ELLAS FOTO GALLERY

Dbm morphing is fairly easy for Hellenistic armies - a Pike n' Psiloi core, morphing into the armoured horse armies of the East, the Hoplite armies of the Pelopponesian wars or the exotica on the fringes of Western Hellenism - Pyrrhus's Italians, Lysimachus's Thrace etc

 

  Where it all starts - Macedonian style phalanx and Greek psiloi light troops (archers, slingers, javelinmen and peltasts). This is the core of a Hellenistic army. Most Successor (ie Hellenistic) armies also make use of elephants.
     
  Next step is to add the Horse. Here is Pyrrhus of Epirus at the head of his Companions - lance armed heavies, the standard strike cavalry of the Hellenic and Hellenistic armies, and a part of most of these armies, again with the exception of the eastern realm
     
  Next step is to add Mercenaries - these are the ubiquitous Thracians, probably the best open order troops in the period.
     
  These are Hellenistic mercenary peltasts, named Thureophoroi from their oval Thureos shield
     
  Thessalian heavies, typical mercenary cavalry of the early Hellenic and Hellenistic era, and also a part of most of these armies. A similar case exists for Hellenistic light horse, with the exception of the eastern realms
     
  A Hoplite mercenary force - Hoplite mercenaries are common in early Hellenistic armies, and are a very useful addition to the pike phalanxes as they are better at facing enemy heavy infantry. With a decent force of mercenary Hoplites, and all the Greek light troops it is easy to morph back in time to Greece, and the Hoplite armies of the Pelopponesian wars.
     
  This is the last place on earth to be - facing the business end of the Spartan army. Spartan hoplites are the most formidable combat troops available, but struggle to contact fleeter enemies.
     
  Pyrrhus of Epirus invaded Italy, to aid Tarentum against Roman aggression. This means that his army, though prety standard in composition, gets a number of troops that look different to the "standard" western Hellenistic armies - these are shielded Tarentine light horse.

Although Pyrrhus gave us the term "Pyrrhic Victory", he was a pretty succesful general in the period, beating Macedonians, Romans (no other Hellenistic force did this) and Carthaginians, and Hannibal rated him a better general than Alexander!
     
  Italian Oscan heavies, led by our hero Pyrrhus of Epirus. He is credited with introducing the shield to Hellenistic cavalry from his experiences with shielded Italian and Carthaginian cavalry. Most later Western Hellenistic heavy cavalry is shielded from then on.
     
  Eastern armies, although keeping a solid core of Macedonian foot, tend to have very different supporting foot and horse. Here are armoured lancers and Bactrian light horse of the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom.
     
     
Carthaginians  

The Carthaginian armies in Sicily and Italy probably looked very similar to the Hellenistic troops above, but there are significant differences - mainly due to thae large numbers of Spanish and Gallic mercenaries in the armies.
  Here are the heavy and light infantry of the Early Carthaginian army in glorious 20mm Atlantic plastic. These figures were part of my first ever Ancient armies some 18 years ago, and are still in action today
     
  These are Atlantic Chariots, here serving in the Early Carthaginian army. By today's archaeological standards they may be all wrong, but they do the job on the table

More will follow, but thats all for now...Return to the Main Gallery