II/37 Parthian

See also Luke Ueda-Sarson's alternative DBM Indo-Parthian and Indo-Skythian list - http://www.ne.jp/asahi/luke/ueda-sarson/IndoSakaDBM.html

Proposer: Jim Webster

Synopsis: Revised list that tries to improve coverage of the early period and of Parthian infantry.

Proposal:

Dry. Ag 2. Rv, H(G), O, E, RGo, Rd, BUA. Only after 141BC: WW, M

C-in-C Irr Kn (X) or Irr Cv(S) before 163BC 1

Sub general - as above 1-2

Horse archers Irr LH (F) 30-100

Cataphracts-

Only before 163BC

Irr Cv(O) 7-20

Replace with Irr Cv(S) up to 3

Replace with Irr Kn(X) up to 20

Only from 163BC

Irr Kn(X) 7-20

Only before 70 BC, and only if no Greeks are used

Hyrcanian and other infantry (1)

Archers Irr Bw(I) 0-10

Replace Archers with Irr Ps(O) up to 4

Hyrcanians and Hill men Irr Ax(O) Up to 20. Must outnumber the archers.

Replace Irr Ax(O) with Irr Sp(I) as Hyrcanians 0-8

Replace Irr Ax(O) with Irr Ps(S) 0-4

Barricades TF 0-8

Only Elymais from 147BC to 205AD

Guard thureophoroi - Reg Ax(S) 0-2

Archers Irr Ps (O) or Irr Bw(I) or Irr Bw(O) *8-48

Only Parthian from 140BC to 70BC {Only if no Hyrcanians are used} (2)

either

Greek city militia, garrison troops Reg Ax(I) 3-48

replace as Greek mercenaries or Seleucid military settlers Reg Ax(S) 0-12

replace as Seleucid military settler pike men Reg Pk(I) 0-16

replace as City militia cavalry Reg Cv(I) or Reg Cv(O) 0-3

City militia artillery Reg Art(S) 0-1

Or

140BC to 129BC

Seleucid Allies - List: Seleucid Book 2.

Only Parthian from 129BC to 35BC

Commagene allies- List Commagene (Bk 2) 0-15

Only Parthian after 127BC

Armenian or Gordyene allies -list Early Armenian and Gordyene (Bk 2)

Hatrene, Adiabene or Edessan subject allies- List Arabo-Aramaean (Bk 2)

Elymaian Allies List Parthian (Bk 2)

Nomadic Arab Allies List Later Pre-Islamic Arab (Bk 2) 0-12

Only Parthia from 70BC (3)

Greek city militia, garrison troops. Reg Ax(I) *3-24

Other City dwellers with javelins, bows or slings. Irr Ps. Half (S), half (O) *10-30

City militia artillery Reg Art(S) 0-1

Only Persis from 147 BC to 220AD (5)

Replace Horse archers, Irr LH(F) with longchophoroi, LH(O) or Irr LH(S) 10 to 20 (6)

Persis does not field Greek city militia or garrison troops. (7)

Replace other city dwellers with Javelins, slings and bows with

Persian Infantry with Sling and Bow. Irr Ps(O) 20 to 60 (8)

Regrade Irr Ps(O) to Irr Bw(I) up to 40. (9)

10BC to 100AD: (10)

Persian Infantry with Sling and Bow. Irr Ps(O) 20 to 40

Regrade Irr Ps(O) to Irr Bw(0) up to 30.

100AD to 220AD: (10)

Persian Infantry with Bow. Bw(O) 10 to 30

Skirmishing Infantry with sling or bow 0-10

Only Parthia 147 BC to 219AD

Vassal ally for Persis List Parthian (Book 2) (11)

Only Parthians in 40-39 BC: (4)

Labienus' Roman allies – List: Marian Roman (Bk 2)

Only Parthian forces loyal to Artabanus II

Jewish allies from Nehardea - List: Nehardea

Only Parthian in 35AD

Sarmatian allies - List Siracae, Iazyges, later Rhoxolani Sarmatians (Bk 2) 0-8

Only Parthian in 130BC, 30BC, 9AD to 12AD, 35AD and 39AD to 41AD

Skythian Allies - List Kimmerian, Skythian, or Early Hu. Bk 1

Only Parthians after 216AD

Cataphract camels -Irr Cm(S) (Only if no Hatrene Cm(S) present} 0-2

Daylami - Irr Ax(S) 0-4

The Suren Indo-Parthian option I have missed out totally. Luke Ueda-Sarson has an Indo-Parthian and Indo-Skythian list on his web page and his research in this area is well ahead of mine. See http://www.ne.jp/asahi/luke/ueda-sarson/IndoSakaDBM.html

• only if any are taken.

Comments

1) The Hyrcanians are based on Polybius and the crossing of the mountains in Antiochus III eastern campaign.

I have tried to create the list so that you either have none, or a lot, which from what little we know seems to have been the case

I have also tried to exclude Greeks from armies with Hyrcanians, as Polybius mentions them massacring Greeks when facing the Seleucids

2) This is based on http://parthia.com/private/download.htm .

{This document seems to have disappeared. Effectively it is a discussion on the Sucession of the earlier Parthian kings based on Cuneiform records in Babylon, and may have been withdrawn prior to a book on the subject by G.R.F. Assar} It seems that more Greeks were used earlier and that it may be that armies that fought in the south against Elam had considerable numbers of Greeks. I have tried to stop large numbers of Hyrcanians being used with large numbers of Greeks. This does tend to mean you get northeastern and southern armies.

3) I have allowed for a decline in the quality of Greek troops and also the effect of the Parthian 'dark age' which ended with the accession of Orodes II.

4) Quintus Labienus, son of Caesar's former general Titus Labienus and a supporter of Brutus and Cassius, invaded Roman Syria with a Parthian army commanded by the crown prince Pacorus. After over-running Syria and much of Anatolia the allies were defeated by Ventidius at a battle in the Taurus.

Dio Cassius speaks as if Labienus were in command of the invasion force, but Justin says "Pacoro duce inita cum Labieno societate" – "Pacorus as leader with the assistance of Labienus", suggesting that the Parthian should be treated as commander in chief. When Labienus went over to the Parthians he initially didn't have any troops with him, but Dio says that garrisons in Syria, also veterans of Brutus and Cassius, deserted their commander Saxa and came over to him. In the battle at the Taurus the Parthians attacked without waiting for Labienus, which could be reflected under the rules by an unreliable Roman allied general. This suggests that a standard Roman allied contingent would be adequate to represent this combination: while there could also have been some non-legionary local levies under Labienus' standards, we don't seem to have any direct evidence of such.

See Justin 42.4 - online at http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/justin/texte42.html in Latin,

http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/justin/english/trans42.html or http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Parthian.html in English, or http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/justin/trad42.html in French - and Dio Cassius Book 48 24-26 and 39, online in English at http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/48*.html

5) The start date is something of a guess, in that I don't think there is any certainty as to exactly when Persis fell out of Seleucid control. The end date is the end of the Parthian empire.

6) I reduced the numbers of LH because, firstly the troops levied from

Persis seem not to have included LH in overwhelming numbers. With regard to their type, the area used to be a source of longchophoroi, or javelin skirmishers, rather than horse archers, although looking at the evidence provided for Parthian LH(S) it is possible that there had been some sort of convergence.

7) Persis seems to have been among the least influenced by the Greeks and so I have eliminated any 'Greek' troops.

8) The light infantry from the cities I have replaced with the Persian light infantry we see mentioned under Peukestas and Molon. I am happy with the arguments made about them being primarily skirmishers.

9) This option is to allow for them to be packed more closely to both take advantage of the fire power and fit them into the appropriate space in the terrain.

10) This section is to allow for the evolution of the skirmishing archers of the Molon period into the closer order bowmen that faced the Romans.

11) Hopefully this section allows for a Persis ally contingent for the Parthians. The dates are guesstimates.

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