Bosporan Machairophoroi
Heavy Infantry(0.6.7)Side / Back
Short description
Elite swordsmen of the Bosporan kingdom, heavily armoured to protect the kings and their capital Pantikapaion.
Description
Archaeological finds show that the Bosporan kingdom, like many other Hellenic states, adopted the thureos shield in the middle of the 3rd century BC (Mielczarek 1999, p. 39-41). Thureophoroi became the standard Greek infantry of the time and were especially useful against the mobile enemies the Bosporan Greeks would face on the outskirts of the Eurasian steppes. Within the Thureophoroi, an elite corps fought with machaira swords instead of spears. The machaira was already known in Greece during the Geometric Period, but only found widespread use in two waves, first in the 6th and then in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC (Mödlinger, Barbarische Einflüsse 2015, p. 260). Five different types are attested, with the single-edged blades sometimes being straight, but often curved, with a length between 40 and 70 cm (Schmitt, Angriffswaffen 2007). Various machaira swords were found in Bosporan graves dating to the 3rd century BC, attesting the use of these weapons.
These men are protected by thureos shields, attic helmets, heavy armour and pteryges. The armour is based on a find from present day Ukraine, which has scales of bronze intermingled with iron ones. The Medusa head on it served to protect the bearer from arrows and scare the enemy. The words "PAN" and "TIK" on their shields stand for Pantikapaion, one of the leading cities of the Bosporan Kingdom. Last but not least, their cheek guards depict Achilles besting Paris during the Trojan War, as Dio Chrysostom mentions two temples for Achilles on the river Borysthenes (Dnieper) (Dio Chrys. 36, 9).