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troops thus summoned were of two kinds, Parthian and foreign. The
governors of the provinces, whether tributary kings or satraps, called
out the military strength of their respective districts, saw to
their arming and provisioning, and, marching each at the head of his
contingent, brought a foreign auxiliary force to the assistance of
the Great King. But the back-bone of the army, its main strength, the
portion on which alone much reliance was placed, consisted of Parthians.
Each Parthian noble was bound to call out his slaves and his retainers,
to arm and equip them at his own expense, and bring them to the
rendezvous by the time named. The number of troops furnished by each
noble varied according to his position and his means; we bear in one
instance of their amounting to as many as 10,000, while in another
recorded case the average number which each furnished was no more than
125. The various contingents had their own baggage-trains, consisting
ordinarily of camels, in the proportion (as it would seem) of one to
every ten fighting-men.

A Parthian army consisted usually of both horse and foot, but in
proportions unusual elsewhere. The foot soldiers were comparatively few
in number, and were regarded as of small account. Every effort was made
to increase the amount and improve the equipment of the horsemen, who
bore the brunt of every fight, and from whose exertions alone victory
was hoped. Sometimes armies consisted of horsemen only, or rather of
horsemen followed by a baggage train composed of camels and chariots.

The horse were of two kinds, heavy and light. The heavy horsemen wore
coats of mail, reaching to their knees, composed of rawhide covered with
scales of iron or steel, very bright, and capable of resisting a strong
blow. They had on their heads burnished helmets of Margian steel, whose
glitter dazzled the spectator. Their legs seem not to have been
greaved, but encased in a loose trouser, which hung about the ankles
and embarrassed the feet, if by any chance the horseman was forced to
dismount. They carried no shield, being sufficiently defended by their
coats of mail. Their offensive arms were a long spear, which was of
great strength and thickness, and a bow and arrows of unusual size. They
likewise carried in their girdle a short sword or knife, which might be
used in close combat. Their horses were, like themselves, protected by a
defence of scale armor, which was either of steel or bronze.

The