I/48 THRACIAN 700 BC - 46 AD

The Thracians were wild tribesmen living north of Greece. Herodotos said they would have conquered the world if they had combined, but they enjoyed fighting each other too much! They are therefore rated low in aggression, but often provided mercenaries for more civilised states. Hill tribes included the Dioi, Bessoi and Maidioi; lowland tribes included the Triballoi, Odrysai and Getai. They remained independent for most of the period, but became a Roman client kingdom in 25 BC and a Roman province in 46 AD. Nobles wore armour and charged fiercely on horseback. Others fought as skirmishing light horse, mostly with javelins, but some lowland tribes as horse archers. The majority were foot. Their main weapons were a pair of javelins and a small new crescent-shaped pelta shield, but hill tribes especially could add a long spear or the fearsome shaft-mounted curved-blade rhomphaia. From 350 BC, larger oval wicker shields came into use, but by 250 BC after the Galatian invasions, was superseded by the stronger oval wooden Celtic thureos, painted white or light ochre. Those with long spear, rhomphaia or thureos can be 4Ax. Thracians were typically red-haired, often tattooed and their national dress was a short-sleeved tunic depicted as white, cream, light blue, light green, red, red-brown or patterned, a fox- skin cap (sometimes replaced by a helmet), fawn-skin boots and a long cloak geometrically patterned in bright colours. Reference: Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars D. Head.

I/48 — Thracian Army 700 BC - 46 AD

List: 1 x General (Cv or 3Kn or 4Ax), 3 x horsemen (LH) or peltasts (4Ax), 6 x peltasts (Ps or 3/4Ax), 2 x archers or slingers or “gymnetes” naked stone-throwers (Ps)
Terrain: Hilly
Aggression: 1
Enemies:
Allies: II/5i or II/56