For many centuries, all of Eastern Europe was the patrimony of the Sarmatian tribes and bore the name Sarmatia, and the Sarmatians themselves, clad from head to toe in impenetrable scaly armor (not only horsemen, but also their horses), armed with three-meter spears and heavy swords, were rightfully considered the best plate cavalry of the Ancient World. The Sarmatians dealt a severe blow to the Scythian state, undertook campaigns in Transcaucasia and Western Asia, fought against Rome - they went down in history as the “first knights” and the “thunderstorm of the legions.” The Romans themselves, knowing the strength of the Sarmatians, not only concluded treaties of alliance with them, using their heavily armed cavalry in their campaigns (sometimes even as mercenaries), but also borrowed armor, weapons and banners from them - in the late Empire, along with eagles, they towered over the legions Sarmatian dragons. This richly illustrated encyclopedia by a leading expert on the military history of ancient peoples recreates in every detail the military affairs of the Sarmatians and the Alans who replaced them in the historical arena, whose heirs are the modern Ossetians. Strategy and tactics, organization of troops and command, weapons and life on the march, warfare on the water and the use of fighting dogs - everything that has come down to us in historical sources is discussed in detail in this book.