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Short description

Thracian Hippakontistai are mounted skirmishers, ideal for harassing the enemy with their javelins, but lightly armoured and therefore vulnerable in melee.

Description

The word Hippakontistai is a compound of Hippos (horse) and Akontistai (javelineers), and designated a type of cavalry that had little defensive armour, but bore several javelins as well as a long, wooden lance. Initially, the term only referred to the skirmisher cavalry of Asia, which was first recruited by Alexander the Great when he invaded Central Asia (Arr. An. III.24.1). Later the Thracian cavalry, which largely fought in a similar fashion, was also subsumed under the term. Hippakontistai were not only an important part of the Odrysian army, but were also popular mercenaries who served various Hellenistic kingdoms, especially Lysimachos’ and subsequently Antigonid Macedon. They are recognisable by their typical colourful Thracian clothing, Phrygian caps, and Thracian-style crescent pelte shields. Useful for both skirmishing and to hunt down unarmoured infantry, they are an important asset in many Hellenistic armies, though they should take care to keep their distance from full-blown melee combat.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Hippakontistai were horse javelinmen, similar to Tarantine cavalry in their fighting style, but outfitted with light and colourful Thracian clothing. Aelian and Asclepiodotos differentiate the “Tarantine style” cavalry, meaning the Hippakontistai, from those who cast javelins as precursors and then charge in with a lance (elaphroi/ελαπροι) (Ael. Tact. 2; Ascl. Tact. IV, 5-6). Due to their role as light cavalry that only fights from a distance, they were not heavily equipped, only protecting themselves with a pelte shield or a helmet.

During his war against the Achaemenid Empire, Alexander the Great’s army contained a squadron of cavalry that Arrian calls “Hippakontistai”. They first appeared in Hyrkania (Arr. 3.24.1) and may have replaced the light Prodromoi (“front runners”) of Alexander’s force; even though this is debated, as the Prodromoi could also have been merged into the hipparchies of the Companions (Heckel, Alexander’s Marshals (2016), p. 277). The new Hippakontistai were most likely recruited from the central Iranians, fighting in the skirmishing style of Persian cavalry, who never charged into close combat (Griffith, A Note on the Hipparchies of Alexander (1963), pp. 69-73).

Many varieties of Hippakontistai could be found on the battlefield, though it was mainly dominated by the Tarantines and the Thracians (Webber, The Gods of Battle (2011), p. 92). After Alexander, the name “Tarantine” became a pseudo-ethnic term for cavalry fighting in this specific style, as described by Aelian and Asclepiodotos (Sekunda, Seleucid and Ptolemaic Reformed Armies (1994), p. 20; Ael. Tact. 2; Ascl. Tact. IV, 5-6).