Although the cavalry of Thebes and Greece north of Boeotia is relatively highly regarded, a survey of its performance against the cavalry of the southern poleis is revealing. Aside from Spartan cavalry, which was handily defeated by the Thebans at Leuctra, almost all our evidence involves the Athenian cavalry.

Athenian knights carrying hoplite equipment; thrusting spear and hoplon circa 360 BCE. This means they can dismount an fight as hoplites if they wish. The shield designs are the Owl (beloved of Athena and the city's symbol on its coinage) and the letter "A" for Athens, based on shield tokens recovered from the Athenian armory, and the Gorgons head, Athenas central motif on her body armor. It is unknown if Athens used any one shield blazon, but based on the city's love of individuality it's doubtful. More likely, some combination was used and these three are logical choices. 25mm Vanguard and Neismith figures painted and photographed by Steve Phenow, from his collection.

Although the Athenian hippeis was present at several battles which the Athenians lost, we have no way of knowing what part the cavalry played in many of them. Of the engagements between Athenian and northern cavalry actually reported, honors seem to be in favor of the Athenians, as can be seen below.

At Spartolos 429 B.C.E. the Athenian horse lost to the Chalcidian cavalry: "The Chalcidian heavy armed (Hoplites ed.) and with them certain targeteers (Peltasts ed.) were defeated by the Athenian heavy foot and retreated into Spartolos, but their cavalry and light armed (skirmishers ed.) troops had the advantage over the Athenian horse." (200 strong according to Thuc. Ed.)

Apparently peltasts from Kursis were the reinforcements that saved the day, the Athenian horse were driven off, and the victorious Athenian hoplites were forced to retreat. "But when the Athenians continued their retreat, they [Chalcidians] pressed up on the them and hurled javelins at them. The Chalcidian horse rode up and whenever pleased charged the Athenians who were utterly disconcerted and were pursued to a considerable distance." (Thuc. 2.79)

Even though the Athenian Phalanx defeated its opposite number, it lost (the battle) because it lost in turn its cavalry support. Without horse to drive off the light armed, the phalanx was easy prey to the skirmishers. The Athenians lost 430 hoplites out of 2000 and all their generals. The Athenian cavalry loss is not recorded.

A small detachment of Athenian cavalry was defeated by the Theban cavalry at Rheitoi in the first year of the Peloponnesian War, 431 BCE, but it seems they were outnumbered; later that same year, with some Thessalian help, they defeated the Theban cavalry at Phrygia.

At Megara in 424, six hundred Athenian cavalry fought an equal number of Theban cavalry for a long time to a draw, both sides claiming victory: " The Boeotians sent forward 2200 heavy armed and 600 horse. The Athenian heavy armed 4000 hoplitesl were drawn up near Nisaea [port of the city state Megara] and the sea, their light armed were scattered all over the plain when the Theban horse came riding up, fell on the light armed and drove them to the water's edge. This attack was unexpected for in no former Athenian invasion had aid come to the Megarians from any quarter. The Athenian horse 1600 strong now rode forward and there was a long engagement, in which both parties claimed a victory.

Some Athenians drove the general of the Theban horse and his bodyguard up to the walls of the port [Nisaea] and there slew them and took their weapons and bridles. As they retained possession of the dead bodies, and only restored them to the Boeotians under a truce, they raised a trophy. Still considering the entire engagement neither side when they parted had a decided advantage." (Thuc. 4.72.)

In 408, 1,200 cavalry, including nine hundred Thebans, of the Spartan army were engaged by an equal number of Athenian cavalry (which included some hippotoxitai (horse-archers)). The Athenians defeated them decisively (Diodorus Siculus, 13.72.3-73.2).

In 362, the Athenian cavalry charged a force made up of Theban and Thessalian cavalry which greatly outnumbered them and defeated it: Xenophon tells the story: " The Athenian cavalry, 1300 strong starting from Eleusis, [in Attica] had made their evening meal at the Isthmus, and passing through Cleonae, as chance befell, had arrived at Mantinea and had encamped within the walls in the houses. As soon as the enemy horse were seen galloping on with evidently hostile intent, to destroy all the property outside the walls the Mantineans fell to praying the Athenian nobles to lend them all the aid they could, and they showed them all their property: the cattle outside, and all their laborers and slaves and among them were many children and graybeards who were free-born citizens.

The Athenians were touched by this appeal, and, though they had not yet eaten, neither the men themselves nor their horses, went out eagerly to the rescue. And here we must pause to admire the valor of these men also. The enemy whom they had to cope with far outnumbered them, as was plain to see, 1200 to 300 and the former misadventure of the cavalry in Corinth was not forgotten. But none of these things entered into their calculations now or yet the fact that they were on the point of engaging Thebans and Thessalians, the finest cavalry in the world by all current calculation.

The only thing they thought of was the shame and the dishonor, if, being there, they did not lend a helping hand to their allies. In this mood, so soon as they caught sight of the enemy, they fell with a crash upon him in passionate longing to recover their old ancestral glory. Nor did they fight in vain the blows they struck enabled the Mantineans to recover all their property outside, but among those who dealt them died some brave heroes; brave heroes also, it is evident, were those whom they slew, since on either side the weapons were not so short but that they could lunge at each other with effect. The dead bodies of their own men they realised to abandon; and there was some of enemy's slain whom they restored to him under a truce." (Hell 7.5.16-17).

Spartan King Agesilaos' cavalry on its way back from campaigning against the Persians in Asia in 394 defeated the Thessalian horse handily. Agesilaos' cavalry was not Spartan, being made up of volunteers from the Ionian Greek poleis and probably also included some of the original three hundred Athenian hippeis which were sent out to Asia to aid the Spartans in 400. Xenophon again: "Agesilaus, perceiving the error under which both alike labored, Ithe Thessalians thought his horse would not engage' now sent his own personal guard of stalwart troopers with orders that both they and the rest of the horsemen should charge at full gallop, and not give the enemy the chance to skirmish as they were known to do. The Thessalians were taken aback by this unexpected onslaught, and half of them never thought of wheeling about, whilst those who did essay to do so presented the flanks of their horses to the charge, and were made prisoners.

Still Polycharmus of Pharsalus, the general in command of their cavalry, rallied his men for an instant, and but fell, sword in hand, with his immediate bodyguard. This was the signal for a flight so precipitate on the part of the Thessalians, that their dead and dying lined the road, and prisoners were taken; nor was any halt made until they reached Mount Narthacius. Here, then, midway between Pras and Narthacius, Agesilaus set up a trophy, halting for the moment, in unfeigned satisfaction at the exploit. It was from antagonists who prided themselves on their cavalry beyond everything that he had wrested victory, with a body of cavalry of his own mustering. "(Xen. Hell. 4.3.5-8,)

"Plutarch Lives" informs: "When he came into Thessaly he wasted the country, because they were in league with the enemy. To Larissa, the chief city of Thessaly, he sent Xenocles and Scythes to treat of a peace, whom when the Larissaeans had laid hold of, and put into custody, others were enraged, and advised the siege of the town; but he answered that he valued either of those men at more than the whole country of Thessaly. He therefore made terms with them, and received his men again upon composition.

Nor need we wonder at this saying of Agesilaus, since when he had news brought him from Sparta, of several great captains in a battle near Corinth, in which the slaughter fell upon other Greeks, and the Lacedaemonians obtained a great victory with small loss, he did not appear at all satisfied; but with a great sigh cried out, "0 Greece, how many brave men hast thou destroyed; who, if they had been preserved to so good an use, had sufficed to have conquered all Persia!"

Yet when the Pharsalians grew troublesome to him, by pressing upon his army and halting its passage, he led out five hundred horse, and in person fought and routed them, setting up a trophy under the shadow of Mount Narthacius. He valued himself very much upon that victory that with so small a number of his own trained men he had vanquished a body of men that thought themselves the best horsemen in Greece." (Plutarch, Agesilaos 2.2-5).

The cavalry of Elis, located in the Peloponnese, defeated the Theban cavalry, thus saving the Athenian hoplites, at Mantinaea 11 in 362 (Diod. 15.85.7).

By looking at these actual reported meetings between northern and southern cavalry (Spartan cavalry aside) we see that there was more parity in quality than is often assumed. Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that our sources certainly thought northern cavalry to be better, as they say so on several occasions.

More Ancient Greek Cavalry A Re-Assessment

Preface and Introduction
The Greek Hippeis
The North and South
Training
Organization
Equipment
Combat Effectiveness
Conclusion