In 53 BC, at Carrhae, ancient Rome suffered one of the most disastrous defeats in its entire history when the legions were caught in the open by an army of mounted Parthian archers and heavy cataphract cavalry...
“Crassus sent forth his light troops but they were met by a storm of arrows. Shot from powerful composite reflex bows, made of wood, horn and sinew, whose limbs bent forward when unstrung, the iron arrow heads struck with deadly velocity. The Roman light troops fled back to the legionary lines and nearly threw them into disorder. In their testudo formation, a wall and roof of shields, and further protected by bronze helmets and mailed tunics, the legionaries were near impervious to arrows. Arrows stuck quivering into the ground, thudded into wooden shields or glanced off armor. Still the sheer number of arrows ensued that a good number hit exposed eyes, faces, throats, hands and limbs. The arrow heads were barbed and when pulled out ripped apart flesh, sinews and veins...
“The cataphracts joined in the attack, steadily advancing then thrusting their long kontoi at the Romans. Designed to slay horses, the kontos easily sundered the links of Roman mail. At times the long pikes skewered up to two Romans at once. The two pila javelins typically carried by the legionaries appear to have quickly used up. Their remaining gladius short swords were ineffective against either the archers or against the kontoi. Gripped by fear, the Romans in the frontal ranks pushed back upon their comrades behind them. The broken Roman formations were then hit hard by missile fire...
“The withering Roman ranks were slowly pushed into an ever tightening area. Roman corpses littered the ground. Dying wounded gushed blood and gasped for air. At nightfall the Parthians called off their attack. Quivers were empty, bow strings had snapped and blades had become blunted. Men and horses were exhausted. A Parthian herald shouted at the Romans; Crassus was to be granted one night to lament his son’s death. The next day, he could either surrender and be brought to their king or be taken to him as a corpse.”
Excerpts from “Roman Disaster at Carrhae, 53 BC,"
https://ludwigheinrichdyck.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/roman-disaster-at-carrhae-53-bc/Image: Giuseppe Rava, g-rava.it.
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