Cyrus and the Greeks, DBA II/7

The March of the 10,000 has always been one of my favourite stories, the Battle of Cunaxa one of my favourite battles. Even did a series of 3 articles on it for Slingshot sometime in the 90's (gave it it's more correct name of Kounaxa then.) Plus a version of it in the 2012 Garrison Journal.

So it's hardly a surprise that I'm including a Late Achaemenid Persian army in my current DBA army building programme.

Only troops missing are Ps and/or scythed chariot. For a standard army I would include the chariot, for Cyrus I'll miss it out.

This is Cyrus and his bodyguard. Greek GC4 on the cataphract horse. Cyrus himself is the Greek general figure. Greeks to Persians proved a diffficult conversion - I painted trousers on them. The unit itself was painted a few years ago then put to one side. The standard bearer had an accident so isn't here, likewise a few of the others - actually, 11 survivors out of the original 15.

 

For the Greek infantry component I have converted GC5 to an infantry figure by twisting the feet forward and putting them on a base. The figure casts quite well and the intention was to initially produce 2 units of 24 - one to have red tunics as part of Cyrus's army, the other in white to act in every other late Persian army. Didn't quite work out, so Cyrus is stuck with figures wearing the colours of his brother. (Xenophon said that these were the colours given to each army)

Hoplites tend to get colourful shields so I thought I'd show them in more detail. 

 

 The front cavalry figures are some early conversions I made before I got Garrison - removed shields and javelins, replaced weapons.  The Scythians were painted to allow the ones that had been transferred from the 'main' army to go back to their unit. In use with Cyrus they will be replaced by more Western cavalry.

The Ps elements will vary depending on the army depicted. For Artaxerxes, these would be archers, for Cyrus javelins. Likewise, the 4 x 4Sp or 3Ax are Greek hoplite 4Sp for Cyrus, Artaxerxes probably gets 2 x 4Sp (Carian, Egyptian) and 2 x 3Ax (infantry brought by Tissaphernes to the battle.)

Now, reason why I haven't sorted that second unit of hoplites for Cyrus.

When I first set up I acquired 2 second hand melting pots. The first one gave up the ghost a few years ago, the second one has also 'died'. So I'm stuck with repairs or renewal. Repairs don't seem to be an effective answer. Let's face, between them they gave 10 years service and were second hand then...  So... new? but bit shy of £600?... could do it. Might. Certainly not worth it though...