Why Archers Didn't Volley Fire

This week we’re looking at a specific visual motif common in TV and film: the arrow volley. You know the scene: the general readies his archers, he orders them to ‘draw!’ and then holds up his hand with that ‘wait for it’ gesture and then shouts ‘loose!’ (or worse yet, ‘fire!’) and all of the archers release at once, producing a giant cloud of arrows. And then those arrows hit the enemy, with whole ranks collapsing and wounded soldiers falling over everywhere. From Alexander (2004) showing the Battle of Gaugamela. This bit is amazing because Darius III silently gestures and all of his archers draw their bows (also why are they kneeling? They’re shooting at a high angle! There’s no need to kneel!) and then at another silent gesture which they cannot see because Darius III is behind them, they all release at once. And every part of that scene is wrong. Now the thing that, in the last couple of decades, everyone has realized is wrong (I suspect some early Lindybeige videos had somethin ... Read full article.