The Plan: Part III

The Carthaginians and Republican Rome were arch-nemeses, doomed by geographic proximity to war constantly until one destroyed the other and achieved domination of the Western Mediterranean, and this they did over the course of the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. The situation in the east was similar...

The Mediterranean ca. 218 BC, courtesy of Wikimedia

The Seleucid and Ptolemaic Empires also warred ceaselessly over the Eastern Mediterranean coasts (the borders of each empire constantly shifted across modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Turkey), in an ultimately futile attempt to rebuild Alexander's great empire. As with the Punic Wars, which I feel are to an extent best exemplified by Cannae, Raphia was the battle which most resonated with me (also one of the most well-documented battles) amongst the many Syrian Wars between these two Kingdoms, so this was the battle I initially decided to build my armies around.

However, the OOB for Raphia is massive — this was truly a clash of titans — and I quickly realized that it was probably an even less practical starting point than Cannae had been. So I decided instead to start out with a more limited goal: a basic plan for a generic "Alexandrian" Macedonian army which could be expanded until (with the addition of mercenaries and native levies) it could be split into two armies, Ptolemaic and Seleucid. With that task completed, I could gradually build up "faction-specific" units (such as the Arab levies whom Antiochos III used in several battles, or the Ptolemaic Machimoi Phalangites raised by Ptolemaios IV) after the core of the armies was in place.

Raphia

Alexander's expeditionary army consisted of a tightly-organized combined-arms force, each branch of which could be argued to be the best in the world in its field. The core was the Hammer (his Hetairoi, or Companion Cavalry) and the Anvil (the Macedonian Phalangites or Pezhetairoi, foot-companions).

These two core elements required several smaller support-units. The Hypaspistai ("shield-bearers", elite infantry unit) provided a "hinge" between the cavalry "hammer" and Phalanx "anvil". Without going too deeply into the topic, I fall into the camp which considers the Hypaspistai to have been equipped as Hoplites, for a variety of reasons, but capable of being equipped with javelins and lighter equipment for "spec ops" missions (I will post a more in-depth discussion of Hypaspistai at a later date).

In addition, Alexander had a veteran mercenary strike-force (at least at Gaugamela) as a "right flank guard" detachment consisting of Peltophoroi, Agrianian javelinmen, "Macedonian" Archers (likely non-Cretan mercenaries equipped as Cretan archers), Achaean "Peltasts", "Greek" cavalry, and Prodromoi lancers (probably Thracian by ethnicity). This was the force that pinned Darius' left-wing cavalry horde, allowing Alexander to swing back in to the center with 2,000 Companion cavalry at Gaugamela.

Gaugamela

 On the left, another flank-guard detachment consisting of Thracian Peltasts and light cavalry, Cretan Archers, Agrianian skirmishers, and Thessalian cavalry (equal in number to the Companions), was fine-tuned to refuse the flank effectively. The Thessalian cavalry's diamond-formation (Rhombos) was defensive in nature, because it allowed the cavalry to quickly react by turning in place, forming into a wedge at any of the four points, thus quickly reforming to counter-charge in any direction.

The Companions, being intended for offense, simply formed wedges. The Thessalians may have used javelins in the time of Alexander (which would perhaps have been more effective for a defensive battlefield role than long spears), but by the time of the Diadochoi wars, had been converted over to Xystophoroi (Xyston-Bearers), with the role of ranged and light cavalry being filled by mercenaries and native levies. Hippeis Thessalikoi would have been difficult to distinguish from the Companions by appearance (both during and after Alexander's reign), perhaps wearing less impressive cloaks and armour.

Thracian, Illyrian, Agrianian, Cretan, and Greek mercenary light troops (javelinmen, peltasts, slingers, and archers) were interspersed in small "penny-packets" throughout the army for different support-roles.

Peltasts, by Johnny Shumate

 The final element was a reserve of reluctant "allied" Greek League Hoplites, equipped with the traditional panoply of Hoplon, Linothorax, long Dory spear, greaves, and helmets.
So this is my list to recreate an Alexandrian Macedonian army:

Alexandrian Macedonian Army
1x24 Agema Phalangites
3x24 Pezhetairoi Phalangites
1x18 Hypaspistai ("light"-armed)
1x18 Peltophoroi
1x18 Mercenary Hoplites
1x16 Thracian Peltasts
1x16 Illyrian Peltasts
1x10 Agrianian Javelinmen (there were probably about 1,000 of these at Gaugamela, in two units of 500)
1x8 Cretan Archers (representing both the Cretan and "Macedonian" archers)
1x8 Slingers (Thracian, Agrianian, Rhodian, represented by one larger unit)
1x12 Companion Cavalry
1x12 Thessalian Cavalry

This is a balanced force which both represents the elements of Alexander's army fairly well, and should also prove effective in most rulesets. It also, I think, captures the look and feel of Alexander's army without requiring 500+ figures. Most importantly, it can be put together as a standalone, self-contained force in its own right, and also provides a core force which can be split to create the backbone of two Hellenistic Successor armies: the Seleucid and the Ptolemaic.

Here are the expanded lists for these two armies:

Seleucid
1x24 Argyraspidai
2x24 Katoikoi Phalangites (Colonists)
1x24 Pantodapoi Phalangites (Native Levies)*
1x18 Early Thorakitai (Light Hypaspists)
1x18 Thorakitai Proper (mail shirts)*
1x18 Thureophoroi (Thracians/Illyrians)
1x24 Uazali (Cilician/Carian/Psidian/other Anatolian light infantry)*
2x12 Arab Levy Infantry (Skirmishers)*
1x12 Cretan Archers (*)
1x8 Agema Hetairoi (Companion Cavalry)
1x8 Hippeis Thessalikoi (Thessalian Colonist Cavalry)
1x8 Galatian Cavalry+
1x6 Arachosian Cavalry (Javelins)*
1x6 Dahae Horse-Archers*
2x Indian Elephants*

Ptolemaic
1x24 Basilikon Agema (Royal Guards infantry; "Heavy" Hypaspists)*
1x24 Klerouchoi Phalangites (Colonists)
1x24 Mercenary Phalangites*
1x24 Machimoi Phalangites (Native Levies)*
1x24 Galatian Infantry+
2x18 Thureophoroi*
1x12 Thracian Peltasts
1x10 Agrianian Peltasts
1x8 Rhodian Slingers
1x8 Basilike Ile (Companion Cavalry)
1x12 Galatian Cavalry+
1x8 Tarantine Cavalry*
2x African Elephants*

Units marked with an (*) would need to be bought to add to the core Alexandrian army; those marked with a (+) need to be bought for the Carthaginians, and therefore do not represent any additional expense; units not marked are appropriated directly from the Alexandrian list.

These choices for expansion are a compromise between re-using all the units in the Alexandrian list, and also bringing the two armies closer to the OOB at Raphia (without having 500 figures per side).

But this is not the beginning and end of options for expansion. For example, once these two lists are completed (bought, constructed, painted), it would be simple to create a Pyrrhic army by the addition of some Tarantine Phalangites, Tarantine Hoplites, and the Ptolemaic army's Tarantine cavalry. To this could be added Samnite infantry from the Carthaginian/Roman armies.

Tarantine cavalry, artist unknown

An Antigonid force could be created by increasing the ratio of Phalangites and removing the eastern levies; if some Greek skirmish cavalry (Hippakontistai) are bought, and hoplite units are gradually built up (Tarantines, a couple of Allied Greek League hoplites for the Alexandrian army), combined with some javelinmen, then you have an early Greek force, such as that at Chaeronea; add the Thureophoroi, and you have a later Greek League army for the Social Wars. And many of the units for these armies could be used in early Diadochoi battles as well (Paraitacene, Gabiene, Ipsus, etc.)

Thus the principle of versatility provides a wide range of opportunities for expansion of these Hellenistic armies.

To come back to these lists, the new units are representative of later Hellenistic warfare. The Thureophoroi (thureos-bearers) are a new infantry type which developed over the course of the 3rd century BC, as a result of the Galatian invasion of the 270s. Here is a good explanation of the equipment and battlefield roles of the three main types of thureos infantry (Euzonoi, Thureophoroi, Thorakitai).

Kit-bashed Thureophoros made of Victrix components

Conveniently, it is fairly well-established that Illyrian skirmishers had adopted the thureos by the time of Alexander, and it is highly like that the Thracians had as well (this is probably due to their contact with eastern Celts several decades before the Galatian migrations which introduced the thureos to Greece, Macedon, and Anatolia, from whence it spread throughout the Hellenistic world), so I can comfortably equip my Alexandrian "Peltasts" (Illyrians and Thracians) with thureos shields, and then use them as Thureophoroi in Seleucid and Ptolemaic armies.

"Silver-Shields" or guard Phalangites can be used as Alexander's Argyraspids, can represent the Agema Pezhetairoi (the guard regiments before they were outfitted with silver shields), and can also be used as Seleucid Argyraspidai easily enough. One box of Warlord's Royal Guard Phalangites provides 24.

Warlord's Macedonian Royal Guard

Two boxes of Warlord's Phalangites provides 80 figures (a very economical way to build a big phalanx fast), which can be divided into the three units of 24 with eight extras. And Victrix miniatures' Peltasts and Unarmoured Hoplites sets will take care of the Agrianians, the peltasts, the Peltophoroi, the mercenary hoplites, the Cretan archers, and the Rhodian slingers.

And, finally, Victrix' (as yet unreleased) Greek and Macedonian cavalry sets will take care of the Companion and Thessalian cavalry (12 to a box), for a total of 24 heavy cavalry who can be split into three units of 8 for the Successor armies.

Victrix Miniatures "Macedonian Cavalry" renders

The rest of the later units are (currently) more difficult to find a plastic alternative for (except the additional Phalanxes, which I intend to procure from Victrix, for variety; they also have an option for Eastern Phalangites wearing pants in their Successor kit), but I will focus on getting the Alexandrian Macedonian army up and running, and then see about Victrix' conversion sprues that were mentioned on their facebook page, which may make units such as light Hypaspists and Thureophoroi much easier to implement in plastic. I am also holding out hopes that Victrix will eventually release an unarmoured Greek/Macedonian cavalry set, which could be used as Prodromoi and Tarantine cavalry.

With a starting point fixed for each of the four armies, I next need to sketch out a plan for purchasing, building, and painting the figures, which will be the subject of my next post.