The best cavalry of Alexander recruited among the semi-vassal territory of Thessaly that had historically stood out for the quality of its cavalry forces. The heavy cavalry of Alexander the Great was made up of Companion, Thessalian and Allied cavalry, with the last of these elements being depicted in this set. To that end, ancient sources talked about how 1,800 Thessalian horsemen took part in Alexander’s Asia expedition, a number matched by the Companion Cavalry forces. Two Alexander, leading ‘the finest of the riders on the right wing’ charged at the Persians and inflicted ‘substantial losses upon them’. By 334 BC, their main armament was a lance called a xyston , similar to that the Companions carried. This paper examines the organization, numbers and tactics of the Thessalian cavalry unit in the army of Alexander the Great. The Thessalian cavalry was dismissed at Ecbatana in 330 BC although maybe up to 200 of them re-enlisted as volunteers. Light Cavalry - Allies & Mercenaries Accompanying Alexander's army during the invasion of Asia were approximately 1,600 light allied cavalry, hailing from Greece, Thrace and Paeonia. The Macedonian allies An important contingent in the army of Alexander the Great was the Thessalian cavalry that served the Macedonian king because he was tagos or military leader of Thessalia as well. Under the command of Parmenion, it ‘gallantly met the attack of the troops posted opposite’. He wears a cuirass (probably a linothorax) and a Boeotian helmet, and is equipped with a scabbarded xiphos straight-bladed sword. A heavy cavalryman of Alexander the Great's army, possibly a Thessalian, though the Companion cavalry would have been almost identical (the shape of the cloak of the latter was more rounded). 24 figures. For details of this set see: HYTTY Set 2003 Alexander The Great Cavalry. Alexander Sarcophagus. The Companions (Greek: ἑταῖροι, hetairoi) were the elite cavalry of the Macedonian army from the time of king Philip II of Macedon and achieved their greatest prestige under Alexander the Great, and have been regarded as the best cavalry[1] in the ancient world and the first shock cavalry. 42 figures. Unfortunately there is little evidence for these men, who were provided by the Greek city states as part of their obligations under the Corinthian League. HaT Set 8048 Alexander's Thessalian Cavalry. Thessalian cavalry [edit] A heavy cavalryman of Alexander the Great's army, possibly a Thessalian. They were explorers, beaters, and protected the flanks of heavy cavalry, a kind of peltast on horseback. For details of this set see: Caesar Set H066 Persian Warriors. They were commonly assigned the left flank, guarding it from enemy cavalry as the right flank spearheaded the attack. During Alexander’s campaigns, the contingent of Thessalian Cavalry accompanying him numbered roughly 2,000 men, 200 for every vote Thessaly had in the League of Corinth. All figures painted by René Betgem. 1322AB Almere. Yet by the time the Thessalian cavalry contingents had been incorporated into first Philip’s and then Alexander’s Macedonian army, it appears this weaponry had changed. These horsemen generally operated in battle as the heavy cavalry wing deployed on … Antennestraat 8. Though his advisors advised him to use diplomacy, Alexander mustered the Macedonian cavalry of 3,000 men and rode south towards Thessaly, Macedon's immediate neighbor to the south. For details of this set see: ! Alexander's Campaign > Companion Cavalry. Diodorus singles out the Thessalian cavalry for praise. Cavalry of Thessaly: from 1,700 to 2,100 horsemen. 20 figures. Companion Cavalry Background. 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