Byzantine Heavy Cavalry Ancient Warriors Historical Warriorsо A cataphract was a form of armored heavy cavalry that originated in persia and was fielded in ancient warfare throughout eurasia and northern africa . historically, the cataphract was a very heavily armored horseman, with both the rider and mount almost completely covered in scale armor or lamellar armour over chain mail, and typically wielding. The cataphract was one of the most iconic warriors of ancient and medieval times. these heavily armored cavalrymen were used by various armies throughout history, from the persians to the byzantines, and were known for their formidable defensive capabilities and devastating charges. in this article, we will explore the history of the cataphract.
Byzantine Cataphract Byzantine Army Byzantine Ancient Warfare Origins of the cataphract. the word ‘cataphract’ has its origins in the greek language, and is said to mean ‘fully armored’ or ‘closed from all sides’. the cataphract, however, was not a greek ‘product’, and was only adopted by the armies of the seleucid empire sometime during the 4th century b.c., after they went on military. The byzantine army was the primary military body of the byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the byzantine navy. a direct continuation of the eastern roman army, shaping and developing itself on the legacy of the late hellenistic armies, [ 1] it maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization. For example, in the 9th century ad (middle byzantine period), the byzantine empire passed a law that allowed poor themata soldiers to band together to pay for a properly equipped mounted warrior. in rare cases (as legislated by emperor nikephoros ii), some of the richer troops of the byzantine army were obligated to furnish better equipment for. The warrior emperor heraclius divided the empire into some 30 themes, or military districts, each under a separate military commander. each theme provided and supported its own corps of cavalry and infantry, raised from self supporting peasant warrior farmers, enough to provide a small self contained army that was capable of independent operation.
Roman Heavy Cavalry 2 Ad 500вђ 1450 Elite 235 Author Andrey Evgenevich For example, in the 9th century ad (middle byzantine period), the byzantine empire passed a law that allowed poor themata soldiers to band together to pay for a properly equipped mounted warrior. in rare cases (as legislated by emperor nikephoros ii), some of the richer troops of the byzantine army were obligated to furnish better equipment for. The warrior emperor heraclius divided the empire into some 30 themes, or military districts, each under a separate military commander. each theme provided and supported its own corps of cavalry and infantry, raised from self supporting peasant warrior farmers, enough to provide a small self contained army that was capable of independent operation. The byzantine army was among the most powerful and effective military forces in the world from the 7th to the 12th centuries. starting to operate around 395 ad, the army of byzantium was a continuation of the mighty east roman army, with the commander in chief being the byzantine emperor. subsequently, the byzantine army followed the structure. From antiquity to the high middle ages, the elite heavy cavalrymen that dominated the battlefield was the armored cataphract. with both horse and rider encased in scale armor, the cataphract typically wielded a long kontos, or lance. on the battlefield, they were primarily used to break through opposing formations of heavy cavalry and infantry.
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