Jim Clarke's Parthians

The Parthians were Dahae confederation nomads that broke through the Bactrian frontier in the middle 240's BC and
set themselves up in the old Persian province of Parthya. The Parthians deployed their heavy Cataphract cavalry in close coordination with swarms of horse archers. They often had no infantry in their army at all, but in their wars with Seleucids they used Greek mercenarues and provincial infantry.  After conatct with the Parthians the Seleucids under Antiochus III adopted the heavy armor of their Cataphracts and use them to defeat Ptolemaic Egypt. But even though the Cataphracts overran a Legion at Magnesia, they could not win the battle against Rome.

Parthians fought against the Seleucids, the Bactrians, the Indians, the Saka, and later against Rome. The Parthians overran the eastern Seleucid provinces and captured Babylon.  After defeating the Seleucid army, they set up their capitol at Ctesiphon (20 miles down the river from Baghdad).  The severing of trade routes to the east and cutting off the revenue of the eastern provinces sent the Seleucids into precipitous decline.  The Roman Triumvir, Marcus Licinius Crassus, attacked Parthia and was killed and his army mostly annihilated by Parthians at Carrhae. Marc Antony's campaign of retaliation was less disaterous but still failed, a third of his army was rubbed out for no gain. Rome and Parthia fought until the Sassanian Persians brought them down. Jim's army is a work in progress, here are his command and Cataphracts for your enjoyment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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01/20/07