II/28 EARLY ARMENIAN & GORDYENE 300 BC - 627 AD

This list covers the mountain kingdom of Armenia in eastern Asia Minor from its foundation as an independent kingdom until Heraklios established full Byzantine control in 627 AD. It also covers the neighbouring state of Gordyene (modern Kurdistan) from coming under Parthian influence around 147 BC until subjection by the Sassanids around 225 AD. After the failure of their attempt at empire under Tigranes the Great, the Armenians survived by playing off their Roman and Parthian or Sassanid Persian neighbours against each other, formalised by their partition into Roman and Sassanid satellite kingdoms in 386 AD. The army consisted of tough mountaineers with thureos and javelins, plus nobles initially equipped as heavily-armoured cataphracts but eventually as fiercely charging lancers on unarmoured horses, supported by bow- armed skirmishers both mounted and on foot. Reference: Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome P. Barker.

II/28a — Tigranes’ Army 83 BC - 69 BC

List: 1 x General (4Kn), 1 x cataphracts (4Kn), 2 x horse archers (LH), 1 x imitation legionaries (4Bd), 2 x ex-Seleucid phalangites (4Pk), 3 x javelinmen (3Ax), 2 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Hilly
Aggression: 3
Enemies:
Allies: II/28d and/or II/37

II/28b — Other Armenian Army 300 BC - 244 BC

List: 1 x General (4Kn), 1 x cataphracts (4Kn), 4 x horse archers (LH), 4 x javelinmen (3Ax), 2 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Hilly
Aggression: 1
Enemies:
Allies: II/37 and/or II/58

II/28c — Armenian Army 245 AD - 627 AD

List: 1 x General (3Kn), 1 x lancers (3Kn), 4 x horse archers (LH), 4 x javelinmen (3Ax), 2 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Hilly
Aggression: 1
Allies: II/80d

II/28d — Gordyene Army 147 BC - 225 BC

List: 1 x General (4Kn), 1 x cataphracts (4Kn), 4 x horse archers (LH), 4 x javelinmen (3Ax), 1 x archers (Ps), 1 x bolt-shooters (Art) or archers (Ps)
Terrain: Hilly
Aggression: 1