Cataphracts ( Tanks of the Ancient World)...Before there were Knights

Cataphracts...Before there were knights (Super Heavy Cavalry of the Ancient World)
This video covers the evolution of the heavily armored cavalrymen from the bronze age till the fall of the Sassanid Persian empire, and how the Cataphract laid the groundwork for the medieval knight.
This video is sponsored by my Patrons over on Patreon
/ epimetheus1776

[@blitzkrieg2928]

I think this video will get a lot of Bannerlord players.

[@butifarras]

More like Rome total war

[@FordyTheConeSmoker]

CK2 as well

[@monkeymanbob]

Yup. Always nice to get some learning through a medium you enjoy.

[@alyssinclair8598]

No predicting my arrival. It is very rude

[@spaguettoltd.7933]

Not to mention AOEII players

[@timmccarthy872]

Yeah I got cataphracts in my eyes, had to get corrective surgery.

[@magomedkartoev9550]

No you have Lincoln Continental

[@nhmooytis7058]

Magomed Kartoev haha!

[@salarrajabalizade9878]

Epimetheus thank you for showing the REAL history. my country ( Iran) is one of the oldest civilizations and has many wonderful things in its long history but due to some reason many people does not know about my country's rich history. Thank you for youre good job.( AND I LOVE THE ARTWORKS)

[@EpimetheusHistory]

Thanks Salar! Glad you liked it!

[@aradsstates9584]

Epimetheus i would love if you read my comment up there and i know your opinion.

[@mehrdad5767]

@@EpimetheusHistory brooo

[@user-mw3uf3ku3k]

Well I will give you the reason. Iran is in conflict with the west which obviously acts as if everything that is old Iranian history is nonexistent. At the same time, Iran is ruled by an islamic government that is against everything before the birth of the prophet. The government would rally a lot of support if it just blended its policy with this strong iranian nationalist sentiment, but somehow they are blind. As a result of this, the culture and history of Iran is being wiped out from both outside and inside which is a shame, truly. What you can do as an Iranian is to support local nationalist and zoroastrian newspapers and organisations and most importantly read and educated your fellow compatriots about this history. With this movement, the government is slowly but surely realising that it must make this history an important part of its policy.

[@progadkri5662]

Your artwork is addictive.

[@EpimetheusHistory]

Glad up like it! :)

Cataphracts have always fascinated me since I first encountered them in Age of Empires 2 and both their history and their evolution have been a topic worth seeing. The impressive thing about the Cataphracts is that after them, it took Western Europe several more centuries to achieve the level of armor that the Persians and Byzantines had at the end of antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages; It must have been impressive to see the heavy cavalry of those two Empires charging against each other on the battlefield, their gleaming silver and gold armor shining in the sun.

[@GeoGyf]

Indeed! The Military Manuals of the Eastern Romans say it clearly. Against Persians (who have equally well-armored troops) anti-armored weapons are preferred like the mace, the axe with a spike head and so on. Against the Persian Cataphracts a very heavy spear (log spear) was also introduced, the Menavlion (Menavleeon) and the troops that used it were called the Menavliatoi (Menavlion-bearers). The only thing in the manual about lets say Celts or Britons, is to avoid battles in swamps.

[@AdobadoFantastico]

I appreciate that the style of the drawing mimicks medieval esthetics. Feels more appropriate to me than trying to dramatize with cinematic drawings.

[@EpimetheusHistory]

Glad you like it :)

[@romanbarna1316]

When I was a teenager, my history teacher claimed that it wasn't possible to field heavily armored cavalry until the invention of the stirrup. I pointed out that cataphracts were a thing for hundreds of years before the stirrup was invented, but he wouldn't budge.

[@rennor3498]

Interesting to know that Cataphracts wouldn t have existed if humanity didn t know how to breed horses large enough and strong enough to carry a man in full armor

[@jacoblinde7486]

That's a part of history that people often forget about, myself included. It's kind of shocking to think back on how illogical cavalry probably would seem from an ancient point of view, before horses had been bred for riding and combat.

[@mariocassina90]

@@jacoblinde7486 you watched lyndibeige

[@alexlaza5301]

Well, ancient China and its northern neighbors also adopt Cataphracts but with smaller eastern breeds of horses. Probably less effective than their western counter-part in comparison, but still a very powerful force.

[@khafaniking1230]

jason mcallister The video and literally a ton of others not the subject spell t out for you that the horses today have been bred to be larger and stronger, enough to carry men in full armor. The horses of the ancient past were not large/hardy enough to carry, or at least couldn’t practically accommodate them, especially if you factor that the stirrup wouldn’t be invented for centuries after their domestication. Hence why chariots were king, because wheels allowed man to still take advantage of a horse’s pulling power.

[@khafaniking1230]

@jason mcallister Lmao there’s no need to yell or be rude. I’m just saying there’s literally thousands of years of evidence that run counter to your argument that because horses weigh 1000 pounds and above today, and can accommodate carrying people, that they’ve always been able to do that. It’s not about common sense, because yeah on a surface level I’m sure that a lot of people like yourself have always thought horses have been this big, but when you give a cursory look at the facts and history, you’ll see a clearly different picture. Horses used to be smaller, it’s just that simple.

[@Rodzyniastyyyy]

Pre-Islamic persian region is one of the most interesting subjects for me.

[@aydnmesuttorun8397]

iran is a lost country decimated by arabs. It is very sad but they sort of did that to theirselves (by attacking and wasting their precious resources against Eastern Romans , which made them astronomically vulnerable to araps afterwards...)

[@ReasonAboveEverything]

HolyTea or Sörkl I wonder how high and mighty place middle-east would be without Islam.

[@Rodzyniastyyyy]

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Iranophile, I really enjoy reading about Islamic dynasties like Safavids etc. but there is just something about 'pure' Persia...

[@iNFCxx]

​@HolyTea or Sörkl The Arabs have won we fucked the Persian and Roman Empire We expelled them from North Africa, subjugated the Berber tribes, occupied Andalusia for more than 800 years, and our territory still extends from Iraq to the east to Morocco to the west We are the greatest civilization That's a fact Whether you like us or not,

[@aydnmesuttorun8397]

@Ghufran dumb bitch your race and religion exists becauee of us turks. You woild be wiped off the planet had our ancestors ddidnt conquer lands neighboring your children fucking shit lands. Anyway our Tengri is enough for us

[@mikeoxmaul45]

You imagine how hot it would be in full armor *in the desert*

[@manufacturedfracture]

Bronze is so shiny when clean it could reflect the heat greatly. But still hot.

[@CirosKhan]

Iran is a mountainous country

[@u3fnoob688]

One of the reasons they lost to muslims

[@theanonymousmrgrape5911]

@@CirosKhan well yeah, but the borderlands with the Romans were pretty darn deserty.

[@civilengineer3349]

That's why the lighter armored Arabs conquered them.

[@theknave4415]

Keep in mind that stirrups weren't generally used in Europe until after 500 or 600 AD. Before the Sarmatians (leather stirrups), almost no one used any type of stirrup, at all. Keeping your seat during a cavalry 'meeting engagement' meant that most riders ended up fighting on foot. ;) (Stirrups were first introduced in India several centuries earlier, though, and made of leather.)

[@newname4941]

Roman horses also were alot smaller than those of medieval knights.

[@wv8d]

Cataphracts: the guy who said the joke Knight: the guy who repeated it but louder

[@justmymage]

The drawing is really great. Horses, the armour, facial expression on the rider on the right. Really makes it seem cool and gives an insight to a moment of battle between the two cataphract riders. Great work. Please do more if at all possible.

[@danmaertens7872]

Well done on the drawing, really captures the weight of the armor.

[@EpimetheusHistory]

Thanks man!

[@okhan_roudbaraki]

The amount of research you do for each one of your videos is admirable and of course the amount of work you do to create them. enjoyed watching this video, thanks from a fellow Iranian.

[@sadradehbashi3598]

Your name isn't Iranian.

[@Armorius2199]

The Seleucid cataphract combines Greek aesthetic with Iranian practicality. The best of two great cultures!

[@jotaro2690]

Yes

[@davidking6242]

Alexander's dream made manifest

[@gabe6475]

@Otis C-14 tf do you mean

[@stockingsstuffer6302]

@Otis C-14 edgelord lmfao

[@thesenate5913]

They have a weird resistance to pikemen and halberdiers, so they're a very good unit.

[@theSavageHippie]

And a weakness to archers

[@bobsmith3838]

And camels for some reason.

[@ciranopunalesvigliarolo3788]

@@bobsmith3838 Actually, cataphracts are resistant to camels and heavy camels

[@bobsmith3838]

@@ciranopunalesvigliarolo3788 That's what I meant, resistance to camels.

[@UsefulCharts]

Congrats on 300k!

[@miketacos9034]

I was gonna say, your drawing skills have improved so much, and this drawing is badass. Keep it up, Epimetheus!

[@cyrusa-ww3ib]

Your information about Persia is really good

[@tobago3679]

Always had a fascination with the cataphracts and heavy cavalry. Great drawings and thank you for the video!

[@Samuray1955]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4HWhquCgcqJZ6c

[@hamd8375]

I love how you called it "armoured horse - human collaboration"

[@seatonking8136]

I love the educational and historical value behind all the videos. Plus the art is awesome, hats off to you for the art particularly.

[@Crafty_Spirit]

Fantastic job on the drawings, one of your best outputs so far 👌🏽 Very vivid and lushly coloured 🔥

[@he4620]

Iranian empire (Achaemenid, Parthians and Sassanid) cataphracts Very nice video👏

[@SquirrelGrrl]

Your art is spectacular! Really sets it apart and makes your channel unique. Thank YOU for this great channel!

[@EpimetheusHistory]

I am glad you like it :) Thanks EngineGal

[@HistoricalWeapons]

very skilled artist. I really like the small details you pay attention to. must take hours just to make one of these

[@peanutwars]

I love the drawing ! And I love your channel man I love the topics you pick I want you to know how much it means to me that you do this for us I love you thank you for your hard work I find this stuff so fascinating !

[@EpimetheusHistory]

Thanks Devon! Reading this comment was a great way to wake up while drinking my coffee :)

[@brianfuller7691]

Cataphracts definitely had an interesting military history. This was an informative video.

[@Alfred_Leonhart]

That is some beautiful armor on the Persian, I want it.

[@brendanvanecko582]

Congratulations epimetheus I love watching your videos! Keep up the good work I can’t wait for you to get popular like you should be.

[@Kublaioi]

It's truly astonishing how Turks like to claim Iranian and Eastern Iranic history like this.

[@hayalamca6185]

Today dialects of Turkish is spoken as native language in Europe, in China, in most north Russia and in Iran. Can you imagine how and when this language spread to this territories? You cant find a bit of history of Eurasia withought Turks mentioned. Name a second language spread so much in geography in time. Just modern history langages may compete like English and they are not native mostly.

[@maddogbasil]

I'm pretty sure for the longest time Turks were pretty much ruled most of persia for almost a thousand years

[@he4620]

@@maddogbasil No at most 300 years Then Persians in the time of Safavids kicked them out of their country and make another native Persian empire after Sassanids

[@robertvahedi3350]

@@maddogbasilThis is one of those pan Turkic claims. A huge area up there was always populated by various Iranic tribes. Turks kept trying to push from east without success until arabs weaponized Islam to destroy Persia as severe as possible, after which Turks gained more access to that area.

[@robertvahedi3350]

@@hayalamca6185How about Persian? Even Ottomans spoke Persian in their court.

[@brazy8427]

Great video, I find it immensely interesting learning about the arms, armour, and tactics of these ancient warriors. Additionally, the drawings are superbly done!

[@EpimetheusHistory]

Thank you! It definitely was a fascinating epoch

[@parjai97]

@@EpimetheusHistory will we get a video on how you draw them?

[@user-wg1mv5hu5v]

@@EpimetheusHistory Привет и Скажи мне Был Крестовый поход на Персию🇮🇷⚔🇪🇦✝️⚔☪️Иран🇮🇷⚔🇪🇦✝️⚔☪️Боями Франками-Тамплиерами🇨🇵🇻🇦Сарматы-Катафрактами🇮🇷🇮🇶☪️⚔✝️

[@dale6947]

8:32 Lance guy is about to get messed up by that mace

[@dale6947]

@Vitruvius Antarchius What about a mace pommel?

[@9051team]

@@dale6947 Gasp! To dare put the pommel at the front! You've blasphemed the holy pommel!

[@LuisAldamiz]

@Vitruvius Antarchius - It's not. Pommel is auxiliary and somewhat hard to use.

[@LuisAldamiz]

@Vitruvius Antarchius - I watch Skallagrim and it is from that kind of channels where I learned that pommel is hard to use in combat, rather used for the death blow instead. I prefer Schola Gladatoria anyhow.

[@weldonwin]

You mess with best, you mace in face

[@joshuaboer1617]

Congratulations on 300k subscribers man! You've earned it!

[@EpimetheusHistory]

Thanks Joshua! :D

[@andrew1jl]

holy shit you drew that?? amazing work. loved the video !!

[@byzantinetales]

I have been drawing cataphracts for my comic book. This video helped me a lot on the historical background of the unit.

[@ramtinfazeli5106]

Sounds like a cool comic book What's the name ?

[@byzantinetales]

@@ramtinfazeli5106 theophano: a byzantine tale

[@persiandude2378]

Greetings and many thanks for this great video about my favourit warriors . And my country and my culture Many thanks from the house of sassan to you . May shahanshah bless you :)

[@kgb976]

Their ancient tanks,yes but also i like how the design and role rhymed with tanks today Scaled Armor = ERA

[@FellTheSky]

They also cost 70 Food and 75 Gold

[@AnshulPresents]

Paladins are better 🤭🙃

[@royalflush5228]

@@AnshulPresents cataphract deal area damage

[@pragadeeshwar923]

@@AnshulPresents paladin dies to halberdiers easily

[@SalmanibnFarsi]

damet garm. I am thankful someone makes videos about my ancestors. most iranians will speak highly of qasem but forget their history, gone are the days of rustam suren pahlav, shapur, and such.

[@grimgoreironhide9985]

The Chinese and Koreans also had Cataphracts. Their experience with either fighting or ruled by Steppe Nomads influenced their decision to field Cataphracts. Achaemenids were not exactly the first to use Cataphracts. The Cataphracts originate from the Iranic Steppe nomads who inhabited Central Asia. The Persians migrated to Iran and took with them their Steppe heritage in warfare.

[@erfan3857]

There are some places in Iran we call it zor-khane ... it means house of power you can see Pahlevani sport there

[@AmrodOfDale]

Awesome content! Since I started playing ancient strategy games the Cataphracts have fascinated me for years. Really happy to see your channel make an episode on them! I wasn't aware that you made the drawings, well done! I love how the style reflects the topic and the era, gives it a great historic feel. Cheers!

[@thedoruk6324]

1:19 - The Alexander's conquest has been summarized to *magnificently!*

[@thedoruk6324]

@@papazataklaattiranimam I Adore this Chanel :]

[@thedoruk6324]

@@papazataklaattiranimam kolay gelsin bakacağım kesinlikle 👍

[@dshepherd107]

Excellent presentation & loved your illustrative art

[@earltaylor1893]

Congrats!! 300,000! I’ve always been fascinated by cataphracts and I enjoyed learning more about their origins. Your drawings are perfect and remind me of the art from Eruopa Barbarorum

[@micahistory]

You deserve much more than 300,000 subscribers. have been following your channel for almost 2 years and it consistently gets better and better! Keep it up!

[@NickG_]

For anyone interested, SAVAR Shodan means to ride and SAVARAN means riders in Persian. And Dehqan class refers to businessmen class. Btw, according to Age of Empires game logic, only Byzantine had Cathaphracts

[@m.thorton9305]

also Crusader Kings

[@viriato6525]

Don't forget the Nisean horses. A warmblooded oriental horse, related to the Arabian and Akhalteke horses.This breed was very important for cataphracts. It was strong and agile.

[@sidneylu9659]

Great video. Overall the style of your videos are one of the most enjoyable ways to learn history.

[@MCtotheJ]

Your videos are fantastic and informative - thanks for all the work, Epimetheus!

[@matthewanderson6769]

Love your Channel mate, excellent source of world building inspiration.

[@Jordan-cs6bn]

Dude you’re very good at drawing. Keep it up!

[@curseoftheegglady]

Congratulations on the 300K!

[@iw3892]

Always enjoy the videos. Very informative. I like that you cover cultures and parts of history that are not touched upon as often.

[@odin01]

Another great one! I love your drawings, and they are definitely one of the things that make your videos great. Suppiluliuma will always look like your drawing in my head!

[@EpimetheusHistory]

That's awesome! Also Suppiluliuma is one of the funnest names to say :)

[@arashghanbari5907]

Thanks for the great video about our culture my friend. You nailed every point. I couldn't add anything else to the video as a Persian myself on this topic.

[@EpimetheusHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@regular-joe]

Rich content, superbly presented. I love learning from your channel!

[@thewowfowyay7335]

what excellent videos, I get lost in the detail, perfection, and pure awesomeness of these videos.

[@KateFergeson]

Subscribed. Thank you so much for posting a video on catapfracs. Key to cavalry research

[@davidwilliambarker]

I very much appreciate your videos, and you artwork is wonderful. Thank you so much!

[@victorstock86]

Great video, You are one of my favourite youtubers ;) Awesome illustrations as always. Thanks!

[@stanleydepriest9144]

You've earned every single sub, my dude. Thanks for the infotainment as always. Your art style is unique and awesome.

[@barwnamga3647]

Winged Hussars taking notes

[@hansholbein1047]

Thank you to Rome Total war for making sense of the names in this vid

[@dukeragereaver2208]

This is an excellent video you just earned a new subscriber. always nice to hear about the lesser known parts of history

[@TheZerech]

Thank you so much for making this video! I love the history of the kataphrakts.

[@XanderKalas]

Love your videos! Packed with information and to top this, your drawings are awesome!! Tnx for the hard work that you put into the research and the creation of these gems!

[@EpimetheusHistory]

My pleasure!

[@ahumpierrogue137]

Have you ever considered a video on the evolution of cavalry organization and usage in China? I feel it’s a pretty interesting topic.

[@YaMumsSpecialFriend]

Good on you mate, consistently nice work and well deserved subscriber numbers👌🏻

[@doubleoheck-5066]

Why you dont have millions of subscribers i never know. Such brilliant content ! Very educational

[@zhongxina7601]

virgin teutonic knights vs Chad sassanid cataphracts

[@matthewtenorioduenas202]

Ha

[@kingdomofbird8174]

Sassanid and in future Byzantine

[@mate5571]

@@kingdomofbird8174 *roman

[@Noface121]

Can you let this garbage meme die already? Jeez.

[@wankawanka3053]

Winged hussars 😉

[@yohopirate]

The Sassanid cataphract frontal charge also protects the horse archers and infantry from Roman missile fire. The disappearance of pikemen among western infantry is perhaps another reason for cataphract predominance

[@kevinstewart6771]

congratulations on 300,000! You're a legend.

[@damuses1452]

Splendid. Thank you for this. The Persians were top notch military powers.

[@user-jv3mm6vt6e]

As a persian who knows the military history of this land: NO.

[@mehrdad5767]

@@user-jv3mm6vt6e fuck off

[@jasonnguyen3476]

that drawing is sick!!! you got talent!

[@danieldpa8484]

I like your content for its quality and amount of information - subscribed!

[@seyedzein5464]

thank you so much for sharing history with such entertaining and artful videos!

[@1roanstephen]

You have provided much education and enjoyment. Thank you.

[@a1n9t8o9]

Artwork looks great!!

[@pablopersico9586]

Thank you Epimetheus!!

[@ariyoiansky291]

That was awesome, great work man!

[@Aeyekay0]

Great video man. congrats on 300k subscribers, well deserved

[@DropFdead]

great video mate, appreciated much!

[@3452te]

The Cataphracts especially Byzantine Cataphracts & Clibanarii are such a legendary cavalrymen that I would prefer them over Knights. Why! Being seasoned & well trained soldiers that have to deal with the heavy armour and dealing the climate they were on. These guys got my respect. Awesome video. :)

[@miguelmontenegro3520]

They were great and all, but when people brought gunpowder and arcabuzes, they were kinda a glass canon. Would face the same fate as the knights.

[@3452te]

@@miguelmontenegro3520 Byzantine Kataphracts haven't seen the advent of gunpowder as they were dramatically reduced to special roles in Constantinople until the 4th crusade. Like the skoutatoi that disappeared by the early 11th century AD or before that. They were ultimately replaced by Koursores, Pronoiars, Athanatoi and even the Varangian Guard. Sadly their last major battle was with against the Bulgars.

[@miguelmontenegro3520]

@@3452te Did they rout the bulgars? I Hope they did. Greek Rome is awesome.

[@3452te]

@@miguelmontenegro3520 they won the battle of Kliedion during Basil II reign then yes. They routed them.

[@6principlesforcartography61]

Don’t forget that cataphracts were also master of horse archery, which is a skill not practiced by knights.

[@LucasHenrique-it2io]

i found your channel few days ago.. and i love it.. amazing channel i could have found earlier....

[@moguldamongrel3054]

First time on this channel, a huge fan of classical warfare. Liked an subbed. Keep up the awesome content!

[@EpimetheusHistory]

Thanks Man, Glad you liked it!

[@Smartacus98]

Iranian military history never gets enough love compared to their Greek and Roman counterparts. Ironic considering the Iranians were one of the few peoples the Romans encountered that they were never able to overcome.

[@curtiswong7280]

Probably because of their defeats in greece, people just assume they're bad at warfare overall; they are in fact of course one of the finest and most well-disciplined armies of the age.

[@__0-0__]

nah is just logical things to do, given the bias greek and roman bias in western historian deeply rooted, and how they view culture other than their own as not that important at all.

[@endo_kun_da]

The drawing looks great, keep that up!

[@maxbrandt6]

Nice artwork and I just learned something never touched upon in history class. Keep up the fine work!

[@blakehillman6494]

Great job on the drawing--and on the whole video for that matter. Keep up the great work!

[@kalziumbones1557]

Love the drawing

[@adriangabrieljones881]

Thank you for the video!

[@dominictemple]

There's a very good reason you've reached 300k subs, you're videos are fucking great and you've also got a brilliant voice as well. Keep up the magnificent work mate.

[@ironwolf2244]

I enjoyed this video very much. This covers a niche topic that not alot of people discuss.

[@vladdrakul7851]

A beautiful picture btw. Congratulations on it, this video and your excellent channel!

[@teutonieth]

one thing i'm intrigued about is their armors. Not just that of the Cataphracts but Hittite, Scythian, Alan and other cultures known for their mounted warriors.

[@gm2407]

congrats on 300k subscriptions. Keep going with the good videos.

[@Lycurgus1982]

I believe an even better starting point to address "cataphracts" would be to talk about the picked bodyguard of the steppes. These tribes were the ones responsible for this cavalry tradition being handed down to other Iranian tribes that became sedentary, further south in their migrations. Their introduction to the west in any real substantial form first came from the Persians. Alexander had neither the time nor the means to integrate these arms into his army, however the Seleucid king Aniochus III anabasis to the eastern portions of the Seleucid empire saw one of the most impressive military reforms in history. The integration of various degrees of barding for horse and cavalryman.