I've just finished painting up two stands of Pikes for DBA (Leukaspides) and am thinking about the "peltasts", who seem to be an elite unit.
I'm wondering whether these would have silver shields like the Agyraspides? I think it likely since they seem to fit into the same cultural space as Alexander's Hypaspists, but wonder if anyone would know of anything to the contrary?
Have perused Duncan's APMW and looked at various tomb paintings but can't see anything which might indicate someone was definitely a member of either a peltast battalion or of the agema.
Attached a bit of eye candy to improve the post!
20240211_004424.jpg
As far as I understand it, all Macedonian pikemen were technically peltasts since they carried the pelte shield rather than the large aspis shield carried by hoplites.
Nice figures!
Quote from: Keraunos on February 11, 2024, 06:57:52 AMAs far as I understand it, all Macedonian pikemen were technically peltasts since they carried the pelte shield rather than the large aspis shield carried by hoplites.
Not really true; the Macedonian shield is called aspis or pelte by different writers and on different occasions, but since the Amphipolis decree uses "aspis", that seems to be the "official Macedonian War Office" term for the shield, or at least for _some_ Macedonian shields.
In any case, the unit title "peltasts" was limited to the elite units of the Antigonid Macedonian army, the equivalents in status at least of the old Hypaspists (and their equivalents in some other armies). They _may_ have carried a smaller shield than the chalkaspides and leukaspides, maybe 66cm rather than 70-80cm (Sekunda thinks so), but this is not by any means certain.
It appears to be the peltasts, or the agema who were the elite battalion of the the peltasts, who are described by Plutarch at Pydna:
Quotepicked men, the flower of the Macedonians themselves for youthful strength and valour, gleaming with gilded arms (hoplois) and new-made crimson garments (neourgois phoinikisin)
This suggests gold, or at least gold-decorated, shields.
But Sekunda also regards the warrior here (https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Robert-Peake/1091385/.html)(from the House of the Menander at Pompeii) as being based on an earlier, 3rd-century, Macedonian peltast.
Quote from: Duncan Head on February 11, 2024, 11:32:48 AMThis suggests gold, or at least gold-decorated, shields.
But Sekunda also regards the warrior here (https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Robert-Peake/1091385/.html)(from the House of the Menander at Pompeii) as being based on an earlier, 3rd-century, Macedonian peltast.
The chap in purple or or the chap on the right?
Thanks!