The King's Horsemen in the Battle of Cunaxa

The scholarly debate on the Achaemenid Empire's cavalry pays only a little attention to the Great King's horsemen in the Battle of Cunaxa, fought in 401 BC between the forces of Artaxerxes II (404-359 BC) and his younger brother Cyrus. The same can be said of the discussion on the battle itself-Artaxerxes' horsemen are mentioned rather cursorily. The aim of the present article is to provide a closer look into Artaxerxes' cavalry in the Battle of Cunaxa, with particular attention paid to the horsemen commanded by Artagerses and by Tissaphernes.