cataphract
Armored mounted warrior
A cataphract was a heavily armored cavalry soldier in ancient warfare, particularly in Persian, Byzantine, and Roman armies.
Both rider and horse wore scale or plate armor, making cataphracts essentially tanks of the ancient world—slow but devastating on impact.
The term now appears mainly in historical writing and strategy games: The cataphracts broke through the enemy center.
Armored mounted soldiers
- lancerMounted soldier with spear
- chargerPower-restoring device or mount
- mountedFixed in position
- lanceLong thrusting weapon
charge · formation · wedge · squadron · stirrup · saddle · warhorse · rider
Consisting of thin layers
- scaleMeasure of relative size
- mailPostal system items
- bardingWrapping meat in fat
- cuirassTorso-protecting plate armor
greaves · helmet · vambraces · gauntlets · crupper · articulated · segmented · mace
Of ancient Iranian empire
- PersianOf or from Iran
- ArmenianOf a Caucasus nation
- RomanOf ancient Italy's capital
- ByzantineOf Constantinople's civilization
Hellenistic · steppe · Mesopotamian · imperial · elite · noble
Cost or accusation
- lanceLong thrusting weapon
- wedge formationTriangular tactical arrangement
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- pursuitAct of chasing something
combined arms · flanking · hammer and anvil · frontal assault · momentum · impact · melee · close combat
heavy cavalry
Armored mounted soldiers
lance · charge · formation · wedge · squadron · stirrup · saddle · warhorse · rider · equestrian
lamellar
Consisting of thin layers
cuirass · greaves · helmet · vambraces · gauntlets · crupper · articulated · segmented · mace · plated
Parthian
Of ancient Iranian empire
Byzantine · Hellenistic · steppe · Mesopotamian · imperial · elite · noble
charge
Cost or accusation
- lanceLong thrusting weapon
- wedge formationTriangular tactical arrangement
- breakthroughSudden important advance
pursuit · combined arms · flanking · hammer and anvil · frontal assault · momentum · impact · melee · close combat · overrun
cataphractlight cavalry
Fast, mobile mounted troops
skirmisher · horse archer · auxilia · dragoon
cataphractskirmisher
Irregular advance combatant
mounted archer · harasser · velites · raider · reconnaissance unit