Despite the fact that the Parthian Empire had no standing army, they were able to swiftly enlist men in the case of a local crisis. A constant armed guard was assigned to the king’s person. Garrisons were also kept in border forts on a permanent basis. Diplomatic gestures were also made with military personnel. The Parthian army’s main attacking force was its cataphracts, heavy cavalry with men and horses decked in mailed armor. The cataphracts were armed with a lance for rushing into enemy lines, but not with bows and arrows, which were only available to horse archers. Due to the high expense of their weapons and armor, cataphracts were recruited from the aristocratic elite, who in exchange for their services requested local autonomy from the Arsacid monarchs. The light cavalry was drawn from the commoner class and served as horse archers; they fought in a basic tunic and breeches. They utilized composite bows and could shoot at attackers while riding and looking away. This method, known as the Parthian shot, was extremely effective. Parthia’s strong and light cavalry proved important in several conflicts.
