Istvánovits Eszter: International Connections... (Jósa András Múzeum Kiadványai 47. Aszód-Nyíregyháza, 2001)

Eszter Istvánovits - Valéria Kulcsár: Sarmatians through the eyes of strangers. The Sarmatian warrior

The danger coming from the Sarmatian archers can be inferred from other evidence: the deployment of Eastern archer units along the Sarmatian part of the limes, mainly after the Marcomannic Wars (COULSTON 1985,298 - with further reference). In 176, in Intercisa, in front of the Jazygian part of the limes, cohors 1

Aurelia Antonina milliaria Hemesenorum sagittaria equitata avium Romanorum was settled (MÓCSY 1974, 227; LŐRINCZ 1990, 79 - with further reference), thus forming a settlement of Syrian archers (a terracotta from Damascus gives us an idea of the look of a Syrian archer KRAUS 1980,201, Abb. 394) (fig. 4: 5), in Ulcisia Castra - cohors I milliaria Nova Surorum. Around 200 - perhaps also as an aftermath of the Marcomannic Wars - Numerus Surorum sagittariorum was deployed to Lucin, Moesia Inferior (WAGNER 1938, 270). As shown on the depictions of Trajan's Column, both Jazyges (scene С - fig. 12: 1) and Roxolani (scene XXXI and XXXVII - fig. 7: 2) used bows. The costume of the Jazygian leaders (possibly envoys) depicted here (fig. 12: 1) (CHICHORIUS 1896/ 1900, scene C; GAUER 1977; REINACH 1886) is very unusual: they wear a long dress and some kind of a waistcoat (fig. 12: 3) (probably breast armour - a similar one can be seen on an Iranian golden open-work decoration: 7000 JAHRE 1962, Kat. 368). This skirt-like costume is unique among Sarmatian depictions. The situation with regard to the heavily armoured Roxolanian archers on Trajan's Column is different. They have to be examined separately. Ala I Ulpia Contariorum milliaria first appears in a military diploma of 107. Its soldiers fought with a long spear (contus). This unit named after Trajan may have been formed in response to the Sarmatian cavalrymen during the Dacian wars (KEMKESSCHEUERBRANDT 1997, 25-26). That is to say, it was not the bow, but the contus that was used as the customary weapon of the heavy cavalry. In the Bosporan depictions, it is evident that the long spear is the weapon of heavy armoured riders (fig. 11: 7-9). Members of light cavalry regularly appearing both in the pictures of burial chambers (sarcophagus found in 1900, chambers discovered in 1872 and 1875) and on the gravestones found in Kerch (e.g. ROSTOVTSEV 1913/14, tab. XCIII: 2, LXXIX, LXXIII: 4, LXXXIV: 1-2; DAVYDOVA 1990, cat. 46, 56) do not wear armour or helmets, but their set of weapons almost always includes a bow in a quiver (attached to the saddle) and a sword (fig. 10: 4, 9-10). At the same time, the offensive weapons of the Roxolani depicted on Trajan's Column (fig. 7:2) - already mentioned above - do not correspond to the Pontic tradition. There is no spear in their hands; in one case we see a bow, and in another a sword. Bosporan tradition and the experience of the artist of Trajan's Column seem to meet in the previously mentioned metal vessel from Kosika (dated to the same age: the end of the 1

ST c.) depicting, among others, a rider wearing a scale armour shirt with a belt (fig. 11: 4). His equipment includes also a bow quiver, a sword and a long spear (DVORNICHENKO-FEDOROV-DAVYDOV 1993, 150). Contus and bow appear together on other depictions as well, e.g. in Orlat (Uzbekistan) (fig. 11: 1) (PUGACHENKOVA 1989, 122-154). It is notable that warriors with contus do not wear armour in all representations, and that in these cases they can also have a bow, such as in a Bosporan depiction

6 (fig. 11: 11); 6 This depiction is characteristic also because a led (unridden) horse appears on it.