Recent Article on Cunaxa

[Duncan Head]

The fact that somebody is on foot in a cavalry melee merely proves they are unfortunate, not that they are infantry 

It's obviously evidence for Persian hamippoi 

[Jim Webster]

The fact that somebody is on foot in a cavalry melee merely proves they are unfortunate, not that they are infantry 

It's obviously evidence for Persian hamippoi 

Certainly the fact he had a hand free to throw a javelin may be evidence that his horse wasn't simulated by banging two coconut shells together 

[Duncan Head]

But that's what squires are for, anyway.

[Jim Webster]

But that's what squires are for, anyway.

true enough, but you can never get the staff

[evilgong]

Even through the mist of Greek sources you can get an idea of how smart Artaxerxes was at Cunaxa. 

His move, a few days before the battle to spook the rebels into deploying their army gave away their intended formation and therefore probable tactics. 

Armed with this he invented a plan to neutralise the Greeks by breaking them up and having them uselessly chase light infantry - they were probably lucky they got so disorganised and stalled they might otherwise have been clobbered by the Persian troops lurking behind the hills (and others to their left flank).

In the centre Artaxerxes concocted some form of mid-battlefield flank manoeuvre (with second line troops?) - it's not clear exactly what went on - but the dislodged rebel forces were worsted and their leader killed. Rebellion over.