A) A duel in which archers fired in turn as they gradually drew nearer B) A maneuver where a mounted archer turned to shoot behind him ü C) A shot directed at the horse so the rider could be taken for ransom D) A simultaneous volley of arrows meant to intimidate the enemy
During the height of the Roman Empire, an illiterate, war-like people called the Parthians ruled much of the East, from modern-day Iran to India. Famous horsemen, they were known for the tactic of feigning retreat, then abruptly turning full in their saddles to face the rear, allowing them to fire freely upon an unprepared enemy. The English phrase “parting shot”, so similar in both sense and pronunciation, though differently constructed, may have originally come into use as a corruption of “Parthian shot”.
