Editing Cavalry (section)

===Ancient Greece: city-states, Thebes, Thessaly and Macedonia===
[[File:Amphora Louvre F12.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Warrior's departure; an [[Athens|Athenian]] [[amphora]] dated 550–540 BC]]
{{main|Hippeis|Companion cavalry}}

During the classical Greek period, cavalry was usually limited to citizens who could afford expensive war-horses. Three types of cavalry became common: light cavalry - who armed with [[javelin]]s could harass and skirmish; heavy cavalry - using [[lance]]s and having the ability to close in on their opponents; and finally those whose equipment allowed them to fight either on horseback or foot. The role of horsemen did, however, remain secondary to that of the [[hoplites]] or heavy infantry who comprised the main strength of the citizen levies of the various city states.{{sfnp|Warry|1980|p=37}}

Cavalry played a relatively minor role in [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] [[city-states]], with conflicts decided by massed armored infantry. However, [[Ancient Thebes (Boeotia)|Thebes]] produced [[Pelopidas]], their first great cavalry commander, whose tactics and skills were absorbed by [[Philip II of Macedon]] when Philip was a [[Hostage#Historical_practices|guest-hostage]] in Thebes. [[Thessaly]] was widely known for producing competent cavalrymen,<ref>{{cite book |first=Nick |last=Sekunda |page=[https://archive.org/details/armyalexandergre00seku/page/n18 18] |title=The Army of Alexander the Great |year=1984 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |url=https://archive.org/details/armyalexandergre00seku |url-access=limited |isbn=0-85045-539-1}}</ref> and later experiences in wars both with and against the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian]]s taught the [[Greeks]] the value of cavalry in skirmishing and pursuit. The [[Athens|Athenian]] author and soldier [[Xenophon]] in particular advocated the creation of a small but well-trained cavalry force; to that end, he wrote several manuals on horsemanship and cavalry operations.{{sfnp|Warry|1980|p=54}}

The [[Macedon]]ian kingdom in the north, on the other hand, developed a strong cavalry force that culminated in the ''hetairoi'' ([[Companion cavalry]])<ref>{{cite book |first=Nick |last=Sekunda |page=[https://archive.org/details/armyalexandergre00seku/page/n17 17] |title=The Army of Alexander the Great |year=1984 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |url=https://archive.org/details/armyalexandergre00seku |url-access=limited |isbn=0-85045-539-1}}</ref> of Philip II of Macedon and [[Alexander the Great]]. In addition to these heavy cavalry, the Macedonian army also employed lighter horsemen<ref>{{cite book |first=Nicholas |last=Sekunda |page=42 |title=Macedonian Armies after Alexander 323–168 BC |date=2012|publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=978-1-84908-714-8}}</ref> called [[prodromoi]] for scouting and screening, as well as the [[Macedonian phalanx|Macedonian pike phalanx]] and various kinds of [[light infantry]]. There were also the ''Ippiko'' (or "Horserider"), Greek "heavy" cavalry, armed with [[Kontos (weapon)|kontos]] (or cavalry lance), and sword. These wore leather armour or mail plus a helmet. They were medium rather than heavy cavalry, meaning that they were better suited to be scouts, skirmishers, and pursuers rather than front line fighters. The effectiveness of this combination of cavalry and infantry helped to break enemy lines and was most dramatically demonstrated in Alexander's conquests of [[Persia]], [[Bactria]], and northwestern India.<ref>{{cite book |first=Nick |last=Sekunda |pages=[https://archive.org/details/armyalexandergre00seku/page/n14 14]–22 |title=The Army of Alexander the Great |year=1984 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |url=https://archive.org/details/armyalexandergre00seku |url-access=limited |isbn=0-85045-539-1}}</ref>