Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

c h a p t e r 2
Warfare
3: Sasanian armament and tactics
Heliodorus, Aethiopica ix.15.1–6
(1) The character of their armament is the following. A selected man chosen for
his bodily strength wears a helmet 1 that is compact and made of one piece, and it
is skillfully crafted to look exactly like a man’s face. He is covered by this from the
top of his head to the neck except for the eyes in order to see through it; he equips
his right hand with a pike longer than a spear, the left is free for the reins. He has
a sabre hung by his side under his arm, and he is armed with a corselet not only
across his breast but also across the rest of his body. (2) The construction of the
corselet is as follows: they forge plates of bronze and iron into a square shape that
is a span long on all sides, and they fit one to the other at the edges on each side so
that the one above always overlaps with the one below and the one alongside with
the one next to run on continuously, and they furnish the conjunction with hooks
under the flaps; thereby they create a kind of chiton clad in horny scales, which
clings to the body without causing pain and covers it on all sides, tracing each limb
and not hindering movement as it contracts and extends. (3) For there are sleeves,
and it reaches from the neck to the knee, separated only at the thighs, as much as is
necessary to mount a horse’s back. Such a corselet it is, a protection against missiles
and a defence against all wounds. The greave reaches from the top of the foot to
the knee, fastened to the corselet. (4) They fence their horses all around with a
similar equipment, tying greaves around the feet, and they bind the whole head
tightly with frontlets, and from the back to the belly they suspend on either side a
covering plaited in iron, so that it serves as armour but at the same time because of
its slackness does not impede the fast pace. (5) Having equipped or rather encased
the horse in this way the rider gets on, not leaping up but with others lifting him up
because of the weight. When the moment of battle comes, he drives his horse with
the rein, applies his spurs and goes with all his force against the enemies, looking
like an iron man or like a moving image wrought with the hammer. (6) With its
point the pike protrudes a lot, being held up against the horse’s neck by a rope. The
butt-end is fastened alongside the horse’s thighs with a knot, so that it does not
1 Grancsay 1963: 253–62; Overlaet 1982: 189–206.
63