake. I've corrected it.

[russia almighty]

Wouldn't a late Parthian army look alot like a Sassanid force ? Or did the Sassanids entirely redo the military organization ? Cause in IB the Sassanids have some kick ass infantry.

[Watchman]

I understand the better Sassanid infantry was able to fight their Roman opposite numbers on equal terms, but otherwise they mainly tended to use the footsloggers as fire support - conversely the Parthians had preferred HAs for that. Or so I've read.

'Course, the Parthian army around the time the Sassanids kicked them out may have been somewhat different from the one of EB timeframe (there's a century or two inbetween after all) and similarly the Sassanid army the Muslims dismembered some centuries later wasn't the same critter that beat up the Parthians.

[The Persian Cataphract]

Well, thank you for actually stealing my show, guys... Now I've got absolutely nothing of worth to say

Wouldn't a late Parthian army look alot like a Sassanid force ?

This rationale may be derived from Roman sources who still designated the imperial armies of Ardashir and Shapur I "Parthian". Indeed, an early Sassanian force was merely an inherited Parthian military machine, which emphasized more infantry; Thus from this we may conclude that there must've been a previous tradition, and not merely a gap of some three to four centuries where completely equestrian armies reigned; The siege of Phraaspa during Mark Antony's must for instance have used native infantry auxiliaries, most likely Medeans.

---

In spite of the infantry selection available to the Pahlava, we have ensured that they at best are medium or semi-elite, and foremostly have their qualities as garrison personnel; For this, there are foot-archers, highlander skirmishers, highlander assault infantry, Cardaces, Iranian and Hellenic phalanx conscripts who may also be available as mercenaries, and significant Greek populations in western "Greater Iran" (Great call on the "Arbela Chronicles", Foot ) which later on may have been equipped like Thureophoroi or "imitation legions" (As per Trajan's "Parthia Capta" coins). Of greater worth however, there is an equally if not a greater range of auxiliary cavalry units which may complement Pahlava invasions.

The most important aspect in matters like these is to follow the most likely axiom of principle: Do we completely exclude strong infantry traditions completely in favour of realistically expensive cavalry armies, or do we retain them to rather reflect possibilities in spite of the decline (Very pivotal to the argument; Did these infantry types completely disappear or did they merely decline and gradually evolve as the Parthians settled, to eventually fade over to the Sassanian hegemony?) and let the player decide which force may do the job best.

Understanding the structure of the Seven Great Clans, and how they interacted with each other in times of war reflect that the bondsmen were meant to be field armies, one of the two staples, lead by the landed gentry/nobility often armed as cataphracts: It was up to the mayors, client rulers, district chiefs and chief royalty to provide the garrison backbone as the nobility conducted war, not too rarely under the orders or sometimes merely recommendations by the High King. On the huge domains under Parthian sway, it would have been impossible to bind these areas together purely by the martial ardour of relatively small but highly competent equestrian armies. It doesn't work that way.

In combination with Philhellenism and support of Iranian beliefs and claims to the once Achaemenid world-order (Something bolstered by Graeco-Roman sources as well, though clearly false once Parthian genealogy has been referred to), as well as support of Greek, Aramaic and Middle-Persian languages (The former for administration and mints, the second for lingua franca and the third being brought in as the colloquial tongue of the Iranian peoples) we may quickly realize that equally under such vast areas, the regional armies would look differently, speak differently not to exclude different armaments and equipment. While not as ranged as the Achaemenid military spectrum, the Parthians were the de facto replacement of the Seleucids in their political role and to diminish their spectrum of selection, let alone possible choices would be ill-advised.

[russia almighty]

TPC is it wrong that I am imagining this scene .



Rome comes along wanting to wtf pwn the Parthians permanently . There you know near the Euphrates and at the center of the Parthian force is Greeks fighting for them who look like Legions but really are dat dur Thorakti(sp) and the Romans just going WTF at what they think are legion knock offs. While there WTFing the Parthian Catatanks have already swooped behind there rear and tag them in the ass .

[Son of Perun]

I assume you got cut off there, but I'll answer as best I can.

If we presume that the majority of their infantry was used in engagements with nomadic tribes, then anti-arrow/anti-cav would be the name of the game. In other words spear, and large wicker shield. Not to mention a multitude of archers to rein death upon the enemy. Sounds like the basic infantry for the parthians to me. Nizag Gund, Eransahr Artshbara, and Thanvare Payahdag.

Foot

Thanks for this explanation anyway.