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Parthian shot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Parthian shot was a military tactic employed by the Parthians, an ancient Iranian people. The Parthian archers, mounted on light horse, would feign retreat; then, while at a full gallop, turn their bodies back to shoot at the pursuing enemy. The maneuver required superb equestrian skills, since the rider's hands were occupied by his bow, leaving only pressure from his legs to guide his horse.[1]
- You wound, like Parthians, while you fly, And kill with a retreating eye. —Samuel Butler, An Heroical Epistle of Hudibras to His Lady (1678)[2]
This tactic was used by most Eurasian nomads, including the Scythians, Huns, Magyars, Turks and Mongols, and it eventually spread to armies away from the Eurasian steppe, such as the Byzantine cataphracts and Sassanid clibanarii.[citation needed]
A notable battle in which this tactic was employed (by the Parthians) was the Battle of Carrhae. In this battle the Parthian shot was a principal factor in the Parthian victory.[3]
The modern term "parting shot" is probably a bastardization of "Parthian shot", which itself was used up to the 20th century to describe a barbed insult or bon mot given as the speaker departed:
- With which Parthian shot he walked away, leaving the two rivals open-mouthed behind him. —Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet (1886)
- Feint
- Caracole, a similar cavalry maneuver
- Cantabrian circle
- ^ Oric Basirov, "The Origin of the Pre-Imperial Iranian Peoples"; accessed Jan 16, 2007
- ^ An Heroical Epistle of Hudibras to His Lady, e-text, at exclassics.com
- ^ Shapour Suren-Pahlav, "General Surenâ, The Hero of Carrhae" (LINK); accessed Jan 16, 2007