A Greco-Persian Equestrian Challenge for

Cattle Raids 2014

Honorable Lad Eo!th "a #i$end
Lord Ed!ard de %ent and Lad Ge&a de %ent
The Challenge in Context
'he the(e for Cattle Raids 2014 is the Greco-Persian )ars bet!een the Achae(enid
E(*ire of Persia and the Gree+ cit-states fro( 4,, - 44, .C/
1
0(*ortantl for the equestrian
challenge1 both Gree+ and Persian ca&alr !ere a (a2or *art of the conflict1 *articularl on the
Persian side/ 3uch of !hat !e +no! about conte(*orar equestrian training techniques on
both the Gree+ and Persian sides co(es fro( the Gree+ !riter 4eno*hon 5460 - 674 .C8/
'!o of his boo+s1 On Horsemanship and On the Cavalry Commander1 discuss the training of
horses and riders in detail/
2
A third1 the Cyropedia1 includes so(e discussion of Persian
ca&alr/ 3ost of the ele(ents in this challenge are dra!n fro( 4eno*hon9s !ritings1 es*eciall
On the Cavalry Commander/
The Prizes
'he *ri:es for this challenge !ill be contributed b the entrants/ As 4eno*hon !rote;
And if ou could offer *ri:es to the regi(ents for s+ill in all the feats that the *ublic
e<*ects the ca&alr to *erfor( at the s*ectacles1 0 thin+ this !ould a**eal strongl to the
s*irit of e(ulation in e&er Athenian/ =or e&idence of this 0 (a refer to the >Gree+
*las?1 in !hich (an labours and hea& e<*enses are the *rice *aid for trifling
re!ards/
6
#o !e encourage e&erone to heed 4eno*hon9s !ords; no trifling re!ards@ ;-8
The Procession & Timely Arrival
1
=or an accessible histor of the Greco-Persian )ars 5also called the Persian )ars81 see 'o( Holland1 Persian
Fire 5200A8/ 'he (ost i(*ortant 5Gree+8 *ri(ar source discussing the conflict is Herodotus9s Histories1 a&ailable
online at htt*;BB!!!/*erseus/tufts/eduBho**erBte<tCdocDPerseus;te<t;1,,,/01/012E
2
.oth boo+s are a&ailable online &ia Perseus; htt*;BB!!!/*erseus/tufts/eduBho**erBte<tCdocDPerseusF6Ate<t
F6A1,,,/01/0210F6Ate<tF6GCa&/ and htt*;BB!!!/*erseus/tufts/eduBho**erBte<tCdocDPerseusF6Ate<t
F6A1,,,/01/0210F6Ate<tF6GHorse/
6
4eno*hon1 On the Cavalry Commander 1/2E/
'he challenge begins on #aturda afternoon at about 12;60*( !ith a *rocession
around the site announcing the challenge;
Ho! !e co(e to duties that the ca&alr co((ander (ust *erfor( hi(self; I he (ust
(a+e the *rocessions during the festi&als !orth seeingJ further1 he (ust conduct all the
other obligator dis*las before the *eo*le !ith as (uch s*lendour as *ossible/
4
Partici*ation in the *rocession is strongl encouraged1 but it is not scored/ Ho!e&er1 6 *oints
!ill be a!arded for being *resent and read !hen the challenge begins/
7
Partici*ating in the
*rocession is a good !a to ensure that ou are read for the start of the acti&ities at 1 *(/
Heraldry
Although heraldr as such did not e<ist in ancient Greece1 4eno*hon encourages
ca&alr co((anders to;
sacrifice to the gods and *ra the( to grant ou the thoughts1 !ords and deeds li+el to
render our co((and (ost *leasing to the gods and to bring ourself1 our friends and
our cit the fullest (easure of affection and glor and ad&antage/
E
Kb&iousl !e !ill not require an sacrifices or *raers@ .ut *lease bring a short heraldic
introduction 5L!ordsM8 de(onstrating ho! our co((and !ill bring ou1 our friends1 and our
cit the fullest (easure of affection1 glor1 and ad&antage/ 'his is *art of the challenge and is
!orth 2 *oints/
0f ou are not a *oet or a scribe don9t !orr@ 0t does not ha&e to be long or flo!er/ 'his
is our o**ortunit to tal+ u* our ran+ and titles 5including (ade-u* ones li+e L%ee*er of
%ace of the =la(ing Hoo&esM81 boast about an *re&ious challenges ou9&e !on1 and
generall trash-tal+ those laughable Persian ca&alr 5or Gree+ ca&alr1 as a**ro*riate8/ Ha&e
fun !ith it1 +ee* it short and s!eet/
0f there is so(eone that ou !ould li+e to ser&e as our herald1 *lease bring the(@ 0f
not1 don9t !orr/ )e ha&e (ulti*le heralds !ho !ill be ha** to lend their &oices to our
!ords/
Bring Your On !room " !round Cre " #$ectator
Right fro( the beginning1 4eno*hon e(*hasi:es the i(*ortance of recruit(ent;
4
Cavalry Commander 6/1/
7
L'hen ou (ust contri&e to (a+e the (en obedient; other!ise neither good horses nor a fir( seat nor fine
ar(our are of an use/ =or ensuring efficienc in all these (atters the ca&alr co((ander1 as a (atter of course1
is the *rinci*al authorit/M Id/ 1/A/
E
Id/ 1/1/
Ha&ing gained the good!ill of the gods1 ou ha&e then to recruit a sufficient nu(ber of
(ounted (en that ou (a bring the nu(ber u* to the total required b the la!1 and
also (a *re&ent an decrease in the ca&alr establish(ent/ I As for the (en1 ou
(ust ob&iousl raise the( as required b the la!1 fro( a(ong those !ho are (ost
highl qualified b !ealth and bodil &igour1 either b obtaining an order of the court or
b the use of *ersuasion/
A

% *oints !ill be a!arded for bringing one *erson to the challenge1 either as a groo(1
authori:ed (e(ber of the ground cre! 5can be a fello! rider1 as long as the hel* ground cre!
at so(e *oint81 or as a s*ectator/ Ho additional *oints !ill be a!arded for additional *eo*le1
but ou are encouraged to bring s*ectators@ Please treat our groo(s1 ground cre!1 and
s*ectators !ell/
N
The Challenge Course
Ho! !e co(e to the challenge course itself/ 'he course !ill consist of the follo!ing
ele(ents;
O & *ossible *oints; 3ounting fro( the ground or !ith a leg-u* 5not re'uired1 but
less *oints for using a (ounting bloc+ or additional aid8
,
O 6 *oints; Riding barebac+ 5not re'uired1 but no *oints for using a saddle8
10
O () *ossible *oints; 3aneu&ering along a *ath defined b 10 reed standards1
stri+ing the reeds !ith a s!ord 5( *t for 10M P NM1 2 *ts for EM P 4M1 % *ts for 2M8
11
O 2 *oints; Riding o&er difficult terrain 5crossed rails bet!een 2 standards8
12
O * *ossible *oints; A L*oloM ele(ent
16
A
Id/ 1/2/1 1/,/
N
LHo! the feeling of loalt !ill naturall be fostered !hen the co((ander is +ind to his (en1 and ob&iousl ta+es
care that the ha&e &ictuals1 and that the are safe in retreat and !ell *rotected !hen at rest/ 0n the garrisons he
(ust sho! an interest in fodder1 tents1 !ater1 fire!ood1 and all other su**lies; he (ust sho! that he thin+s ahead
and +ee*s his ees o*en for the sa+e of his (en/ And !hen he is doing !ell the chiefQs best *olic is to gi&e the(
a share in his good things/M Id/ E/2-6/
,
LHa&ing (ade sure that the horses are in good condition1 the ne<t business is to train the (en/ =irst the (ust
learn to (ount fro( the s*ring1 since (an before no! ha&e o!ed their li&es to that/ I )e !ould *ersuade the
oung recruits to learn for the(sel&es ho! to (ount fro( the s*ringJ but if ou *ro&ide an instructor1 ou !ill
recei&e !ell-(erited *raise/ 'he !a to hel* the older (en is to accusto( the( to get a leg-u* in the Persian
fashion/M Id/ 1/71 1/1A/
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'he ancient Gree+s had neither saddles nor stirru*s/ 'his is attested b nu(erous de*ictions of riders in Gree+
*otter and scul*ture/
11
L)hen our (en are !ell trained in all these *oints1 the (ust1 of course1 understand so(e *lan of for(ation1
that in !hich the !ill sho! to greatest ad&antage in the sacred *rocessions and at (anoeu&res1 fight1 if need be1
!ith the greatest courage1 and (o&e along roads and cross ri&ers !ith *erfect ease in unbro+en order/M Id/ 2/1/
12
LHe (ust therefore *ractise e&er detail of horse(anshi*R(ounting and the rest1Rthat the (a see their
co((ander able to ta+e a ditch !ithout a s*ill1 clear a !all1 lea* do!n fro( a ban+ and thro! a 2a&elin s+ilfull/
=or all these feats are so (an ste**ing stones to their res*ect/ I >'?hose that are taught and accusto(ed to
2u(* ditches1 lea* !alls1 s*ring u* ban+s1 lea* do!n fro( heights !ithout a s*ill1 and gallo* do!n stee* *laces1
!ill be as su*erior to the (en and horses that lac+ this training as birds to beasts/M Id/ E/71 N/6/
O 6 *ossible *oints; A 2a&elin thro!
14
O % *oints; A si(ulated LlootingM and loot return
17
'hroughout the challenge course *oints !ill doc+ed for refusals1 and ti(e to co(*lete the
course !ill be used as a tiebrea+er/
1E
A fe! of these ele(ents bear further e<*lanation/
+ounting; =or full *oints 5&8 ou (a choose to (ount fro( the ground or (ount !ith a
leg-u* fro( another *erson 5a trained *erson !ill *ro&ide all of the leg-u*s8/ =or fe!er *oints
528 ou (a (ount fro( the ground or !ith a leg-u* !hile so(eone holds our horse/ Ho
*oints !ill be a!arded if ou use a (ounting bloc+ or begin the course fro( horsebac+/
,iding -are-ac.; =or full *oints 568 ou (a ride the entire course barebac+/ A
barebac+ *ad or saddle blan+et (a be used/ Ho *oints !ill be a!arded for this ele(ent if ou
use a saddle1 but no other deduction !ill be (ade/
The /$olo0 element; 'his ele(ent si(ulates a basic co(*onent of the ga(e of *olo;
stri+ing the ball fro( horsebac+ for both distance and accurac/ Riders !ill ta+e a *olo (allet
and hit a *olo ball to!ard a goal defined b t!o standards/ Points !ill be a!arded for; stri+ing
the ball 5(81 hitting the ball *ast the standards 5%81 and hitting the ball bet!een the standards
5&8/
The loot return; 'his consists of *ic+ing u* a bag of loot fro( the to* of a standard and
returning it to the start of the challenge course/ Points 5%8 !ill be a!arded for successful *ic+
u* and return/ .ecause ti(e is a tie-brea+er1 a fast return is *referable/
16
Although the earliest !ritten e&idence describing *olo onl dates to the Ath centur AG1 it describes the ga(e
being su**orted and *laed b the rulers of the Parthian dnast of Persia1 !ho !ere in *o!er fro( 24A .C to AG
224/ Horace A/ Laffae1 The Evolution of Polo E 5200,8/ 0t is belie&ed that the ga(e e&ol&ed into that for( fro(
earlier fol+ ga(es/ Ge*ending on the length of that e&olution and ho! long the ga(e e<isted in (ore-or-less its
(odern for( before 24A .C1 so(ething li+e *olo (a ha&e been conte(*orar !ith the Greco-Persian )ars/
14
LAs soon as the ha&e acquired a fir( seat1 our ne<t tas+ is to ta+e ste*s that as (an as *ossible shall be
able to thro! the 2a&elin !hen (ounted and shall beco(e efficient in all the details of horse(anshi*/ I As for
thro!ing the 2a&elin on horsebac+1 0 thin+ that the greatest nu(ber !ill *ractise that if ou add a !arning to the
colonels that the !ill be required to ride to 2a&elin e<ercise the(sel&es at the head of the (ar+s(en of the
regi(ent/M On the Cavalry Commander 1/E1 1/21/
17
LAnd !hen anthing can be filched b cunning1 ou should send li+el (en to steal itJ and !hen anthing (a
be sei:ed ou should des*atch troo*s to sei:e it/ I Sou can see the *oint of this if ou consider/ E&en !ild
creatures less intelligent than (an1 such as ha!+s1 !ill grab unguarded *lunder and get a!a into a *lace of
safet before the can be caughtM Id/ 4/1A-1N/
1E
4eno*hon reco((ended horses that !ere both fast and obedient; L)hile the ran+s are filling u*1 ou (ust see
that the horses get enough food to stand hard !or+1 since horses unfit for their !or+ can neither o&erta+e nor
esca*e/ Sou (ust see that the are docile1 because disobedient ani(als assist the ene( (ore than their o!n
side/M Id/ 1/6/