Questions about units and timeframe

**Zarax** · 06-19-2007, 11:29

Just for the sake of historical curiosity if any historian can spare a few minutes to answer...

1) Were gastraphetes still used in EB timeframe?
I know that they were used mainly in sieges but I also think that they could have had some use in the battlefield as their role would have been pretty much the same as the much later crossbowmen, although the construction of their composite "bow" was not the simpliest...

2) I've read around about germanic tribes using throwing axes during Caesar's expeditions in germany, is there any historical thruth in that? I don't have any primary source but what I read claims that throwing axes were pretty effective against legionary armour although with shorter range than the pila.

Thanks for any answer!

**Zarax** · 06-20-2007, 11:20

No historian got a chance to answer?
Oh well...

**MarcusAureliusAntoninus** · 06-20-2007, 22:02

**paullus** · 06-21-2007, 12:55

1) yes, rarely.
2) i dunno.

**Zarax** · 06-21-2007, 15:46

Thanks for the short answers, it's better than nothing I guess...

**Imperator** · 06-21-2007, 16:26

Those are some tricky questions there. I had thought that Germans didn't use axes that much though, or at least not nearly as much as everyone thinks. Then again, Caesar is pretty reliable so if he says there were throwing axemen, there probably were.

**Zarax** · 06-22-2007, 13:39

Well, my knowledge comes from tertiary sources (excerpts from hans delbruck books) so the accuracy might be questionable at best.

On the highly speculative side, the famed francisca from the dark ages has to come from somewhere and it's possible that its use could have been started during EB timeframe, although not very widespread.

**Lovejoy** · 06-22-2007, 15:05

All I know is that in Age of Empire2 the Frances throws axes.

**Zarax** · 06-23-2007, 12:17

Not exactly the best shot for historical accuracy, it it?

**Imperator** · 06-23-2007, 16:08

This just occured to me- I don't know if it's true or not, but I think I remember hearing on a History Channel show that gastraphetes were used in the siege of syracuse. So my (extremely tentative and unsure) answers are:

1) Yes- but primarily for siege or naval combat since they were bulky and worked best in cramped quarters

2) Probably- Caesar isn't the biggest fibber out there, and there's no reason for him to lie about the German projectile choice anyway, so I'd say it's a safe bet to assume the Germans used them.

But I'm no expert, maybe a real historian could come in and offer their advice

**Zarax** · 06-23-2007, 16:39

Well, I'm trying to improve historical accuracy in XGM so when possible I would like to know if what we have in the mod is historically accurate or not.

I can verify most units but in this two cases info are not that easy to find...

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 06-23-2007, 18:34

It's not a question of whether they existed or not - just how much they were used. It's difficult to say whether using them is either historically accurate or not. These decisions may come easily to some people, but they often could be either way really.

**Zarax** · 06-23-2007, 18:53

Well, I know that such units are not included in EB, but as I found mentions (quetionable reliability aside) of them I was just hoping to find help to cast aside the doubts...