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Description
"We live to serve and protect you, mighty queen. Your orders are our commands in battle."

Although the Amazons revile the memory of Achilles for nearly having killed Khatun Penthesileia I on the plains of Troy, the same cannot be said for his descendant. For the Amazons, Alexander the Great is among one of the greatest heroes to have ever lived: a warrior king whose bravery and ingenious strategies led him to create a vast empire that spanned from Greece and Egypt to Persia and India by the age of 32. It is due to this idolization and lionization of Alexander, that the Amazons created their own Macedonian style units to incorporate into their own armies, and in particular, the elite band of horsewomen who still deliver his signature "hammer and anvil" strikes: the Companion Cavalry.

Known interchangeably as Hetairoi in Greek and Comitatenses in Latin, these women were first established in 332 BCE, when Alexander the Great arrived in Bana-Mighdall with his armies after having liberated Egypt from the Persian Empire. Pharaoh Satsobek IV immediately made an alliance with him, and sent a squadron of horsewomen to accompany the Macedonians on their march to conquer the Persians. This squadron of Amazon horsewomen were known as the Hetairoi Amazonioi, or "Amazon Companions" to the Macedonians, and served with distinction at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE, and 5 years later at the Battle of the Hydaspes River in 326 BCE. When Alexander died at the age of 32, these Amazons returned to Bana-Mighdall, while the pharaoh, mourning the loss of such a good friend of hers, decided to take action. Satsobek IV made these Amazon Companions a permanent staple of the Amazon armies as her own personal cavalry force. This tradition was further enforced by the fact that Alexander the Great's son, Alexander IV married Pharaoh Hatshepsut III, and the companion cavalry were further legitimized as being the personal cavalry of the heirs of Alexander. The tradition was even transplanted to Themyscira in the 2nd century CE, after the Amazons of the West Indies made contact with the Romans, and are a sign that the Amazons are the heirs of not just the Roman Empire, but also of Alexander.

So, having drawn Wonder Woman's horse, I decided why not draw another Amazon military unit? The Companion Cavalry basically are the older cousins of the Cataphracts, but just as prestigious. Their Latin Name Comitatenses is also shared by an infantry unit of the Late Roman Army, but the Amazons reclaimed the term to refer to the royal cavalry squadron. Typically, the Companions are chosen from the Matrician class - descendants of the 100 clans that formed the nobility of the Western Amazon Khaganate. Unlike the Cataphracts who are fully armored from head to toe, and from nose to tail, the riders and horses of the Companion Cavalry are less armored, but are just as deadly. As such, they resemble hoplites on horseback, as they wear a muscle cuirass and greaves to protect their torsos and legs, but on their heads they wear the open-faced Boeotian helmet developed by the Thebans, with often a horsehair plume running down the center. The horses also wear partial armor, or barding, in the form of a chamfron and peytral, but they also wear the pelts of big cats such as leopards or jaguars.

In terms of weaponry, a horsewoman in the Companion Cavalry carries a 10 ft. lance called a xyston, which she wields tucked under the arm in the couched position for impact. The xyston's shaft is made of cornel wood, similar to the phalangite sarissa. Yet unlike the sarissa, the xyston is wielded with one hand, owing to its lighter weight and smaller size. At its end is a stout steel tip, designed to penetrate both armor and flesh. Once the lance shatters on impact, she will then turn to her sidearm, a concave curved sword called a kopis. This was initially a short sword, but currently the Companions wield much longer versions that were inspired by the Ottoman Yataghan. Another difference is that ancient Companion Cavalrywomen carried no shields into battle, but since the Crusades, they wield the famous Norman style kite shield, in order to protect both the rider and the horse's left flank. Similarly, the Norman style saddle, complete with stirrups, allow the companions with more stability in the saddle.

In battle, the Companion Cavalry are arranged into squadrons called hipparchies. Each squadron contains up to 400 women, and are based around the provinces or islands where the Companions own their lands. These squadrons are commanded by a series of 8 squadron leaders, each known as a hipparch who share power in the field. These squadrons are divided into 2 smaller units called Ile, that contains 200 women commanded by an Iliarch. The Ile is further divided into 2 lochoi, each containing 100 women commanded by a lochagos, or captain. These appointments are based on merit rather than lands. Among these squadrons is the elite 500-strong squadron called the Basilike Agema or "Royal Squadron" commanded by the Queen or Pharaoh. Additionally, they are also trained to fight in a special formation: the wedge formation. The wedge had been traditionally used by the Scythians, with one rider in front, and the number of riders increasing in each row further back. The squadron commander usually leads the wedge, as that is the most visible position and easiest to guide the rest of the formation. Each wedge formation squadron is 20 women deep and 20 women across at the base. It can be also be hollow, which gives the formation a greater size. This is also a devastating formation, as the narrowness of the wedge's head means that the leading horse can charge through even small gaps in an enemy line. Those behind can follow, and immediately, the opposing formation can be shattered, allowing the infantry to exploit that weakness.

Perhaps the greatest modern usage of the Companion Cavalry was during the Great Soviet Raid, where Queen Hippolyta II led them to glorious charge after charge against Soviet cavalry and infantry in Central Asia. Once she came of age, Princess Diana, AKA Wonder Woman was also given her own contingent of Companion Cavalry which consisted of her childhood friends and cousins who trained and grew up with her.

Disclaimer: The Amazons of Themyscira belong to DC Comics, Dr. William Moulton Marston PhD, and Harry G. Peter. The Amazons of Bana-Mighdall belong to DC Comics & George Perez.

Description
"We live to serve and protect you, mighty queen. Your orders are our commands in battle."

Although the Amazons revile the memory of Achilles for nearly having killed Khatun Penthesileia I on the plains of Troy, the same cannot be said for his descendant. For the Amazons, Alexander the Great is among one of the greatest heroes to have ever lived: a warrior king whose bravery and ingenious strategies led him to create a vast empire that spanned from Greece and Egypt to Persia and India by the age of 32. It is due to this idolization and lionization of Alexander, that the Amazons created their own Macedonian style units to incorporate into their own armies, and in particular, the elite band of horsewomen who still deliver his signature "hammer and anvil" strikes: the Companion Cavalry.

Known interchangeably as Hetairoi in Greek and Comitatenses in Latin, these women were first established in 332 BCE, when Alexander the Great arrived in Bana-Mighdall with his armies after having liberated Egypt from the Persian Empire. Pharaoh Satsobek IV immediately made an alliance with him, and sent a squadron of horsewomen to accompany the Macedonians on their march to conquer the Persians. This squadron of Amazon horsewomen were known as the Hetairoi Amazonioi, or "Amazon Companions" to the Macedonians, and served with distinction at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE, and 5 years later at the Battle of the Hydaspes River in 326 BCE. When Alexander died at the age of 32, these Amazons returned to Bana-Mighdall, while the pharaoh, mourning the loss of such a good friend of hers, decided to take action. Satsobek IV made these Amazon Companions a permanent staple of the Amazon armies as her own personal cavalry force. This tradition was further enforced by the fact that Alexander the Great's son, Alexander IV married Pharaoh Hatshepsut III, and the companion cavalry were further legitimized as being the personal cavalry of the heirs of Alexander. The tradition was even transplanted to Themyscira in the 2nd century CE, after the Amazons of the West Indies made contact with the Romans, and are a sign that the Amazons are the heirs of not just the Roman Empire, but also of Alexander.

So, having drawn Wonder Woman's horse, I decided why not draw another Amazon military unit? The Companion Cavalry basically are the older cousins of the Cataphracts, but just as prestigious. Their Latin Name Comitatenses is also shared by an infantry unit of the Late Roman Army, but the Amazons reclaimed the term to refer to the royal cavalry squadron. Typically, the Companions are chosen from the Matrician class - descendants of the 100 clans that formed the nobility of the Western Amazon Khaganate. Unlike the Cataphracts who are fully armored from head to toe, and from nose to tail, the riders and horses of the Companion Cavalry are less armored, but are just as deadly. As such, they resemble hoplites on horseback, as they wear a muscle cuirass and greaves to protect their torsos and legs, but on their heads they wear the open-faced Boeotian helmet developed by the Thebans, with often a horsehair plume running down the center. The horses also wear partial armor, or barding, in the form of a chamfron and peytral, but they also wear the pelts of big cats such as leopards or jaguars.

In terms of weaponry, a horsewoman in the Companion Cavalry carries a 10 ft. lance called a xyston, which she wields tucked under the arm in the couched position for impact. The xyston's shaft is made of cornel wood, similar to the phalangite sarissa. Yet unlike the sarissa, the xyston is wielded with one hand, owing to its lighter weight and smaller size. At its end is a stout steel tip, designed to penetrate both armor and flesh. Once the lance shatters on impact, she will then turn to her sidearm, a concave curved sword called a kopis. This was initially a short sword, but currently the Companions wield much longer versions that were inspired by the Ottoman Yataghan. Another difference is that ancient Companion Cavalrywomen carried no shields into battle, but since the Crusades, they wield the famous Norman style kite shield, in order to protect both the rider and the horse's left flank. Similarly, the Norman style saddle, complete with stirrups, allow the companions with more stability in the saddle.

In battle, the Companion Cavalry are arranged into squadrons called hipparchies. Each squadron contains up to 400 women, and are based around the provinces or islands where the Companions own their lands. These squadrons are commanded by a series of 8 squadron leaders, each known as a hipparch who share power in the field. These squadrons are divided into 2 smaller units called Ile, that contains 200 women commanded by an Iliarch. The Ile is further divided into 2 lochoi, each containing 100 women commanded by a lochagos, or captain. These appointments are based on merit rather than lands. Among these squadrons is the elite 500-strong squadron called the Basilike Agema or "Royal Squadron" commanded by the Queen or Pharaoh. Additionally, they are also trained to fight in a special formation: the wedge formation. The wedge had been traditionally used by the Scythians, with one rider in front, and the number of riders increasing in each row further back. The squadron commander usually leads the wedge, as that is the most visible position and easiest to guide the rest of the formation. Each wedge formation squadron is 20 women deep and 20 women across at the base. It can be also be hollow, which gives the formation a greater size. This is also a devastating formation, as the narrowness of the wedge's head means that the leading horse can charge through even small gaps in an enemy line. Those behind can follow, and immediately, the opposing formation can be shattered, allowing the infantry to exploit that weakness.

Perhaps the greatest modern usage of the Companion Cavalry was during the Great Soviet Raid, where Queen Hippolyta II led them to glorious charge after charge against Soviet cavalry and infantry in Central Asia. Once she came of age, Princess Diana, AKA Wonder Woman was also given her own contingent of Companion Cavalry which consisted of her childhood friends and cousins who trained and grew up with her.

Disclaimer: The Amazons of Themyscira belong to DC Comics, Dr. William Moulton Marston PhD, and Harry G. Peter. The Amazons of Bana-Mighdall belong to DC Comics & George Perez.