Description
Homer, Greece’s greatest poet, praised the Thracians as “a race of horsemen”. The Thracians bred horses for racing and later improved the breed for warfare. Their horses were said to be larger and sturdier than those of the nomadic tribes to the north, and generally considered a match for most large Greek and Persian war horses. As cavalrymen, Thracians favoured speed and mobility above armour, making them well suited for tribal warfare of raids and skirmishing. When fighting as mercenaries and allies they were the perfect swift skirmishers for harassing enemies, often to the point of defeat and death, pelting a foe with javelins as they rode around at high speed.
