Armenian Army Before Christ

[onjig]

Armenian Army Before Christ

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AZAT KARDAKA : The Armenian infantry was not of a nomad culture. Great cities were established in a mountaineous land, providing a mix of infantry and heavy cavalry. This infantry was partially inspired by the ancient model of the Persian Empire, but Armenian Sovereign soon admired the new Hellenistic model of the conquerors and created Hellenized eastern infantry such as the kentronakan and the nakahararakan (originally dismounted bodyguards of the royal palace). These were foot soldiers, a battleline unit, using the phalanx formation. In 300 BC Armenia was a former satrapy of the Persian Empire, now an Alexandrian satrapy, under the rule of Neoptolemos, and in 301 bc, an independant kingdom under the old Orontid dynasty, and Orontes II. It was under the sphere of influence of the Seleucid empire, and a Hellenized court. This infantry was a cross between the Persian kardaka, hoplite-like heavy bodyguards, and traditionnal greek hoplites. Their clothes were those of the kardaka, and their greek-style linen armor was reinforced with bronze scales. They bear also a short sword and a 75 cm to 1-meter wide aspis, made with wood and reinforced with bronze. They also bear an Urartian cone helmet. In a battle, they usually stay with the king but could fight alongside the spearmen and were more agile than most.

DISMOUNTED NAKAHAR : This elite infantry was in fact not a regular one, composed of dismounted cataphract nobles, to act as a heavy infantry when needed on rough terrain, as an assault support or an elite assault infantry. Although slow and not particularly agile, they were highly protected and fought with heavy mace and javelins.

AZAKU MARDIG (late romanized heavy infantry) : Between 180 and 150 BC, the Romans victories against the Hellenic phalanx had a tremendous impact on the warfare doctrine in the east and southern Hellenic kingdoms. Under Tigranes II, dismounted nobles or wealthy warriors were chosen to form specially trained units, with a strong legionary influence. Although having some Hellenistic equipment such as the thureos shield, greaves, scaled linothorax, several javelins instead of heavy pila, and a long eastern sword instead of a gladius, they were used in small sized homogeneous units for better tactical flexibiliy. As an elite, they were few, but by far the best foot infantry of Tigranes II which discarded some of his former phalanx units. These units were part of the Armenian “Imperial” new army that conquered roughly the western part of the former Persian Empire. During his reign, Tigranes saw himself as the successor of the Hellenist culture after Pontus failed to defeat the Romans. Although a match for the Roman legions, these azat warriors were only a small part of the whole Armenian infantry, mostly still made up of old-style light spearmen and mountaineer axemen and archers. They saw some success against Lucullus in 68 bc, they failed eventually to prevent the surrender while facing the Pompeian armies.

HAI NIZAKAMARTIK (armenian thureophoroi) : Elite skirmish free men (azat), with heavier equipment than the usual javelinmen, they could stand their ground against all kind of infantry. Historically, this was a relatively late unit, created under Hellenic influence. They were lighter than the later legions and even but highly skilled.

GUND I PATLA (Local tribesmen levy peltasts) : local caucasian javelinmen, raised from remote villages and fought with light equipment. They were better for guerrilla warfare.

THANVAR HAYASDAN (levy tribesmen archers) : Armenian free archers, they used their light composite bow with great efficiency, not with spectacular range but quick rate of fire.

THANVAR AZADAN (Elite archers) ; Certainly amongst the best archers in Asia, they stood their ground fiercly, with powerful long-range composite bows and specially-shaped arrows. They were also highly skilled in longsword close-range battle.

SHIVATIR (Mounted archers) : The backbone of the light cavalry, these levied horsemen were famous for their skills, speed, rate of fire, and accuracy. They were a nightmare for heavy troops on march, lightely protected infantrymen, and were used to harass enemy lines. At close fight they fought with light axes, daggers or short swords.

SKUDAN SHIVATIR (Scythian horse archers) : Although the Armenians never expand north beyond the Caucasian barrier, many scythian fled to avoid slavery or the constant threat of the Sarmatians. From Pontus, many scythian horse-archers traveled the black sea to serve as mercenaries, due to their ancient and widespread fame as horse-archers. The late Tigranes Empire, controlling the Silk Road and many Black Sea eastern ports, was rich and could enlist mercenaries en masse, including many Scythian horse-archers.

ASPET HETSELAZOR : These were lesser noble cavalry, petty nobles earning small properties, lightly but well protected, and using short kontos. They formed the bigger part of the lancer cavalry, mounted on medium sized horses that were known for their speed. Perfect to counter most cavalry units, they were good at protecting the flanks and chasing off light infantry or added their weight to the charge of the nobles.

ZRAHAKIR NETADZIK : These noble horse archers were well equipped and highly skilled, trained as horsemen for war and hunting from their youth. Disciplined, sturdy and hardened, they formed the “long arm” of the fast-moving Armenian cavalry. Horses were powerful niseans, but only partial cataphracts in order to be faster. After a rain of arrows, these nobles fought melee with heavy maces, swords, and kontos that their retinue carried.

KAPPATUKA AZAT : This famous heavy cavalry from near Cappadocia were part of the gigantic Armenian army during the reign of Tigranes II, after the fall of Pontus. They were a breed that was a cross between the local and nisean breeds, producing strong and tall mounts. Famous in the Persian army, they retained their fame and quality until the fall of Pontus and Armenia under Roman sphere, most of them recruited to form the first clibinarii units to fight the Parthians and Sassanians.

NAKAHARARAKAN ASPET (Early bodyguard cavalry) : These high nobles were retained in the royal guard as cataphract lancers. They were kept in reserve and launched when necessary, delivering an unexpected shock to the enemy forces. After the blow of their heavy cladded nisean horses and the long kontos lances, melee combat was common using maces and longswords. If the first blow was not sufficient to disrupt the enemy line, lighter cavalry then charged to turn the tide of battle.

HYE SPARAPET (Late bodyguard royal cataphracts) : These heavy cavalry were modelled partly on the heavy Parthian cavalry. These were nobles of noble lineage which formed a very powerful and impressive unit of cataphracts with only one goal : Crushing enemy infantry lines, including the heaviest and well-armed. They were slow, but their tremendous charge was like a hammerhead. After the shock of their long and heavy lances, they fought in the melee with heavy maces, ready to crush helmets and shields.

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Edited February 4, 2014 by onjig

[onjig]

http://www.ancient-battles.com/catw/armenia.htm