"One of the most famous light infantry in history was the peltast, which started as a javelin man and changed into a variety of different roles, native to the land of Thrace. From the moment the Thracians first came into armed contact with their southern neighbors, the Hellenes, they changed the face of warfare, and continued to do so well into the Roman era. In this article we will give an overview on the Thracian peltast.
Thrace and Hellas had a long history of contact. One of the most interesting aspects of this contact was the Thracians would pick up and adopt for their own bits and pieces of what the Hellenes discarded in their advancement as a people. The most famous of these adoptions was the use by the Thracians of Mycenaean practices and war tactics, which when combined with their unique culture created a dangerous synthesis. The peltast was the most famous product of this synthesis. The Hellenes first met the Thracians in the 7th and 6th Centuries as colonies were settled all along the famous Thracian Shore on the Aegean and Black Seas. The newly established Makedonian kingdom added to the pressure. But fighting did not break out, for even though the Thracians were famous for their love of war and fighting, they realized that trade with the southerners was far more profitable. Even as those same southerners slowly pushed them out of their own lands. When the Achaemenid Persians met the Thracians first in Bithynia in Asia Minor, then again in Thrace itself they immediately recognized the uses of such naturally excellent warriors. But they also found the Thracians to be uncontrollably rowdy. By the 5th Century this became their defining reputation. They initially fought for the Achaemenids in the Persian Wars, only to decide to turn against them and destroy whole divisions of the Achaemenid forces (not to mention wound the commander, Mardonius) during the evacuation from Hellas. Influence from both Persia and Hellas resulted in the creation of the first real Thracian kingdom, that of the Odrysai. It was this Odrysian kingdom that was on the receiving end of the Athenian colonization expeditions into the Strymon Valley. This was the first time the Hellenes would come into large-scale armed contact with the Thracians, and the culture shock would be enormous. The Thracian peltast, dressed in colorful heavy clothing, wearing no armor at all, carrying a small shield, and using only a short spear or some javelins, inflicted painful humiliating defeat on not 1, but 9, Athenian expeditions. It was an unprecedented defeat, one that all Hellenes found smarting. When the Thracians followed up on their victories by raiding the colonies along the Thracian Shore and extracting tribute they realized it wasn't a freak accident of chance. This in turn sparked one of the greatest fashion and military crazes of the ancient period, as everyone in the Hellenic world, and even beyond, sought to copy the Thracians. Even right down to the clothing they wore, as Hellenic peltasts were known to have worn Thracian costume. This resulted in a light infantry revolution and from this point forwards the peltast, and his heavier derivatives centuries later, would become an indispensable part of warfare. But the original Thracian peltast, the progenitor of the craze, would always remain the best. Whether as political allies, as was common during the later phase of the Odrysian kingdom and its successor states, or as mercenaries (as was common for Thracians), they remained preeminent. The Makedonians under Philippos II and Alexander the Great realized this and Alexander retained a sizable number of peltasts during his Persian Conquest. The Thracian peltast would even trouble Rome, and it was only in 46 AD that Thrace itself was finally subjugated. But the peltast alongside the equally famous Thracian cavalry would continue to serve in Rome's armies. The Dacians, the descendants of the Thracian Getai, would also trouble Rome in later years, and required a momentous effort to finally conquer.
The clothing of the Thracian peltast was varied and interesting. The national costume of Thrace, as far as we know, changed little from the 7th to the 4th Century BC. All Thracians wore these clothing, but the peltast made it famous. The typical outfit consisted of a long tunic, zeira (cloak), alopekis (cap), and embades (boots). All of these articles were made from hemp, flax, wool, and fur. Leather or textiles were used in the making of belts, which were often adorned with wolf motifs. Important elements in the making of the distinctive character of Thracian dress were the heavy use of artificial or natural dyes and woven decoration or embroidery, sometimes both. The Thracian alopekis or cap often came in three forms. The basic design was made from dyed fox skin, with cloth sewn onto the sides and back to form neck and ear flaps, which were much needed in the winter. The Thracian tunic, as mentioned above, was long, reaching down over the knees, and heavy. The tunic was typically sleeveless. In contrast in the rest of Thracian clothing the tunic was not heavy decorated nor brightly colored except at the hemline. The zeira, or cloak, is the most famous piece of Thracian clothing. They were square and long, even longer then the tunic, extending down to the feet. The zeira was also wide, and could be drawn around the whole body. The material used in the making of the zeira is unknown, but most certainly must have been thick, because of the Thracian cold. The most notable feature was the heavy decoration of the zeira, which was brightly colored and bore geometric shapes. A modern theory suggests the geometric shapes served as a tribal and regional identifier, but this so far unproven. The last piece of the ‘kit' was the embades, or boot. In contrast to the Hellenes or Romans the Thracians used large boots that covered not only the entire foot, but the lower leg as well. Regional variations in the manner of dress did exist. For example the northern tribes were known to have worn narrow pants, a short shirt or long sleeved shirt, pointed shoes, and jackets which were decorated along the edges
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Armand