- Preview IV - The Tribes of the Desert -

**Joar** · February 15, 2011, 08:29 AM

The flaming felines are no laughing matter!

**demagogos nicator** · December 24, 2010, 02:31 PM

The Shahara area ware not so dry in the past and there could be also a savanah areas where cheetah could live. But I dont know if still in the 5th entury AD.

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · December 24, 2010, 03:44 PM

In the 5th century that area was more... fertile to a certain extent. Back then you could go 100-200 miles in from the coast and still see farms eveywhere
But the Romans hunted A. Jubatus Hecki to near extinction, it currently resides in the south-west area of the saharan desert, and there have been rumors of sightings in tunisia, egypt and morroco, and it is believed to be making a come-back. I think they actually caught footage of one on a trip cam by accident. (They were doing the whole monsterquest thing and saw one in modern day tunisia or something.)

A possibility is that cheetahs were imported from india, as they were native there until the 19th century. In fact they are going to re-introduce A. Jubatus Venaticus to India to control the pronghorn/antelope/gazelle population, which is running out of control because dogs can't catch them.

I like the artwork behind the whole cheetah thing though, except for one thing, cheetahs don't roar, they hiss. And they don't fight, they run away.

**ALFAJI** · February 08, 2011, 03:55 PM

great to see alhira in this mod and if you need more info about this faction please tell me because i have lots of access to that time of the Arabic history and thanks for making it

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · February 16, 2011, 03:47 PM

Seriously, the historical inaccuracies associated with that are ludicrous. There are many problems with such a unit too:

The range would have to be very short - 100 meters maximum, and the cheetahs would scatter in every direction, so it would not just attack the enemy. Also they would rip the face off of their trainers too AND light them on fire.
So it's pretty much pointless. Cheetahs were kept as pets by the Roman Upper class (and even the emperor) but would not have been used in combat. I can gaurentee that...

**Joar** · February 16, 2011, 04:17 PM

Ah, yes, but you're talking about an African cheetah, right? I'm talking about the European cheetah. This sturdy breed of cool cats are quite fire resistant due to long exposure to the cold climate of the north, where they enjoy climbing the alps and taking baths in the icy fjords. Granted there's one problem with the European cheetahs, and that's the fact that they're non-migratory.

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · February 16, 2011, 04:22 PM

roflmao, I just watched monty python and the holy grail last night

"You stupid b-word! You haven't got no arms left!"
"Yes I have."
"Well what's that then?!"
"Just a Flesh wound!"

And at one time cheetahs did live in southern europe, but died out at the end of the pleistocene. Anyways It's completely insensible to use cheetahs as a combat unit.
BTW did hannibalcaesar ever send you that pet cheetah ancillary we made a while (emphasis on the h) back?

Ni!

**Joar** · February 16, 2011, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by ☧ Flavius Aëtius ☧

BTW did hannibalcaesar ever send you that pet cheetah ancillary we made a while (emphasis on the h) back?

Not sure what you're referring to here?

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · March 10, 2011, 04:59 PM

Hmm... I told him to send it to you in return for the Family Portrait you made us.

**Joar** · March 10, 2011, 09:50 PM

That's OK. There's no need to "repay" me.

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · March 11, 2011, 06:16 AM

lol, k, I just was raised on the moral that if someone does something for you, that you owe them something in return, except in the case of ☧-mas

**Prince of Judah** · April 20, 2011, 07:55 PM

Does this cover the Ghassanids?

**Joar** · April 21, 2011, 03:40 AM

Originally Posted by Imperiumiv

Does this cover the Ghassanids?

Well, no. The Arab faction represented in RR is based on the Lakhmids, who were allies of the Sassanids ( but just as often enemies ). Both the Ghassanids and the Lakhmids were buffer states used by the Romans and the Persians, and we've decided to use the Lakhmids. However, the Ghassanids are still represented by the AOR units, recruitable by the Romans, and I'm playing around with a couple of ideas on how to represent them even more.

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · March 20, 2012, 07:16 PM

Again I'd like to bring up the Historical Inaccuracy associated with Using the Cheetah as an Arab/Mauri Unit. The only Evidence we Have of the Cheetah is from Pliny (who calls it a Leopard/Lion when you translate it) after the 5th Century BC. There is a Gap from Pliny who wrote in the 1st Century AD until the 4th century when this mural from Pella was created:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

What distinctifies it from a leopard is that Leopards are not depicted with that body shape, and are not usually depicted with spots in Roman art, as shown here:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

I also cite the Notitia Dignitatum, which depicts a running cheetah on the Shield of the Prima Flavia Gallicani, who were stationed in Amorica.

Ergo, the Cheetah's only known existance was in Greece and Gaul, and therefore should not be considered accurate to be used as a symbol of the Arabs and Mauri.

**Joar** · March 21, 2012, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by Magister Militum Flavius Aetius

Again I'd like to bring up the Historical Inaccuracy associated with Using the Cheetah as an Arab/Mauri Unit.

Are you pulling my paw?

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · March 21, 2012, 08:31 AM

Symbol, not unit. The Cheetah was imported form Egypt and Northern Iran and India, not Mauretania. The Camel and Scorpion would be much more beleivable symbols for those nations.

**Joar** · March 21, 2012, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by Magister Militum Flavius Aetius

Symbol, not unit. The Cheetah was imported form Egypt and Northern Iran and India, not Mauretania. The Camel and Scorpion would be much more beleivable symbols for those nations.

We're not using it as a symbol, only as a motif for this particular preview. The interface shown in this preview is outdated.