Companion cavalry

The Companion Cavalry were the elite cavalry of the Diadochi. Originally they had been formed by Philip II of Macedon and used with great success by his son Alexander the Great.

Under the Diadochi the Companions would vary from army to army. It was reported that the egyptian Companions were armed with a cavalry shield, unlike Alexanders Companions. Other variations were the Seleucid Companions who, during later years, were armed almost like Cataphracts.

The standard gear for the Companions was, however, an open faced helmet, a xyston lance, a heavy breastplate, greaves and a kopis. They were drawn from the Macedonian nobility and as such were excellent horsemen and they rode the toughest horses. They were unrivaled on the battlefield until the rise of the Cataphracts.