Here you see a typical Scythic archer. The Scyths, or Sakae, were extremely good archers. That is the reason why the Athenian tyrant Pisistratus hired them in the middle of the sixth century. As mercenaries they participated in the battles besides the Athenian phalanx, but inside the city they also were used to maintain the order. They are quite often seen in paintings on Attic vases. However, they were of no use for Athens during the battle of Marathon. They refused to fight their Asiatic brothers, and a group of Sakae even joined the Persian side during the battle. In the fifth century the king of Persia also hired Scythic mercenaries to teach his warriors the art of archery.

The equipment of the Scythic archer.

The Scyth in the picture is wearing the typical long conical cap, the loose tunic and pants. In his hands he is holding a composite bow which is quite small, but nevertheless was it capable of shooting the arrows over a large distance because of its excellent construction. The bow has a wooden core which is entwined with tendon at the front, and reinforced with horn in the back. When the bow was used the tendon and horn both created both fields of tension which had the same purpose: shooting away the arrow. The tips of the bow are also made of horn, and the string of the bow is attached to these tips. His quiver, or gorytos, is decorated with patterns and he is ready to shoot a three-feathered arrow. He has no armour as he normally could not be found in the front of the battle. Instead he stayed behind and fired his arrows at the enemy, while the heavy armoured troops were positioned between him and the opposing forces.

The Scythic way of archery.