, kept in the royal preserves, were
intended to be used in this pastime, the hawks being flown at them if
other game proved to be scarce.

The monarchs also occasionally amused themselves in their leisure hours
by games. The introduction of chess from India by the great Chosroes
(Anushirwan) has already been noticed; and some authorities state
that the same monarch brought into use also a species of tric-trac or
draughts. Unfortunately we have no materials for determining the exact
form of the game in either case, the Sassanian remains containing no
representation of such trivial matters.

In the character of their warfare, the Persians of the Sassanian period
did not greatly differ from the same people under the Achaemenian kings.
The principal changes which time had brought about were an almost entire
disuse of the war chariot, [PLATE XLVI. Fig. 3.] and the advance of the
elephant corps into a very prominent and important position. Four main
arms of the service were recognized, each standing on a different level:
viz. the elephants, the horse, the archers, and the ordinary footmen.
The elephant corps held the first position. It was recruited from India,
but was at no time very numerous. Great store was set by it; and in some
of the earlier battles against the Arabs the victory was regarded as
gained mainly by this arm of the service. It acted with best effect in
an open and level district; but the value put upon it was such that,
however rough, mountainous, and woody the country into which the Persian
arms penetrated, the elephant always accompanied the march of the
Persian troops, and care was taken to make roads by which it could
travel. The elephant corps was under a special chief, known as the
_Zend-hapet_, or "Commander of the Indians," either because the beasts
came from that country, or because they were managed by natives of
Hindustan.

[Illustration: PLATE XLVI.]

The Persian cavalry in the Sassanian period seems to have been almost
entirely of the heavy kind. [PLATE XLVI., Fig. 4.] We hear nothing
during these centuries of those clouds of light horse which, under the
earlier Persian and under the Parthian monarchy, hung about invading or
retreating armies, countless in their numbers, agile in their movements,
a terrible annoyance at the best of times, and a fearful peril under
certain circumstances. The Persian troops which pursued Julian were
composed of heavily armed cavalry, foot archers, and elep