Abstract
The article deals with a contingent of mounted archers, who presented in the army of Alexander the Great during his Asian campaign. It is determined that the appearance of a new kind of cavalry in the invader’s army was the result of the subordination of the Central Asian territories. A group of mounted archers, who played a prominent role in the Indian campaign of Alexander, should be re-adopted as a selective unit, staffed by the Dahae and Massagetae, Central Asian nomads who joined the army of the Macedonian king as mercenaries. A thousand squad of these riders, equipped with bows of the “Scythian” type and blade weapons, quickly incorporated into Alexander’s army, becoming one of the most frequently used troops along with Macedonian infantry, cavalry of the hetairoi and the Agrianae. The guarantee of this was the high fi ghting qualities of the cavalry of Central Asian nomads and the peculiarities of Alexander’s military art, in which the use of mobile hulls equipped with the most combat-ready and mobile units was of great importance. During the period of the Indian campaign, mounted archers began to be included in such troops. The tactics of using the latter was based on the traditionally strong sides of the Central Asian lightly armed cavalry, such as maneuverability and excellent archery. In the Battle of Hydaspa, 326 BC, the mounted archers, intensively fi ring at the enemy, weakened him before the decisive attack of the shock heavy cavalry Alexander. Central Asian nomads were repeatedly used to hinder the actions of the enemy during the regrouping of Alexander’s troops. However, the inclusion of mounted archers in the army of the conqueror did not lead to a significant change in the military art of Alexander, but it allowed improving already wellmastered methods of conducting military operations.
Keywords
Alexander the Great, warfare, tactics, mounted archers, Scythians, Dahae, Massagetae
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