The Persian main army is reported at 40,000 men and later receives another 10,000 from Nisibis. Its infantry consists largely of poorly equipped and weakly motivated levies, so its real strength lies in cavalry. Armored cataphracts can fight with bows at range or close with the enemy, while the Immortals form an elite reserve associated with the royal bodyguard tradition. The claim that all 10,000 Immortals were present is doubtful, and the unusually round figure may not represent an exact effective strength. Even with that numerical caveat, Peroz approaches Dara confident because Persia has outnumbered the Romans and won the recent major engagements between them.
Notable Point · 13:41-15:24
Persian cataphracts and Immortals bring numerical weight
Peroz leads a larger Sasanian army built around armored cavalry and an elite reserve, although the reported round numbers should not be treated too literally.