Macedonian & Persian War

ertug · Post by **ertug** » Tue Nov 27, 2012 1:59 pm

Macedonian , Persian War , the Persian archers , Istanbul Archeology Museum .

ertug · Post by **ertug** » Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:02 pm

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 7&ENGINE=1

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:04 am

Excellent

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:07 am

Ertuğrul,
These are very good pictures of the famous sarcophagus. It clearly shows how short bows were drawn with two fingers. It also shows clear depictions of how the bow was held.

Uli · Post by **Uli** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:57 am

Thank you !

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 8:33 pm

What is the date of the war and what is the date of the carving? And who did the carving (nationality)?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 12:13 am

Jack,
You might like this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Sarcophagus

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:58 am

Thanks Bede; Very interesting. It is somewhat amazing that the themes are hunting (peace) and fighting (war); the well established themes of the Scythians, and others.

lurz · Post by **lurz** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 5:30 pm

From what time do we have evidence of thumb rings in this era?

Arry · Post by **Arry** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:56 pm

I am also surprised that the Persians are not depicted using some kind of thumb draw.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:43 am

The thumb draw was not introduced into Iran until after the fall of the Sasanian Empire to the Arabs (c. 651 CE). It may have infiltrated earlier, but in all likelihood the Old Turkish Empire (c. 552-745 CE) in Central Asia is where it entered from.

There is one thumb ring fragment from the old Roman frontier fort of Dura Europos now in eastern Syria, but its dating is insecure. The earliest date is in the 250s CE, but the shape of the thumb ring is of a late style. The surface decoration of concentric rings is still used in Syria today on traditional craft items.

Parthian and Sasanian pictorial evidence shows either three fingered or two fingered releases. The earliest depiction of the thumb draw in Iran is the Soghdian silver plate of the post conquest era showing both a thumb draw and stirrups.