How "tricky" was the Parthian Shot?

[Howard Fielding]

The new Victrix plastic horse archers show one pose with the right arm fully back, with the arrow behind the head, to fire backwards. Is that how the "Parthian Shot" worked? I always assumed they just turned at the waist.

[Martin Smith]

Just found the Victrix pose you refer to....looks like a Wild West Show trick riding stunt, rather than anything likely to have been used in reality. A serious quantity of 'artistic licence' seems to have gone into that one....😳

[Martin Smith]

This one?

[RichT]

Could that be an interpretation of (eg) this:


Various moderns appear to do it that way:

[Imperial Dave]

if you can get the power and direction in the same way as a standard shot then this is a very stable position on the horse

[Cantabrigian]

Could that be an interpretation of (eg) this:

That appears to have the right hand in front of the head, rather than behind. Especially one of the fingers.

[Cantabrigian]

if you can get the power and direction in the same way as a standard shot then this is a very stable position on the horse

With a conventional position you can sight along the arrow, while with this one the eyes appear to be off at an angle.

[Imperial Dave]

true, its a trade off of stability whilst riding versus accuracy. with practice though a reasonable level of proficiency should be possible?

[Ian61]

Assuming the shooting is against a massed unit then accuracy probably less important than firing at the right trajectory - something is going to get hit. One has to assume that pursuit is moving as well so very different to firing accurately into a static target.

[Imperial Dave]

very true!

[RichT]

That appears to have the right hand in front of the head, rather than behind. Especially one of the fingers.

This image is clearer:


It looks like a behind the head shot to me. I have no idea why anyone would do this (or if Parthians did it), but it does appear that some people do and did, so it is/was a thing.

[Imperial Dave]

assuming a 2 fingered grip, if the rider leans right into the mane of the horse, by using this method he can get a fairly unencumbered shot off whilst keeping his own 'profile' low

[Anton]

Good alignment of the shoulder muscles perhaps.

[Erpingham]

That appears to have the right hand in front of the head, rather than behind. Especially one of the fingers.

It looks like a behind the head shot to me. I have no idea why anyone would do this (or if Parthians did it), but it does appear that some people do and did, so it is/was a thing.

Must admit, my first thought was the Assyrian convention of showing the string behind the head to avoid it running across the face and spoiling the picture.

[Imperial Dave]

Good alignment of the shoulder muscles perhaps.

also possible