DBA Armies

II/26 SIRACAE, IAZYGES & LATER RHOXOLANI SARMATIAN 310 BC - 375 AD

This list covers the Sarmatian sub-groups of the Siracae and the lazyges from their first contact with the classical world and that of the Rhoxolani from their change to similar equipment around 100 AD. They were originally nomads but came to rule a population of settled farmers. The Sarmatians are chiefly known for the inaccurate depictions on Trajan’s Column showing both riders and horses covered from head to foot with close-fitting scale armour. In reality, they wore a spangenhelm helmet and a long split-skirted coat of rawhide or heat-flattened horn (often horse hoof) scales, with those horses that were armoured wearing a trapper of similar construction covering head, neck and body only. Rawhide is light and tough but susceptible to wet, so was sometimes water-proofed by being lacquered in red or green. Horn could be left natural colour and the effect was described as resembling a pine cone. Only the richest would have iron mail or bronze scale armour. Their primary weapon was a long heavy lance “kontos” wielded with two hands, making a shield impractical. This was backed by a long sword and a bow allegedly weaker than Parthian bows. Tacitus wrote that the lazyges’ sole effective strength was in the formidable charge of their cavalry (who were useless when forced to dismount by bad going), but that they once offered to raise a mass levy of foot. The Siracae used skirmishing foot archers, but most levies would be farmers with light spear and shield. Scouts armed as light horse archers could be boys or young women. References: Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars D. Head, Armiies and Enemies of Imperial Rome P. Barker.

II/26 — Siracae, lazyges or Later Rhoxolani Sarmatian Army 310 BC - 375 AD

List: 1 x General (3Kn), 7 x noble cavalry (3Kn), 1 x scouts (LH) or noble cavalry (3Kn), 3 x noble cavalry (3Kn) or skirmishing archers (Ps) or levied farmers (7Hd)
Terrain: Steppe
Aggression: 3
Enemies:
Allies: II/58 or II/67b or II/72a