Enemies of Rome: The Sarmatians

The Sarmatians were a group of nomadic peoples who lived to the north of the Danubian Frontier, and who were frequent allies and enemies of the Roman Empire during the first few centuries CE. From what we can tell, the Sarmatians spoke a form of Iranian Language, which places them into the Indo-European language family, although how much this speaks to ethnicity in a wider sense isn't very clear.

The Sarmatians were known for their widespread use of heavy cavalry--the famous cataphract, and during their wars and other conflicts both as allies and enemies of the Roman Empire, they made great use of them on the battlefield. Eventually, the cataphract was adopted into the Roman military, and they saw service on Roman campaigns.

This video will offer an introduction to the Sarmatians--their history, culture, archaeology, and their military practices.

Видео Enemies of Rome: The Sarmatians канала The Historian's Craft