The Eurasian steppe saw several powerful nomadic confederacies throughout history, including the Scythians, Sarmatians, Avars, and Huns, among others, who were often a threat to their settled neighbors until the arrival of gunpowder. These societies valued being great warriors and were most dangerous when united under a strong leader.
The effectiveness of a cavalry is undeniable and they are entirely mounted, making them challenging to the militaries of the day. They helped protect civilization from marauding and scary peoples who were not going to leave it intact.
The Medes were previously thought of as a centralized state, similar to the Babylonians and the Assyrians, but current theories suggest that they were much more tribal in nature. Herodotus tells the story of how the Medes eventually threw off the nomadic oppression that was controlling them.
The organization of a war against nomadic horse archers differs from that of the Byzantine forces. Today, the type of equipment a person has when going to battle may depend on several factors, including how many previous engagements they have taken part in.
Caesar's defeat at Gergovia marks a low point in his career and shatters the aura of Roman invincibility. The flipping of the Idui tribe and their control of Noviodunum causes a huge blow to Caesar and the potential ramifications become possible.
This is a historical sprint of the ancient world between 615-612 BCE, which was like the last burst of rocket fuel before the ancient era gave way to Greek classics and other stuff. During this period, the Assyrian army was the largest standing military force, equivalent to five modern heavy American divisions or almost eight Soviet field divisions.