Gorytos

A gorytos (Ancient Greek: γωρυτός, Latin: gorytus) is a type of leather bow-case for a short composite bow used by the Scythians in classical antiquity.[1] They are a combination of bow case and quiver in one, and are worn on the archer's left hip with the opening tilted rearward. Many gorytos were highly decorated, and at least one surviving specimen was determined via SEM examination to be made of human skin.[1]

For the racehorse, see Gorytus (horse).
a 4th century BC Scythian Gorytos
Relief of Achaemenid warriors at Persepolis. The Median ones are carrying gorytos.

Some have been found in Macedonian tombs, such as the so-called "Tomb of Philip" in Vergina of the 2nd half of the 4th century BCE.[2] They were also used by the Persians. Indo-Greeks adopted the composite bow and the gorytos as part of their mounted archery equipment from around 100 BCE, as can be seen on their coins.

References
  1. Loades, Mike (2019). War bows : longbow, crossbow, composite bow and Japanese yumi. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. p. 219-220. ISBN 1-4728-2554-3. OCLC 1100895110.
  2. "'Gorytos' from the Tomb of Philip". Macedonian Heritage. Retrieved 2019-08-15.


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