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Reading Manana Odisheli
Ancient Georgia at the Turn of the Eras and Khaishi 'Treasure'
In Iberia-Colchis, N10, 2014, pp.186-196

There is a picture one one 'eastern' looking horseman spearing a fleeing enemy  (Hopefully attached)


In https://iberiaandrome.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/iberia-and-rome.pdf what appears to be the same plaque is discussed on page 99 and illustrated in plate 40

Yes, we've discussed this scene before somewhere - maybe in the old ancmed yahoo group? - based on the "Iberia and Rome" book.

The charging rider could be a Parthian, based on the reported "Parthian style" of the art and on the baggy over-trousers, but you can equally see Sarmatian resemblances - remember Strabo saying that the Georgian/Iberian highlanders followed Scythian-Sarmatian lifestyles and equipment. I see no reason why he shouldn't be a native Iberian. The description of the defeated horseman as Roman is a possibility, though the "Iberia and Rome" author gets tied into knots about the "infantry" shield: have they not seen the variety of shields carried by C1AD Roman auxiliary cavalrymen? This could quite possibly be a representation of an Imperial auxiliary, or even of a Late Republican one - how different would Crassus' Gauls at Carrhae have been from this figure? But any identification is flimsy based on a single representation that shows as little detail as this one; he might not even be a Roman. After all Strabo (again) describes the neighbouring Caucasian Albanians as carrying thyreoi, amongst other equipment: perhaps this represents a purely local Caucasian duel?

I did wonder whether anybody had got something new and whether it was worth a short piece in slingshot

Love this picture.  And for us committed army builders, that's all the evidence I need to build more armies...  I already have Iberian contingents in my Armenian army but by simply adding another 10-20 units they become an army in their own right. In this stay-at-home COVID-19 world, I need something to do.

Quote from: stevenneate on March 17, 2020, 01:32:13 AM
Love this picture.  And for us committed army builders, that's all the evidence I need to build more armies...  I already have Iberian contingents in my Armenian army but by simply adding another 10-20 units they become an army in their own right. In this stay-at-home COVID-19 world, I need something to do.

As that way madness lies 

Quote from: Jim Webster on March 14, 2020, 07:43:58 PM
I did wonder whether anybody had got something new and whether it was worth a short piece in slingshot

Such a piece might also include the infantry on the Gomi rhyton.

Steven,

If your Armenian army has any Gordyenian or Adiabenian allies (both infantry and cavalry) I'd be interested in seeing some photos of them.  My own 6mm Armenian army is just about coming along and I wondering what sort of figures might be suitable for using as these allies.
At present the Armenian cataphracts look a bit Parthian and their Iberian allied cavalry could very easily be mistaken for Sarmatians. But at 6mm precision - especially with my painting - isn't an issue.

Any other guidance on what they may have looked like welcome.

Thanks.

My feeling is they wouldn't look too different to Parthians or any other fully-armoured horseman from the region. Mine are in 15mm so have a bit more scope for changes.  I mixed in ranges of Armenian, Parthian, Late Roman and Seleucid cataphracts with the odd half-armoured Persian.

I was hoping the Gordyenians may have looked a bit more Celtic or Germanic. The list in the WRG Book 1 describes the Gordyenians as Kurds with their cavalry starting out as lights with javelin and shield but with the option to upgrade about 35% to heavy cavalry still with javelin and shield. Their infantry fall into the LMI / LI with javelin and shield grouping.
On that basis, I was planning to use some spare German/Gallic cavalry figures I had lurking.

I did try searching on the Internet but all "Ancient Gordyenians" seemed to return was photos of old plants.

Quote from: dwkay57 on April 14, 2020, 05:49:50 PM
I was hoping the Gordyenians may have looked a bit more Celtic or Germanic.

I suppose they might have looked a bit more Persian...

How would you spot the more Persian than Celtic at 6mm, especially if the figures are badly or heavily painted?

A quick search through my motley collection of reference books didn't reveal any Gordyenians (or Gardenias as my mate Bing keeps looking for) but the near misses for that area and time zone tend to suggest the typical barbarian look of tunic, leggings, and either hairy, a plain helmet or a lappet style hat - certainly for the infantry. There wasn't really anything for the cavalry but would they have been much different? The only major visible difference (at the small scale) to the celts is the shape of the shield, circular as opposed to oblong.

The Adiabene allies who apparently lived further to the south appeared to be more civilised, settled and cosmopolitan. I may have to think of something different for them.

Quote from: dwkay57 on April 15, 2020, 07:26:24 PM
How would you spot the more Persian than Celtic at 6mm, especially if the figures are badly or heavily painted?

Magnifying glass? Shield shapes?

I have to use magnifying lens when painting if I'm to have any hope of getting the paint anywhere near the right spot. Generally don't use them when playing, although I have to sometimes pick up and squint at a base to remind what unit it belongs to.

I'll have a look at the potential of cutting down the oval shield and topping it with a 3d printed circular one when I get started on them - probably a couple of months away yet.