Alans emerged from the steppes of the North Caucasus and Azov region as mounted warriors whose military reputation preceded them. Their lives revolved around horses - they rode from early childhood, slept under open skies near their herds, spent more time in saddles than on ground. Alanic cavalry struck fast and precisely, using long lances and composite bows they could employ both attacking and retreating. On open plains they knew no equals - tactics of quick raids, unexpected flanking maneuvers, and organized withdrawals made Alanic detachments dangerous even against far more numerous armies. When Goths fled the Huns to the Danube, Alans rode alongside them, also seeking safety within Roman territory. Roman commanders quickly grasped the value of Alanic horsemen and eagerly hired them as foederati to guard frontiers. Each technology Alans adopted from settled peoples brought additional cavalry - when they learned new administrative systems or military techniques, more warriors joined their ranks as communities consolidated around successful leaders.
Alanic history across following centuries was one of endless migrations. Some Alans remained in the Caucasus where their descendants became ancestors of modern Ossetians. Others marched with Vandals across all Europe to North Africa, where their name merged with the Vandalic - "rex Vandalorum et Alanorum." Another group settled in Gaul under Roman command, gradually mixing with local populations. Alans served in armies of Goths, Franks, Byzantines - wherever good cavalry was valued. Their mobility made them irreplaceable scouts who first entered unknown territories, assessed threats, found best routes for main forces. When an Alanic detachment appeared on new land, it meant a large army would soon follow. They adapted quickly to local conditions, learned new languages, married into local nobility. This adaptability served them well in defensive wars - their cavalry excelled at reading terrain, finding advantageous positions, using mobility to compensate for smaller numbers. On familiar meadowland they fought with particular effectiveness, their horses fresh and their riders knowing every fold of ground.
Alanic versatility became simultaneously their strength and weakness. They could fight on any open terrain, serve any ruler, live among any people. Their horsemen equally well defended imperial borders and raided imperial provinces, depending on who paid more. Unlike other nomads, Alans created no lasting states of their own - instead they dissolved among peoples they served. Their capacity for integration was remarkable, but the price was loss of separate identity. By the eighth century, Alans as distinct people existed only in the Caucasus. In Europe and Africa their name appeared in inscriptions and chronicles, but the bearers of that name had already become Goths, Franks, Byzantines. Their blood flowed in veins of European nobility but Alanic language and customs vanished, leaving only traces in place names and legends about invincible horsemen. They explored new territories with ease, their light cavalry perfect for reconnaissance missions, but this same dispersion meant they never concentrated enough to build lasting kingdoms. They were the ultimate military specialists - deadly on horseback, adaptive to new circumstances, but unable to transform military prowess into political permanence.
