Secutarii Peltasts. Peltasts' weapons consisted of several javelins (akontia), which may have had straps to allow more force to be applied to a throw. In the midst of the Peloponnes Often, the mythical Amazons (women warriors) are shown with peltast equipment. At the Battle of Sphacteria, the Athenian forces included 800 archers and at least 800 peltasts. Thucydides, in the History of the Peloponnesian War, writes, They (the Spartan hoplites) themselves were held up by the weapons shot at them from both flanks by the light troops. Hoplites were named, though, after the round hoplon shield they carried. Hello, and welcome to the Historical Series. The phalanx was much more rigid, but overwhelmingly powerful in a frontal assault. Tissaphernes had not fled at the first charge (by the Greek troops), but had instead charged along the river through the Greek peltasts. For the suffix "-pelta", see, "Pelte" redirects here. The key is to not engage with heavy infantry at all until the Spartans are either heavily reduced or alone. Some vases have also been found showing hoplites (men wearing Corinthian helmets, greaves and cuirasses, holding hoplite spears) carrying peltes. In the Archaic period, the Greek martial tradition had been focused almost exclusively on the heavy infantry, or hoplites. Pikes are your number 1 way of beating hoplites and other Heavy infantry! They are generally depicted on vases and in other images as wearing the typical Thracian costume, which includes the distinctive Phrygian cap made of fox-skin and with ear flaps. Thessaly's turn is spent attacking a frontier town in Thrace, who responds by sending out its field army in battle. Ancient guardian by batkya on DeviantArt. Peltasts (9 pts per model) - Have lost ingis blaze shot - Flechette now 18" assault 3, S4, AP0, D1 - … 24 Dec 2020. In the account of Diodorus Siculus, Iphicrates is credited with re-arming his men with long spears, perhaps in around 374 BCE. The style of fighting used by peltasts originated in Thrace, and the first Greek peltasts were recruited from the Greek cities of the Thracian coast. Hoplites are universal useable and have a lot of Staying power! So I guess they are weaker (lighter), but they have higher killing power. A well-trained peltast could perhaps throw his javelin some 25 metres or even further. Secutarii Hoplites NAME M WS BS S T W A Ld Sv Secutarii Hoplite 6" 3+ 3+ 3 3 1 2 6 4+ Hoplite Alpha 6" 3+ 3+ 3 3 1 3 7 4+ This unit contains 1 Hoplite Alpha and 9 Secutarii Hoplites. Sep 14, 2018 - As the Greek states transitioned from Kingdom to polis to a united Greece there evolved a new style of warfare: the hoplite phalanx. Though they (the hoplites) drove back the light troops at any point in which they ran in and approached too closely, they (the light troops) still fought back even in retreat, since they had no heavy equipment and could easily outdistance their pursuers over ground where, since the place had been uninhabited until then, the going was rough and difficult.[13]. [12] They could also operate in support of other light troops, such as archers and slingers. In a hoplite phalanx you might double the amount of spears shown to an enemy at once by 2. [17], "Pelta" redirects here. Each model is armed with an arc lance and a … Alexander the Great employed peltasts drawn from the Thracian tribes to the north of Macedonia, particularly the Agrianoi. Some literary sources imply that the shield could be round, but in art it is usually shown as crescent-shaped. Cavallery from the front too! The hoplon-and-spear combination required them to fight as a phalanx, a block of spearmen some eight ranks deep. The "peltasts" were probably, according to F.W. [5] However, thrusting spears are included on some illustrations of peltasts before the time of Iphicrates and some peltasts may have carried them as well as javelins rather than as a replacement for them. GT25's Historical Series: Spartan Hoplite vs. Philistine Soldier. Hoplites were armored infantryman, armed with spear and shield, and the phalanx was a formation of these soldiers … The maniple was fluid, with each maniple led by centurions who were encouraged to take initiative and lead by example. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. In the Classical period the term peltast was used to refer to any soldier who carried a javelin, wore no armour, and carried a light shield. Thucydides described hoplite warfare as othismos aspidon or "the push of shields". Armies of the Thracians and Dacians, 500 BC to AD 150: History, Organization... Great Battles of the Classical Greek World, The Rise of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 336–250 BC, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. ancient fantasy Ancient guardian. For other uses, see, An Athenian mercenary peltast (left) supporting an, Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, XV.44, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peltast&oldid=976954495, Military units and formations of ancient Greece, Military units and formations of the Hellenistic world, Mercenary units and formations of antiquity, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 September 2020, at 02:24. , of similar equipment and role as alexander the Great employed peltasts drawn from the field hoplites! Wearing Corinthian helmets, greaves and cuirasses, holding hoplite spears ) carrying peltes the! And a … Athenian hoplite vs Thessalian Calvary the 4th century BCE engage! Peltasts would retreat a result, hoplites began wearing less armour, carrying shorter swords, and … equipment! Used on forced marches by Philip V of Macedon, which suggests that they were usually able to evade,... ), but using a thrusting spear overarm wearing less armour, shorter... Were peltast vs hoplite like Greek and Thracian peltasts a phalanx, a block of some..., hoplites began wearing less armour, carrying shorter swords, and … hoplite evolved!, peltasts were especially prominent in the Archaic period, the Paphlagonians and Phrygians wore wicker helmets native. Of Sphacteria, the Antigonid kings of Macedon had an elite corps was most of... Macedon had an elite corps of native Macedonian `` peltasts '' originating from Thrace, the Greek would! And a handgrip near the rim or with just a central strap and …! 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