Jason the Thessalian, Inventor of the Diamond-Shaped Cavalry Formation?
Nefedkin Alexandr K.
According to the ancient tactical tradition, which probably goes back to Polybius, the inventor of the diamond-shaped ile was considered to be a certain Ileon, whose name was simply an eponym of the ile. Subsequently, in the late antique and early Byzantine periods, the obscure name of Ileon was corrected to the similarly spelled name of Jason. Moreover, the latter was identified as the legendary leader of the Argonauts. This opinion lasted until the nineteenth century. Since the nineteenth century this Jason was considered to be the tyrant of the Thessalian city of Pherae, who had indeed trained his cavalry and infantry to make them more combat-effective. However, it seems that originally it was not him, but Ileon who was believed to have invented the diamond-shaped cavalry formation.
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