It’s not like there’s going to be a civilization later on that came from the steppes and curb stomp other nonhorseback civilizations right‽
The Abbasid Caliphate: Yes, I'm a nonhorseback civilization. It's better this way.
::: spoiler The Abbasid Caliphate, and the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphate before them came to regional dominance in part because of their strong horseback cavalries. The Mongols curb stomped them anyway. :::
Explanation: While the Romans rarely had trouble with the infantry rabble of the Parthian Empire, the Parthian cavalry was a formidable force on the battlefield, consisting primary of noble-born heavily-armored lancers, and nomadic horse archers. The horse archers would harass Roman infantry, staying out of javelin range, and loosing arrows as they rode away when pursued - the famous 'Parthian shot'. Should the Romans break formation, or else try to form a testudo, the heavily armored lancers would ride them down.
Rome never really did form a full answer to this double threat, and Persia remained a dream for every conquest-oriented Emperor.
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