Sassanid Persian 220 AD - 651 AD (II/69)

 

See also:

- Parthian and Sasanian cavalry

- Dailami Foot

- Chris Cornuelle's alternative Sassanian Persian list: http://www.xmission.com/~bob/DBMlist4Sasanians.html

 

Author: Doug Melville

 

Proposal:

Revised list. Climate, terrain and aggression unchanged from the published DBM list.

 

Sasanian 220-651

 

 

List Notes.

 

If the generals are taken as Regular, then all other troops with the option of Regular must be taken as Regular.

 

All mounted may dismount as per the DBMM defaults.

If dismounting to attack or defend fortifications, the Cv(O) & (S) as Ax(S),

 

Troops marked * are compulsory if the commander is the King. ** If commander is the king and any other infantry used. *** May only be used if from or against PF.

 

Hepthalite Huns and Lakhmid Allies may be used together (see Note 12), otherwise only one ally may be used.

 

This list can also create an entirely mounted force to represent some of the expeditionary forces used by the Sasanians.

 

Numbers at the far left reference the list notes (see below),
 

Summary of Evidence 

 

1. Regular Status

 

There is good evidence of a regular command and military structure for the Sasanians. Some examples include: fixed duration garrison service, pay scales, state-issued equipment, state appointed staff officers, military manuals (surviving only as fragments in later Islamic documents), together with several literary accounts.

 

I have left the option to grade all troops as either Regular or Irregular. See Note (1)

2. Proportions

 

Overall proportions of various troop types range from all cavalry forces, through to forces equipped for siege operations.

 

Figures given may mention elephants, cataphracts and semi-combatant infantry separately, so here is a summary table.

 

Year	Elephants	Cataphracts	Other cavalry	Infantry	Non-combatant foot
231	700	10,000	120,000	-	-
530	-	-	15,000	-	-
573	-	-	23,000	40,000	120,000
573	-	-	40,000	100,000	-

 

There is a reference in the siege of Nisibis to 10,000 infantry being slain.  The list is designed to retain the proportions of cataphracts to horse archers for large forces, but also to allow the all cavalry forces noted. See Note (2)

 

3. Effective Infantry

 

Romano-Byzantine sources have varying accounts of the effectiveness of Sasanian infantry. The peroration before Daras is well known, but it should be noted that when conducting siege operations the Sasanians could (and did) bring along large numbers of largely non-combatant foot. Otherwise the consistent theme seems to be that they were largely bowmen, and would lose to Roman legionaries, although they did put up resistance and there are mentions of ‘being able to leave it to the infantry’. The bulk of the infantry would be archers, but there are mentions of spear and sword armed foot. Some of these can be identified as Armenians from literary sources indicating that Armenian foot were in Persian service until the loss of the Armenian territories. The Arch of Galerius depicts armoured Armenian spearmen.

 

I have especially noted mentions of shields as we have no evidence to suggest that cavalry were shield-armed – so mentions of shields strongly suggest infantry. There are references to rawhide covered, curved and glittering shields, from which I would infer at least two basic shield types, decorated and undecorated. So who is carrying the ‘glittering’ shields?

See Note (3)

 

4. Bow I, O or X

 

The default setting for ancient bowmen under DBx has been Bw(I) (inferior) unless it can be demonstrated otherwise.  Bowmen protected by other men with large shields can be treated either as Pavisiers, (Bw(O)) or as mixed formations largely of Bow, (Bw(X)).

See Note (4)

 

5. Cataphracts and Generals

 

There is clear evidence of cataphract armoured cavalry from the very earliest Sasanian armies to at least the 6^th Century. I have included these as a ‘noble’ cavalry armed in cataphract style. Rock carvings and seals, as well as inferred literary evidence strongly suggest that Generals could be armed in this way. See Note (5)

 

6. Other Cavalry

 

Cavalry are mentioned in a few sources, not included in the ‘archers’ but who were not cataphract cavalry. As there is no indication in the evidence that they were armed ‘unusually’ these would seem to have been armed in the style classified as Cv(O), (the default cavalry type armed with javelins or light spear,) in our period. It is not clear whether these types were ‘Persian’ or supplied by allies or particular ethnic groups.  See Note (6)

 

7. Classification of Generals

 

At Nisibis 350 and in later battles the CnC was described as supervising from a raised platform. (Rustum & Khosro) In the later period this fits in with laws dictating that the king should not participate in battle. Other senior officers are described as directing the battle from elephants (presumably to improve their ‘view’). These should not be treated as fighting elephants and so Bge(S) or WWg types are a better rules ‘fit’. See Note (7)

 

8. Daylami

 

Dailami were mountain people from south of the Caspian Sea in Iran.  (Also referred to as Diliamites, Deylami etc). Prominent as mercenaries they were armed with zupin-spears, axes and missile weapons.  Sources suggest these could provide a substantial contingent, and that they could also form a ‘guard contingent’.  I have listed tribal daylami as either Irreg Bd(F) or Ax(S) with Psiloi support. Guard I have graded as Regulars.  See Note (8)

 

9. Artillery

 

There are numerous references to the use of artillery, but only in siege operations as far as I am aware, these are therefore limited to use in PF or against PF only.  See Note (9)

 

10. Fortifications

 

Sasanian baggage trains are listed as being unfortified, although there is supposed to be a ditch as some sort of protection, (the meaning is unclear) however the army itself could be fortified.  This is also implied by the hidden obstacles in use. (see above). Accordingly I have allowed the army a reasonable number of TF including some for a camp as the ‘ditch’. See Note (10)

 

11. Hidden Obstacles

 

On at least one occasion, the Sasanians are supposed to have used this stratagem to discomfit Roman cavalry.  See Note (11)

 

Notes

 

(1) Regular Status

 

Bk 3.16.13: ‘He (Hormuz, successor to Khusrau) also reduced military pay by a tenth, and compelled the army to face great dangers’

Theophylact Simocatta ‘History’

 

‘Among the matters they (secretaries & viziers) brought to his notice was the position of troops along the frontiers and those directly facing enemies there, for news had arrived that the greater part of them had been reduced to a sorry state. ….He ordered a letter to be sent to the whole of these troops, stating that he had learned about how long they had been stationed in those regions of the provinces where they were, and about the intensity of their deprivation of their dependants & brothers. Hence whosoever wished to return to his family was free to do so….whosoever wished to complete the rest of his service by remaining steadfast at his post, that would be reckoned to him favourably.’

Al-Tabari ‘History’

 

264 – 265: ‘Then for the first time the Persians were seen in battle array, a well-disciplined force with the glitter of gold in their armament. One of our forward infantry fell, whereupon our men charged en masse, and neither horse nor foot (hoplites) withstood our infantry’s shields'

Libanius ‘Oration ‘ XVIII

 

XIX.7.2 – 4:  ..mail-clad soldiers underspread the entire heaven, and the dense forces moved forward, not as before in disorder, but led by the slow notes of the trumpets and with no-one running forward, protected too by penthouses and holding before them wicker hurdles. But when their approach brought them within bowshot, though holding their shields before them the Persian infantry (‘pedites’) found it hard to avoid the arrows shot from the walls by the artillery, and took open order, and almost no kind of dart (‘iaculi’) failed to find its mark; even the mail-clad horsemen  (‘cataphractarii’) were checked and gave ground…’

Ammianus Marcellinus ‘History’ Bk XIX

 

XXIII.6.83: ‘Through military training and discipline, through constant exercise in warfare and military manoevres…they cause dread even to great armies;

Ammianus Marcellinus ‘History’ Bk XXIII

 

(AM 6118, AD 625/6) 319: ‘Razates died in battle, as did the three divisional commanders of the Persians, nearly all of their officers and the greater part of their army…the Romans captured 28 standards of the Persians, not counting those that had been broken, and…took their corselets, helmets and all their arms….

The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor Historika (fragments)

 

Bk XI. 1  ‘For the most part, they prefer to achieve their results by planning and generalship; they stress an orderly approach rather than a brave and impulsive one.’

 

‘…They then join battle with calmness and determination, marching step by step in even and dense formation.’

 

‘…By the same token, if a force withdrawing before them wants to turn about and attack the front lines of the pursuing Persians, it will suffer injury on running into their well-ordered ranks. For the Persians do not attack in a disorderly fashion as do the Skythians in pursuing, but cautiously and in good order.’

Maurikios ‘Strategikon’

 

 

 

(2) Proportions   

 

700 El, 10,000 ‘cuirassiers’ 120,000 cavalry

Scriptores Historiae Augustae – Severus Alexander 55: 1 – 3 (ref to c. 231 – 3 AD)

 

‘Khusro (II) had with him 23,000 cavalry, 40,000 infantry and 120,000 farmers to help in the work (ie. siege of Dara). ‘

Chronicon ad 1234, 66 (203.20 – 205.7) (ref. To 573 AD)

 

4.271: ‘..while the Sabirs, Daganes and the Dilimnite people (allied themselves) with Miranes. (following defeat of Miranes)..When Khusro learned of this, he assembled 40,000 cavalry and  over 100,000 infantry’

The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor Historika (fragments)

 

 

(3) Effective Infantry

248: ‘The cream of the Persian army now made its appearance and occupied the bank, shields glittering, horses neighing, with bows trained and huge elephants that could burst through a phalanx as easily as through a field of corn.’

 

264 – 265: ‘Then for the first time the Persians were seen in battle array, a well-disciplined force with the glitter of gold in their armament. One of our forward infantry fell, whereupon our men charged en masse, and neither horse nor foot (hoplites) withstood our infantry’s shields’

Libanius ‘Oration ‘ XVIII

 

II. 62. 12: (following the failure of the cavalry assault) ‘In fact, the phalanx of the Parthians (sic) resembled a wall, with the elephants carrying the towers and hoplites filling up the spaces in between.’

Julian ‘Orationes’ (ref. to 3^rd siege of Singara, 350 AD)

 

XIX.2.2: ‘then the city was surrounded by a fivefold line of shields, and on the morning of the third day gleaming bands of horsemen filled all places which the eye could reach, and the ranks, advancing at a quiet pace, took the places assigned to them by lot.’

 

XIX.7.2 – 4:  ..mail-clad soldiers underspread the entire heaven, and the dense forces moved forward, not as before in disorder, but led by the slow notes of the trumpets and with no-one running forward, protected too by penthouses and holding before them wicker hurdles. But when their approach brought them within bowshot, though holding their shields before them the Persian infantry (‘pedites’) found it hard to avoid the arrows shot from the walls by the artillery, and took open order, and almost no kind of dart (‘iaculi’) failed to find its mark; even the mail-clad horsemen  (‘cataphractarii’) were checked and gave ground…’

Ammianus Marcellinus ‘History’ Bk XIX

 

XXIV:2.10: (defenders of Pirisabora) ‘Then the defenders…..protected by shields firmly woven of osier and covered with thick layers of rawhide, resisted most resolutely. They looked as if they were entirely of iron; for the plates exactly fitted the various parts of their bodies and fully protecting them, covered them from head to foot.’

 

 

XXIV.6.8: ‘… The cavalry was backed up by companies of infantry (‘pedites’), who, protected by oblong curved shields (‘scutis’) covered with wickerwork and raw hides, advanced in very close order.

Ammianus Marcellinus ‘History’ Bk XXIV