Rome's Enemies (3): Parthians and Sassanid Persians (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

~ Peter Wilcox (Author), Angus McBride (Illustrator) "they were able to trade gold and silk for Ferghana horses and other local products. It was from Parthia that knowledge of silk spread to..." (more)
Key Phrases: laminated armour, cavalry armour, heavy cavalry, Trustees of the British Museum, Dura Europos, Asia Minor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Parthians were a warrior people. Though possessing no regular army they were superb horsemen and archers, and in time of war the nobility provided heavily armoured knights mounted on weight-carrying chargers. At Carrhae, it is believed that 20,000 Roman troops out of a force of about 36,000 died at the hands of the Parthians. In the third of four volumes covering Rome's enemies, this fascinating text by Peter Wilcox examines the armies and campaigns of the Parthians and Sassanid Persians. This worthy addition to Osprey's Men-at-Arms series contains a wealth of illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by popular artist Angus McBride.

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; illustrated edition edition (July 24, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850456886
• ISBN-13: 978-0850456882
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #142,096 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eastern Knights and Horsebow, April 1, 2007

By	K. Murphy "Fortune favors the Bold" (The thriving metropolis of Masury, OH) - See all my reviews

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Excellent men-at-arms, although personally I feel that both of these peoples deserved their own title. The text and plates both detail the Scytho-Parthian horse-archers, Partho-Sassanid savaran, and infantry and mercenaries in Persian service, as well as the virtually never ending campaigns between Rome and these two great peoples between the 1st Century BC and the 7th Century AD, when the Arabs finally overwhelmed a Sassanid Empire already weakened by Byzantine invasion.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When Arrows Darkened the Sky, October 30, 2008

By	Kyle Richie (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

The Parthian Empire and the even more powerful Sassanian Persians who followed them stood directly in the path of Rome's imperial desires. The result was a series of brutal wars in which both sides suffered terribly.
This Osprey volume is thin but don't let that fool you; it contains a pretty decent amount of information. Discussed are the armor, tactics (including the famous Parthian Shot), and military history of both empires. The plates by the late Angus McBride are well done and add some color (literally) to the book. The Roman defeat at Carrhae is one of the topics covered although the book makes clear that Parthian forces were far from unstoppable as the Romans DID win many of the battles they fought against their eastern rival. Sassainian Persia was more of a danger to Rome at its height and under the famous/infamous Chroses II Parviz very nearly conquered the Byzantine Empire before the Emperor Heraclius counterattacked and crushed Persia. Weak from defeat, natural disasters, and political nightmares, the Zoroastrian Persians would ultimately fall to the fanatically fierce armies pouring out of early Islamic Arabia. The ancient world was truely coming to an end.
Overall, I recommend this book about two of Rome's most skilled and powerful foes.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Source of information, June 23, 2005

By	Saif T. Beg "Qara Saif" (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the good sources of information without it going into a steep price tag like the Cambridge Histories [which I do own]. This is a perfect way for western readers to learn about something rather than go and learn Perisan and read the manuscripts [though I encourage you to do so]. A 5/5 for this one.