Description
Heavy scythed chariots developed during the Greco-Persian Wars as a response to armoured infantry and the phalanx. Although many cultures used them, the original idea was probably Persian or Indian. Others took up the idea, and Mithridates VI of Pontus had some success using scythed chariots against Bithynia during the Battle of the River Amnias in 89BC, at the start of the First Mithridatic War. They relied on their momentum and axle-mounted blades to break enemy lines, creating weak points to be exploited by cavalry. Even if the chariot horses instinctively veered off at the last moment, the long axle blades would carve an opening. If any still stood, there was a good chance confusion and panic in the survivors would set in. Both the horses and drivers eventually had quite heavy armour, reminiscent of later cataphract cavalry. When fighting against scythed chariots, the simplest thing to do was open ranks and allow them to pass through, before quickly closing up again. However, the introduction of the long sarissa countered their effectiveness somewhat better.
