Persian cataphracts were among the most feared cavalry troops of the ancient world—moving walls of iron and horseflesh that could smash through lighter enemies like a hammer through glass. The idea predates the Persians, but the Parthian and especially Sasanian empires turned it into an art form. A cataphract was a heavily armored horseman, often covered head to toe in scale or lamellar armor. His horse, too, might be protected with metal or thick quilted barding. Armed with a long kontos (a two