Philip Sidnell: Warhorse. Cavalry in Ancient Warfare. London and New York: Continuum, 2006.
This monograph by Philip Sidnell covers the topic of cavalry and mounted warfare in antiquity. Sidnell studied History and War Studies at King’s College London and works as an editor who takes special interest in military history and ancient warfare. In the book at hand, Sidnell remarks academia’s concentration on infantry when discussing ancient warfare and aims to set straight this imbalance. He goes on to show that cavalry was involved in other military actions than just raiding and scouting, attributing decisive power over victory or loss on the battlefield to mounted units.
The chapters are arranged in chronological order. Sidnell begins his study by briefly going into detail about the domestication of the horse, first evidence of their use for other purposes than meat, and their first deployments in the context of war by cultures of the Near and Middle East, which harnessed them to chariots. The use of the chariot spread along the Mediterranean and reached Greece via the Myceneans, who were strongly influenced by the cultures of the east. The author expands on the strategy and tactics of the deployment of horse-pulled chariots on the battlefield. He describes the gradual and uneven transition from chariots to “true cavalry”, by which he means mounted warfare.
After discussing the origins of the horses used in the military, the author goes on to describe the developments in Classical Greece in the second chapter. He states that the significance of the Greek cavalry in this epoch is often underestimated and that it only increased as time went on. However, he concedes that Greece’s rough and rugged terrain was less than ideal for cavalry to flourish – both because of its lack of grazing grounds and spaces to grow feed, as well as for battle itself, as horses are most mobile on flat terrains. Military members had to provide their own equipment, so naturally only the wealthiest could afford being a member of the cavalry. This was another factor which kept the number of mounted units low. Equipment, tactics and training concerning the cavalry in this epoch are also discussed, supported by quotes from Xenophon’s Peri Hippikes (On Horsemanship), as is the psychological shock factor of cavalry charging onto a Phalanx. Sidnell mentions numerous instances in which cavalry was deployed during the classical period.
The third chapter considers the Macedonians as a positive counterexample of excellent mounted warfare. Sidnell points out that the Macedonian cavalry is oftentimes treated as if it developed from thin air with no predecessors. He aims to rectify this misconception by indicating its influences from earlier periods, and provides a detailed description of the cavalry during the time of Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander III of Macedon, known as Alexander the Great. Sidnell also brings up the latter’s personal connection to his own warhorse Bucephalus. The author expands on the structure, weaponry and further equipment of the Macedonian cavalry. As the Macedonian landscape is characterized more by plains near the coast, it was a more suitable environment for the breeding and keeping of horses than Greece. Under Alexander’s reign, the shock tactic of the charging cavalry was refined into a more disciplined, controlled attack.
The fourth chapter deals with the developments after the death of Alexander. His empire fell apart and was split among the Diadochoi, his “successors”, mostly former governors and generals, who went to war against each other. This led to the development of various slightly differing styles of cavalry based on the Macedonian style, locally mixed with eastern elements. Heavy cavalry forces declined in relevance until their renaissance in late antiquity. Only in the eastern provinces, where his successors could maintain Alexanders style of cavalry due to the access to broad equestrian resources from the former Persian empire, they remained at first, but after the first generation of Diadochoi they began disappearing there as well. However, Sidnell points out two important developments of mounted warfare in this epoch: the introduction of shields and the emergence of the heavily armored cataphracts introduced by the Seleucids.
The next chapter begins with mounted warfare in early Roman times. Sidnell points out the lack of historic sources in the first centuries and suggests a military structure similar to Greece. Only the wealthiest could afford being part of the cavalry, which amounted to only a small percentage of the military. Sidnell describes the structure and proportions of the cavalry within the legions and discusses its possible equipment, even though the latter is hard to determine before the second century B.C. due to a lack of historical as well as image and archaeological sources. The author outlines the timeline of the actions of this first Roman cavalry. The following chapter continues with the developments during the later Roman Republic after the Second Punic War. The citizen cavalry was more and more replaced by foreign auxiliaries and local allies during this time. The cavalry’s actions are outlined all the way to the wars fought by Caesar as well as his reign; the outline ends with Augustus’ rise to power, which marks the beginning of Imperial Rome.
The developments of the cavalry during the imperial epoch of Rome are the topic of the next chapter. The military reforms introduced by Augustus and especially its new structures are discussed in depth. Furthermore, Sidnell describes the cavalry equipment in detail, as it is much better documented for this era. He gives a detailed chronography of the deployment of Roman imperial mounted warfare until the fall of the Western Roman Empire with Romulus Augustulus. However, he also briefly summarizes the developments of the cavalry within the Byzantine Empire, as they considered themselves Romans as well.
The last chapter moves further forward in time, as it focuses on the medieval knight. In the context of this topic, Sidnell again argues that the invention of stirrups did change cavalry but was not in fact the factor which enabled shock cavalry, as the latter had already existed in antiquity. The first emergence and introduction of stirrups in different regions and groups is discussed in detail. The chapter serves as a conclusion; typical weaponry of cavalry throughout the centuries are given, medieval and ancient mounted warfare are compared. Sidnell concludes that, while there were always further developments of cavalry throughout the ages, the fundamental relationships governing its use rooted all the way back in antiquity.
Sidnell describes the development and especially the often underestimated significance of mounted warfare in impressive detail, which substantiates his argument. Concerning the cultures of war, his work is essential when discussing aspects of mounted warfare in antiquity. His diachronic approach makes it relevant for later periods as well. This comprehensive book would serve both students interested in an introduction to cavalry in antiquity, as well as advanced scholars interested in in-depth analyses and sources on concrete occasions in which ancient cavalry were involved.