"How were chariots used? Were scythed chariots real?" Topic

(un)Holy threadomancy, batman!

There are several types of chariots, determined by construction. A chariot with a floating floor is a missile platform, since it's steadier than one with a solid floor, but it's not a strong physically.

Large, solid-floor chariots are transports.

Small(ish, they're still bigger and heavier than the missile version) chariots are shock platforms.

Scythed chariots must have been successful at times. The documentary evidence suggests that numerous cultures employed them. It also suggests that they moved into obsolescence once they were countered by professional troops/tactics. If that sounds reasonable, scythed chariots would have enjoyed success against levies and opponents with tactical naivety, or poorly prepared troops.

Xenophon wrote of a Persian encounter with Greeks:

"On one of these occasions the troops, who had grown reckless and scornful of the enemy through long immunity from attack, whilst engaged in collecting supplies were scattered over the flat country, when Pharnabazus fell upon them with two scythe-chariots and about four hundred horse. 18Seeing him thus advancing, the Hellenes ran together, mustering possibly seven hundred men. The Persian did not hesitate, but placing his chariots in front, supported by himself and the cavalry, he gave the command to charge. 19The scythe-chariots charged and scattered the compact mass, and speedily the cavalry had laid low in the dust about a hundred men…"

The problem I'm having, unwilling, is you seem to be talking about two different things. Your title mentions scythed chariots. But your question, in the body of the your post references war chariots. Scythed chariots were only a small division of the war chariot category. Are you asking about all war chariots, early two-horse chariots, the later four-horse chariots or only chariots using attached scythes? Answers will differ based on what you are really talking about.

Hi

And don't leave out things like saddle chariots and battle carts.

R