The Armies of Ancient Persia: The Sassanians
Throughout most of the classical period, Persia was one of the great superpowers, placing a limit on the expansion of Western powers. It was the most formidable rival to the Roman empire for centuries, until Persia, by then under the Sassanians, was overwhelmed by the Islamic conquests in the seventh century AD. Yet, the armies of ancient Persia have received relatively little detailed attention, certainly in comparison to those of Rome. This work is the firsst of three volumes that will form the most comprehensive study of ancient Persian armies available.The Sassanians, the native Iranian dynasty that ousted their Parthian overlords in AD 226, developed a highly sophisticated army that was able for centuries to hold off all comers. They continued the Parthians famous winning combination of swift horse archers with heavily-armored cataphract cavalry, also making much use of war elephants, but Kaveh Farrokh interestingly demonstrates that their oft-maligned infantry has been much underestimated.The author, born in Athens, Greece, and expert in ancient Persian languages and military history, has been researching the military history and technology of Persia for a quarter of a century. He draws on the latest research and new archaeological evidence, focusing on the organization, equipment and tactics of the armies that dominated the ancient Middle East for so long.
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The Armies of Ancient Persia: The Sassanians
Throughout most of the classical period, Persia was one of the great superpowers, placing a limit on the expansion of Western powers. It was the most formidable rival to the Roman empire for centuries, until Persia, by then under the Sassanians, was overwhelmed by the Islamic conquests in the seventh century AD. Yet, the armies of ancient Persia have received relatively little detailed attention, certainly in comparison to those of Rome. This work is the firsst of three volumes that will form the most comprehensive study of ancient Persian armies available.The Sassanians, the native Iranian dynasty that ousted their Parthian overlords in AD 226, developed a highly sophisticated army that was able for centuries to hold off all comers. They continued the Parthians famous winning combination of swift horse archers with heavily-armored cataphract cavalry, also making much use of war elephants, but Kaveh Farrokh interestingly demonstrates that their oft-maligned infantry has been much underestimated.The author, born in Athens, Greece, and expert in ancient Persian languages and military history, has been researching the military history and technology of Persia for a quarter of a century. He draws on the latest research and new archaeological evidence, focusing on the organization, equipment and tactics of the armies that dominated the ancient Middle East for so long.
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The Armies of Ancient Persia: The Sassanians

The Armies of Ancient Persia: The Sassanians

by Kaveh Farrokh
The Armies of Ancient Persia: The Sassanians

The Armies of Ancient Persia: The Sassanians

by Kaveh Farrokh

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Overview

Throughout most of the classical period, Persia was one of the great superpowers, placing a limit on the expansion of Western powers. It was the most formidable rival to the Roman empire for centuries, until Persia, by then under the Sassanians, was overwhelmed by the Islamic conquests in the seventh century AD. Yet, the armies of ancient Persia have received relatively little detailed attention, certainly in comparison to those of Rome. This work is the firsst of three volumes that will form the most comprehensive study of ancient Persian armies available.The Sassanians, the native Iranian dynasty that ousted their Parthian overlords in AD 226, developed a highly sophisticated army that was able for centuries to hold off all comers. They continued the Parthians famous winning combination of swift horse archers with heavily-armored cataphract cavalry, also making much use of war elephants, but Kaveh Farrokh interestingly demonstrates that their oft-maligned infantry has been much underestimated.The author, born in Athens, Greece, and expert in ancient Persian languages and military history, has been researching the military history and technology of Persia for a quarter of a century. He draws on the latest research and new archaeological evidence, focusing on the organization, equipment and tactics of the armies that dominated the ancient Middle East for so long.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781473883185
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
Publication date: 01/24/2020
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 504
File size: 26 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

The author, born in Athens, Greece and expert in ancient Persian languages and military history, has been researching the military history and technology of Persia for a quarter of a century. He obtained his PhD in 2001 from the University of British Columbia, where he is now a lecturer. He is also Head of the Department of Traditions and Cultural History of the Waalm School of Cultural Diplomacy. He has written three previous books on Persian military history. The second, Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War (Osprey, 2007) has been translated into Russian and Persian, received the Best History Book Award of 2008 and was cited as among the top 3 history books of 2008 by the Independent Book Publishers Association in the USA.

Table of Contents

List of Plates viii

List of Figures and Tables x

Introduction xi

Historical Timeline of the Sassanian Empire xxiv

1 Martial Ardour, Origins and Missions of the Spah 1

2 Organization: Military Titles and Recruitment 8

3 Military Reforms of the Sixth Century CE 23

4 Military Training, Polo, the Hunt, and Military Music 38

5 Archery 56

6 The Savaran 72

7 Infantry, Auxiliary Contingents and Naval Forces 120

8 Preparations for War 141

9 Tactics and Strategies along the Roman and Caucasian Frontiers 149

10 Logistics and Support 183

11 Post-Battle Scenarios and War Diplomacy 187

12 The Spah in Central Asia: Warfare, Military Developments and Tactics 194

13 Military Architecture 224

14 Siege Operations 243

15 Sassanian Military Culture 273

16 Military Weaknesses of the Spah 297

17 The Fall of the Spah and the Empire 315

18 Post-Sassanian Resistance and Rebellion against the Caliphate 332

19 Legacy 344

Maps 357

Notes 368

References 415

Index 435

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