Caesar Miniatures H021 Mycenaean Chariot

The Mycenaean civilization is the oldest Greek-speaking culture, documented in sources in today's Greece. It developed in the period from about 1700 BC to about 1200 BC. Its creators are considered to be the Greek tribe of Achaeans, while its end is often identified with the migration of the Sea Peoples. Unlike the Minoan civilization that preceded it, the Mycenaean civilization had many military features. The troops deployed by the Mycenaean city-states (not to be confused with the later polis of the archaic and classical periods!) Were composed of infantry and chariots. The latter appeared in the Mycenaean military around the 16th century BC. Most often, though not always, the Mycenaean chariot was harnessed by two horses, and it had two spoked wheels, the number of which varied - most often it was from 4 to 10. The chariots were almost certainly of a wooden structure, and probably covered with leather. The horses harnessed to the chariot were often ornate - as were their harnesses. The role of the Mycenaean chariot on the battlefield is unclear. In Homer's "Iliad" they play primarily a transport role, and a heavy-armed warrior clad in bronze armor uses them as a means of transport to the battlefield. The question remains whether chariots in the Mycenaean period were also used for other military purposes.