Annelies Koolen

Independent Researcher

The city of Athens performed cavalry inspections as an assessment of not only the condition of the horses, but also of the acquired training level. Horse values on lead tablets show that cavalry horses were evaluated each year, but these values do not equal the amount of katastasis or loan granted by the state to each cavalryman to purchase his war...

Athenian cavalry in Sicily suffered many defeats. To the Athenians this could have been a wake up call that other city states had a better trained cavalry. The Sicilian cavalry apparently was able to fight against closed hoplite lines. Cavalry had become increasingly important on the battlefield in Greece and the surrounding areas. It was a prelud...

Xenophon analysed cavalry practises of several city states when he saw that the Athenians lost their battles against specifically the Boeotians who grew stronger with their hamippoi formations, cavalry intermingled with infantry. He therefore put recommendations forward to the city of Athens to improve their cavalry. He wanted them to adopt the Boe...

In: Ancient Warfare Magazine Most ancient cavalrymen were either lightly or heavily armed, using shields, cuirasses, a cavalry sabre or sword called machaira or kopis, spears and javelins. Javelins were largely used in ancient warfare by almost every warring tribe or people, such as the Persians, the Numidians, the Scythians, Celtiberians and Celts...

During the Second Punic War the Roman army lost many of its battles against the Carthaginian army of Hannibal Barca. Not only the infantry suffered enormous casualties, the cavalry suffered as well. The Carthaginian army deployed Spanish and Carthaginian horsemen but also the feared Numidian horsemen. This paper sets out to research the differences...

Cavalry tactics require a well-thought-out horse and rider trainingon a regular basis as well as a cavalry led by a commander who has tactical skill,sufficient horsemanship and knowledge of horses. As a cavalry commander andhorseman Xenophon studied the developments on the battlefield during the5 th and 4 th century BC. He carefully analysed cavalry t...

Cavalry tactics require a well-thought-out horse and rider training on a regular basis as well as a cavalry led by a commander who has tactical skill, sufficient horsemanship and knowledge of horses. As a cavalry commander and horseman Xenophon studied the developments on the battlefield during the 5 th and 4 th century BC. He carefully analysed ca...

Xenophon analysed cavalry practises of several city states when he saw that the Athenians lost their battles against specifically the Boeotians who grew stronger with their hamippoi formations, cavalry intermingled with infantry. He therefore put recommendations forward to the city of Athens to improve their cavalry. He wanted them to adopt the Boe...