Ancient written sources show that cataphracti (catafractarii) and clibanarii - the ancient heavy armoured cavalry - were present on the battlefields of the ancient world from the Hellenistic period to Late Antiquity.
According to Greek and Roman accounts, the cavalry named cataphracti and clibanarii were employed by the Parthians, cataphracti were a part of the Seleucid army, units of cataphracti and clibanarii were created by the Romans, they were also present in Sassanian Persia.
Though Greek and Roman writings do not describe it by this term, the name of cataphracti is today also given to heavy armoured cavalry of the Sarmatians and of other states and peoples of the East, not mentioned above, where the presence of heavy armoured cavalry is documented. This is done in accordance with the prevalent opinion that the decisive factor in qualifying a rider as a cataphractus or a clibanarius was the military equipment he used: well developed protective armour, a long spear which was the basic offensive weapon, and the use of the horse protected by armour
- Autor: Mariusz Mielczarek
- Kategoria: historia
- Język: angielski
- ISBN: 8385874003
- Data wydania: 1993-01-01
- Liczba stron: 145
- Tłumaczenie: Maria Abramowicz
- Ocena: 7,0
- Wydawnictwo: Oficyna Naukowa MS
