EB - Countdown to Open Beta: Ptolemaioi
Greetings Europa Barbarorum fans!
As promised, this week we begin a countdown toward our open beta. We will be highlighting a new faction each week. Today we are highlighting Ptolemaic Egypt.
Ptolemaic Egypt was a very different place than the land of the Pharaohs portrayed in vanilla RTW. Today you will get a glimpse of what the Ptolemaic military looks like in Europa Barbarorum. Please forgive the lack of attributions here; Spartan Warrior worked on a good number of thes, but this is a team effort. All of our artists are all very talented, and each artist will be properly recognized for contributions in our readme files. Also, please forgive both the unfinished look of some of the units, and the improper grammar present in some of the unit names (Greek) and descriptions (English) - these are all considered WIPs. Today the focus is on the faction.
Those unlucky enough to be extremely poor freedmen were pressed into service as Psiloi, the lowest class of Greek infantry. The Psiloi were divided into three parts, Javelineers, slingers, and archers. The javelin-armed Psiloi, the Akonistes, were a ragged bunch of peasants armed with javelins and small knives. Their function was simply to throw their missiles and run like hell! They were used for pre-battle skirmishing and for light missile fire. Never use Akontistes in melee except as diversionary fodder. They have their uses, as their javelins are still sharp and deadly, but they were often used only as light skirmishers or as a last resort in Hellenic armies for obvious reasons.
Historically, Akontistes did not play a particularly huge role on the battlefield. They had their uses, mainly for their ability to induce an enemy to attack prematurely. They are little more than an annoyance on the open field, but can be deadly if positioned in places where their javelins can be used for maximum effect.
The most basic and numerous of the infantry units used by the non-European Successor States were the Pantodapoi infantry. These men were called from a variety of nationalities and were usually settled in certain areas for garrison duties and the like. There were Jews, Syrians, Cilicians, Persians, Assyrians, Native Egyptians, and many other peoples counted among their number. They are not particularly reliable soldiers, but they are certainly better than their eastern counterparts. They can give a good account of themselves in battle if deployed properly. They wear no armor, and have only a light shield for protection, so most other infantry will slaughter them in droves. They can fend off light cavalry for a time, if need be.
Historically, the Pantodapoi were a group of various nationalities that were used as a militia levy and defensive group for towns and villages prone to raiding. While the name is conceptual (meaning, from everywhere), they were a standard fighting force of the day. They were trained rudimentarily, but had enough training to be counted as superior to many militia levies. They had some experience fighting off nomadic raiders, so they can be useful against light troops and some light cavalry.
The Machimoi are Egyptian natives who have been conscripted to fight in the traditional Macedonian fashion. They are armed with all the standard phalanx equipment including the sarissa, the Phrygian cap, and the small Illyrian shield. They wear quilted cloth armor due to the harsh Egyptian climate. They are reputable enough fighters, but have a history of rebellion, so they are far more expensive than most troops of the same caliber. This has to be dealt with though, since the Ptolemies simply do not have the numbers of Greeks to fill their armies with. Machimoi have decent morale and can be relied upon as capable troops. Their weaknesses are the same as any pike phalanx, in that they are immobile and prone to flank attacks and missile fire. If used accordingly, they will give good account of themselves.
Historically, the Machimoi were used with good effect at Raphia and other battles. Once they realized their own power, however, they soon began to revolt against their Greek and Macedonian rulers. The Ptolemaic line looked for different racial groups to settle in Egypt to counter this disparity, and ended up importing large amounts of Jews and Galatians to fill the ranks. Still the Machimoi were used as a necessity, and often gave a good account of themselves.
Pezhetairoi are the bread and butter military unit of the Successor States. They are well disciplined and highly motivated pikemen that are armed and armored to the teeth. They are armored in a linen cuirass, a Thracian cap, a bronze greave on the right leg, stout boots, good bracers, and reinforced shoulder pads made from hardened linen (due to their experience with the deadly curved swords of Thrace). They have Illyrian style round shields attached to their bodies by leather straps that help support the weight of the shield and keep their hand free to grasp the sarissa. They are defensive infantry par excellent. They are the anvil of the two part Macedonian system of warfare, the heavy cavalry being the hammer. They should be used to anchor enemy soldiers while the Thureophoroi harass the flanks and the heavy cavalry smashes into the flanks and rear.
Historically, the Pezhetairoi are the classic Alexandrian phalanx. They were used to great effect against the Persians, Medes, Bactrians, Indians, Phoenicians, and many, many others. They are an effective force and have not changed much over the centuries. The Romans were able to defeat them as easily as they did for two main reasons. One, the Roman army was at a high state of readiness and tactical prowess after defeating the Carthaginians. Two, the heavy cavalry arm of the Successor armies had degenerated to the point where they were no longer able to field significant numbers to fulfill their part of the hammer and anvil tactic of Alexander. There were many small reasons, numbering among them the misuse of the Thureophoroi, the underuse of Peltasts, and the lax state of warfare that the Successor states were used to. In any case, the phalanx was not as anachronistic or inflexible as widely believed; it was simply used in the wrong way. In the thirteenth century onwards, pikemen in similar formations were able to work wonders with more capable generals and a better cavalry arm. Do not under appreciate pikemen, for they are still a war winning force.
The Ethiopian mercenaries hired by the Ptolemies were fierce soldiers and often fought with the heaviest of the infantry. They wielded large double bladed axes and fought as a powerful shock infantry. They would wear a mail vest and leather greaves in addition to a long tunic. Fighting without helmets, abandon, or shields, these men would crash into an enemy line with fury, using their large stature and raw power to push through enemies like a hot knife through butter. They fight as a heavy shock infantry, and are fairly defensive troops as well due to their sheer ferocity.
Historically, the use of Ethiopian troops that fought in this manner continued through much of the middle ages. There is little textual evidence for their involvement in Ptolemaic armies, though the amount of period art material depicting them fighting with the armies of the Ptolemies is simply staggering. They were most probably used in place of Nubians because of the latter’s tendency to take part in revolts of native Egyptians, since they shared a common culture. The Ethiopians shared no common culture with the Egyptians, and since they already disliked their Nubian neighbors, had common cause with the other foreign soldiers in the Ptolemaic armies (Galatians and Jews) to fight for the king.
The most numerous of the Kleruchoi were the pikemen, who were often of very high quality. They carry standard equipment for pikemen, much the same as the Pezhetairoi, but are often of higher quality. The Kleruchoi are able, due to their status as lords of small estates, to devote a considerable amount of time to military training. They are best used like their Argyraspidai counterparts, to hold the most crucial portion of a line. They are great phalanx infantry, well able to hold against most opponents. If they have a weakness, it is the classic weakness of pikemen: flanking attacks.
Historically, the Kleruchoi Agemata formed the nucleus, together with the Galatians, of any Ptolemaic army. Since they had peasants to work their estates, unlike the Pezhetairoi, they could assemble at any time during they year and not have to worry about the management of their estate (due to compensations from the rich Ptolemaic government). They were almost always held in somewhat of a reserve, because the Ptolemaic kings did not want them to be badly mauled in any battle. This was due to the ever-present danger of native revolts within Egypt itself. They were dissolved during the Roman occupation, but many joined new legions being raised in Egypt.
The Ptolemies had a problem with their elite infantry from the get go. Namely, they didn’t have any, since the Seleucids and Macedonians took what remained of Alexander’s Hypaspistai. Therefore, they had to build a unit of royal heavy infantry to compete with their rivals. Many things were tried, but ultimately the result was the Basilikon Agemata, the Royal Guards. They are armed with hoplite spears and thureos shields and armored in mail, making them more mobile but less well armored than other heavy infantry. They also carry a short sword that was used rather like the Romans used theirs. This led to the misidentification of these troops by Latin authors as a sort of imitation legion. The Basilikon Agemata is full of good troops, mostly Greeks and Macedonians with a few Galatians and Cretans. They are an elite infantry, well able to fight in a phalanx and to break the formation and fight with their blades. They are extremely versatile and can be used to good effect by a capable commander.
Historically, the Basilikon Agemata was the elite guard of the Ptolemaic king. They went everywhere with their king, and were instrumental in putting down several native revolts along with the Galatians. They outfought the natives with creative tactics that worked well against other successor pikemen as well. Most of the unit was not present at Raphia, but was used to good effect against the Seleucids on other occasions.
Machimoi cavalry are the third and best unit that is conscripted in times of need by the Ptolemies. They are formed from the native nobility, many of whom have intermarried with their Macedonian overlords and are thus more loyal than the other natives. Still, they are often present in native revolts, due to the fact that they can often lead these revolts. They fight in a manner consistent with other medium cavalry, but are more lightly armored and consequently faster. They are armed with javelins as a secondary arm, and usually throw these before their charge. They can be great and versatile cavalry if used correctly.
Historically, the lower native nobility of Egypt formed these cavalry regiments for the Ptolemies. They were used to good effect at Raphia and other battles, but often proved to be a thorn in the side of Ptolemaic kings. They made excellent raiders and good ‘jack of all trades’ cavalry, which made them just as useful under the command of a native who was trying to restore Egypt to Egyptian rulers…
The Fayuum and other places also made excellent spots for a heavy cavalry reserve to be put down. With a system of land grants and promises, the Ptolemies were able to lure many Greeks and Macedonians to settle in Egypt and produce a reliable heavy cavalry. They are armed with a xyston, a kopis, and a small round shield that gave a bit of protection but allowed them to use their lance with both hands. They can be counted upon to give a good account of themselves in battle, due to the fact that they are well trained, almost feudalistic, cavalry.
Historically, the Ptolemaic heavy cavalry was very good, well able to deal with the Seleucids and other threats. They were able to check the more numerous Seleucid cavalry at Raphia, making sure their vulnerable phalanx was not outflanked. They were in existence up until the end of the Ptolemaic kingdom and many were hired by the Romans to provide a heavy cavalry capable of fighting in the east after the absorption of Egypt into the Roman Empire.
The Hetairoi, or Companions, were the elite noble heavy cavalry of Macedon and the Successor states. They are an elite heavy cavalry that is second to none and arguably the best cavalry of the period. They fight with a degree of élan, discipline, and simple ferociousness that is matched only by the horsemen of Iberia, Carthage, and the best heavy cavalry of some of the eastern nomadic peoples. They are armored from head to toe in iron plate (some still had bronze, but this was falling out of favor rapidly by 250 B.C.), reinforced with mail at key points. Their horses are barded with felt barding and often have bronze plates to protect their heads. Their helmets, with the two plumes, mark them on a battlefield. They are best used as heavy shock cavalry, able to decide many battles with a single charge. They are the second part of the hammer and anvil of Alexandrian battle tactics. They are armed with a xyston and a kopis, and are well able to use both weapons. If these men have any weakness, it is the front of a line of spearmen. Horses simply do not like charging into a row of men armed with big pointy sticks. They are still able to give a decisive blow to the flank and rear of any infantry.
Historically, the Hetairoi were first created by Philip, following the lead of the cavalrymen of Thessaly, to the south. Philip went one better, armoring them to the teeth and giving them a Xyston, a twelve foot long lance tipped with a large steel head. They were armored head to toe in bronze plate, from helms to cuirass to bracers to greaves. Alexander often replaced this armor with lighter linen when they were traveling, but was quick to replace the bronze in any hard fought engagement. Alexander added little to their equipment but trained them to ride their horses in such a way that each man was an expert horsemen as well as a shock cavalryman. The successors kept this mold, but added mail reinforcement to the bronze armor at the joints before replacing it with iron and added felt and lamellar barding to the horses after encountering horse peoples that did the same. During the third century their usage declined with the successor’s ability to pay for such heavily armored men. They degenerated to such a point where only a handful were present at major battles, and were far from the war winning force that they had been earlier. Perhaps with a bit of luck and more funding, a commander could use them in their true glory once more…
Some units in action:
Some surprises may be found in Ptolemaic territory:
Finally, Teleklos has put together some wallpaper as a little bonus for the fans:
We hope you enjoyed this little preview of Ptolemaic Egypt, and look forward to our faction showcase next week.
Please note that unless stated otherwise, ALL pictures shown in our news posts are of works in progress. We continue to improve on all parts of EB, and will do so long after our initial release.
As always, if you have questions or comments, the best place to post them would be here:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=70
Or here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index.php?showforum=60
We give special thanks to http://www.imageshack.us who provide us with a simple, foolproof, and free way to show you all these pictures each week.
Have a wonderful day!
Sincerely,
-the EB team
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Originally Posted by NeonGod
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