Parthian Army: Rome’s Toughest Rival

From the creator

Get 4 months extra on a 2 year plan here: https://nordvpn.com/kingsandgenerals It’s risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Kings and Generals historical animated documentary series on ancient history and history of Rome and Iran, continues with a video in which we talk about the Parthian army and why Parthia is an often overlooked military powerhouse. Rome had no rival in the East like the Parthian Empire—yet we still know surprisingly little about how Parthian armies were organized. This video explains what newer archaeological finds and closer readings of ancient authors suggest: Parthia was not a loose “ad‑hoc nomad cavalry” horde, but a sophisticated military system under the Shahanshah. We break down the chain of command from the king’s elite guard (doryphoroi / gund ī Shahanshah) and mercenaries, to powerful landowning nobles (eleutheroi / azadan) and their retinues. You’ll learn how manpower also came from garrisons, governors (strategoi / marzban), client kingdoms, and older Seleucid and Achaemenid-style land-and-service institutions—creating a reserve that worked almost like a national guard. We also look at the underrated infantry: “Italian fashion” equipment, mixed formations, and evidence for siegecraft. Finally, we dive into Parthian battlefield methods—horse archers, a smaller core of cataphracts, and the coordinated envelopment tactics seen at Carrhae, where Crassus was annihilated and archers were resupplied by camels. The episode closes by asking

Published 2026-02-19 · Watch on YouTube ↗
Availability and playback restrictions are controlled by the original channel.