The Cataphracts - Human Tanks - The Enemies of Rome
Moving east, the Parthian Cataphracts presented a different kind of nightmare.
These were not just cavalrymen; they were armed and armoured to the teeth - both horse and rider, turning them into the equivalent of a human tank.
The Romans, accustomed to fighting less well-protected foes, found their traditional tactics and equipment ineffective.
The cataphracts' heavy armor rendered the Roman javelins, the pilum, almost useless.
This led to a significant shift in Roman battle strategy, emphasizing the need for mobility and the use of auxiliary troops equipped with more effective weapons against such heavily armored adversaries.