BOWS OF THE DAHAE

When seeking to define the most reputable weapons utilized by the Macedonian forces during the campaigns of Alexander the Great, most would deem it obvious that we are speaking about the sa- rissae of his pezhetairoi or the xysta wielded by his Companion cavalry. However, by the time of Alexander's descent into the Punjab he was leading a much larger and more diverse army than when he set out to conquer the Persian Empire. Indeed, it was one of the more recent additions to his fighting force which played an instrumental role in his victory over Poros on the banks of the Hydaspes in 326 BC – the highly mobile Dahae cavalry with their Scythian bows.

By Mark McCaffery

Although the nomenclature “Scythians” is more often associated with tribes living in modern Ukraine as described by Herodotus, their culture and nomadic lifestyle could equally apply to peoples across the entire centralAsian steppe. Amongst these tribes, east of the Caspian Sea, were the Dahae. Alexander's first encounter with this tribe was on the battlefield of Gaugamela in 331 BC where the Dahae, unpredictable allies of the Persians, were stationed on the left wing of Darius' army. Eventually, after Alexander gained control of Sogdia, the Dahae curried Alexander's favour and entered his service. Arriving at the Hydaspes river in the summer of 326 BC, Alexander was faced by Poros, probably raja of the Pūru tribe, whose army, including 85–200 elephants, occupied the east bank. Alexander, reluctant to force a crossing in the…

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Ancient Warfare (Digital) - 1 Issue, AW XVI.5

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