"I will conquer Greece with my archers." -Xerxes
The Persian Bow and Arrow was a composite bow used extensively by the Persian army. It was the Long-Range weapon of the Persian Immortal.
Uses[]
The bow was one of the most important weapons in the Persian arsenal. Although the light arrows were ill-suited for piercing armor or shields, the sheer number of arrows fired often overwhelmed opposing armies. Persian archers wore their quive slung over their hips to allow for a faster rate of fire. Like the Egyptian bow, a Persian bow was designed to be simple to make and mass produce; relying on quantity over quality. This was because high rate of fire and numbers were more relevant in volleys.
The Persians had different arrowheads for different uses. Heavy arrowheads were designed for volleys that were aimed vertically so that the heavy arrowhead would fall onto its target with more force.
Persian archery was a mandatory skill for the Immortals. It was also used by the Thanvabara, who were the more common standard Persian foot archers. https://youtu.be/9UJDle0QlkE
Pesrian archery was so effective that Alexander the Great used Persian archers in his army after he conquered Persia. Alexander's Crete archers were also famous for their skill, but had an inferior self-bow design compared to the composite Persian bow.
Test[]
The maximum range of the bow was about 175 yd, although the precision faltered and missed the target entirely.
The bow was able to score about half the hits on the 50 yd target and scored a hit at the 100 yd target.
Trivia[]
- Herodotus claimed that Persian archers were clearly superior in efficiency and effective range than the Cretan archers of the time (Cretan archers were viewed as the best mercenary archers in all of Greece).