[IN PROGRESS] Cyrene Expanded

[Magas of Cyrene]

Cyrene is a very interesting faction to play with.
You have done a lot of work...

Thanks! Pre-production is nearly done, I just need to develop a unique temple chain (waiting for a book on that topic). I also need to take another look at the Jewish & Libyan parts of the roster.

In the meantime, I've updated the opening post and added more concept art to III part of the roster.

If any modellers would be willing to lend a hand with the roster, please contact me; any and all help would be greatly appreciated

I've started learning the Assembly Kit, but unfortunately it keeps crashing on startup, so no progress as of yet.

[Jake Armitage]

Keep going!!!

[Magas of Cyrene]

Keep going!!!

Thanks, definitely!

Here's my problem with the Variant Editor: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...1#post15253201

Any ideas what's causing it?

[Maetharin]

If you want to edit unit appearance, it´s actually easier to simply edit their variantmeshdefinition in PFM

[Ygraine]

This looks great, Commodore!

Looking forward to seeing more of these community based faction overhauls to the minor AFP-playables!

[Magas of Cyrene]

If you want to edit unit appearance, it´s actually easier to simply edit their variantmeshdefinition in PFM

I haven't tried it yet, but there's the downside of not seeing the edits as you make them

This looks great, Commodore!

Looking forward to seeing more of these community based faction overhauls to the minor AFP-playables!

Thank you for your kind words

Works continues, I have updated the

CYRENEAN ROSTER - PART III
Greeks & Macedonians

I've removed the Hypaspists and added Light Hoplites instead. I've also included Late Peltasts, using Thureos. The Greek/Macedonian part of the roster is now complete I feel. KAM has helped me a lot, so my thanks go to him

In addition I've added several new concept art pieces.

[Magas of Cyrene]

With the work on Ptolemaic Kingdom's research nearly done it's time to come back to the Cyrene Overhaul :-) I've been thinking on how to spice up the Cyrenaean roster a bit and I think I've got an idea - units "inspired" by those of neighbouring lands. The concept's similar to the Tarentine cavalry - which meant a way of fighting, not nationality. We know that cities hired, for an instance, Cretan archery instructors. There are also other historical examples - like Xanthippus of Carthage, who famously reformed the Carthaginian army to fight in a more hellenised way.

On top of that, there's also Cyrene's close proximity to Greece and Macedon as well as the fact that Cyrene was a famously rich and fertile land. Close to the start of DeI it also gains independence as it prepares to move against the Ptolemies. Therefore I think it's logical to assume that they would've employed some instructors as they tried to raise an army. Here's one example of what kind of units I had in mind:


Cyrenaean Archers (Kyrenai Toxotai)
[Politai]

During the the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC increasing numbers of cities began to train their young citizens in archery, sometimes hiring Cretan instructors, and inscriptions recording archery contests are numerous. It is also possible that "Cretan", like "Tarentine" came to indicate a style of fighting rather than nationality, and that many Cretan units in Hellenistic armies were actually composed o mercenaries of mixed origin armed in the Cretan style. If shield and sword were standard Cretan equipment, however, making Cretans much better able to look after themselves at close quarters than other Greek archers and slingers, this might explain their popularity (Source: Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars - Duncan Head). Snodgrass notes an inscription from 282 B.C.E. recording the employment of a Cretan archery coach for Athenian archers (Source: Arms and Armor of the Greeks - Anthony Snodgrass).Young men of Cyrene had the pivilege of being trained by Cretan veterans (which, again, is fairly likely given the proximity of the island); they're just a pale imitation of the original, but they're still a cut above regular archers. They're also armed in the Cretan fashion - with a small, bronze-faced pelte shield and a xiphos or kopis sword; they shouldn't be expected to survive long in melee, however, as the small shield is their only protective equipment and they weren't extensively trained in melee combat.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Cyrenaean Iphicratean Pikemen (Kyrenai Iphikratous Phalangitai)
[Politai]

Lightly-armoured pikemen, armed with shorter pikes and small bronze-faced pelte shields. Highly mobile, but very vulnerable to missile fire.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The plan is for these units to be slightly inferior to "originals" and also more expensive, to illustrate the fact they were merely trained to fight in that manner and do not have necessary experience.

What are your thoughts? And what other units do you think should be "copied"?

[Ygraine]

The idea of lighter/lower tier pikes with shorter ranges but more mobility is a good one and something I've been considering in DV too due to gameplay balance.

As for other units, not sure if egyptian natives have been mentioned earlier - but perhaps some similar infantry type units like Ptolematoi has now? The basic sword-type.

[Magas of Cyrene]

The idea of lighter/lower tier pikes with shorter ranges but more mobility is a good one and something I've been considering in DV too due to gameplay balance.

As for other units, not sure if egyptian natives have been mentioned earlier - but perhaps some similar infantry type units like Ptolematoi has now? The basic sword-type.

Yes, there are these guys:

Cyrenaean Swordsmen (Kyrenai Machairophoroi)
Thureos Reform
[Politai]

The machairophoroi, that is, the sword-bearers, probably form several units of the guard and were professional soldiers. Some were protecting the royal couple, and were members of social-religious associactions called the sunodoi, "colleges", grouping the First Friends and the chiliarchoi (Source: Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt - Christelle Fischer-Bovet). I believe that the machairophoroi were thureos wielding swordsmen, as depicted on numerous Stelai. Herodotus terms them "short-sword carriers" and describes their equipment as including plaited helmets and concave shields with unusually large rims.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

There will be some Libyan lookalikes in the unit, as per this:

That such marriages were common is proved by the constitutional regulations imposed on Cyreneby Ptolemy after 322 BC, which are preserved in an inscription, and which include the provision that the children of Cyrenaean men by Libyan wives should have citizen status.

One more change to the Greek & Macedonian roster: Iphicratean Peltasts instead of the regular ones.Cyrene already has excellent Libyan javelinmen, which will probably deal more ranged damage, but also be more vulnerable.
Thus far I'm thinking of leaving only two Libyan units - javelinmen and mounted javelinmen, can't really think of anything else, but I'd ideally want to have at least one more unit.

[Magas of Cyrene]

After reading more material about Jews' role in the Ptolemaic society I'm currently considering making the following changes to the Jewish part of the Cyrenaean roster.

SPEAR INFANTRY

Cyrenaean Jewish Thureos Spearmen (Kyrenai Iudaioi Thureophoroi)

[Politai]
Thureos Reform required

I'll retouch the unity slightly from the Ptolemaic version, to make them look a bit different.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

---

MISSILE INFANTRY

Cyrenaean Jewish Spearmen (Kyrenai Iudaioi Taxeis)
[Laoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Jewish military settlers were often employed in a role of garrison troops. These hellenised, unarmoured soldiers armed with a spear, a bronze pelte shield and a handful of javelins are a useful skirmishing force that can be relied upon in almost any circumstance. Lightly armoured spearmen, with a javelin or two for skirmishing. A stop-gap unit.


Cyrenaean Jewish Slingers (Kyrenai Iudaioi Sphendonetai)
[Laoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

A sling is an important weapon in the Jewish culture - championed most famously by their king - David, who used to great effect against Goliath.I will modify their look a bit, to make them look a bit closer to the concept art I've linked above.

• SHOCK CAVALRY
  

Cyrenaean Jewish Light Lancers (Kyrenai Judeoi Sarissophoroi)
[Kleruchoi]


A what-if unit - there are sources citing Jews fighting in the Ptolemaic hipparchies - The numbered hipparchies were mixed groups of soldiers from the beginning, while the ethnic hipparchies had initially some real ethnic background, that is to say, a big part of the soldier sserving in the hipparchy of the Thessalians may indeed have been of Thessalian origin. At any rate, whatever background the soldiers had, they were supposed to use their personal ethnic designation to identify themselves, but obviously this did not always correlate with their ethnic hipparchy designation. Jews, for instance, did not have a separate ethnic hipparchy, thus, they were enlisted either into numbered or into mixed ethnic hipparchies.

From the IIIrd century BCE there are only two documents attesting Jewish soldiers on active service.The earliest one is CPJI 18, a deed of renunciation drawn up between a certain Andronikos, whose ethnicon is unfortunately broken, and Alexandros son of Andronikos, a Jewish soldier, who was associated with someone else. The name of the latter is illegible, but on the basis of the word μετὰ and the lacuna following Alexandros’ name, it is clear that he was in partnership with another soldier. We also know that they both belonged to the cavalry unit commanded by Zoilos,who was a well-known eponymous officer. It has been noted above that before the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes, the cavalrymen were simply organized around eponymous commanders, and this text is a good example of this phenomenon. More important is the fact that Andronikos is designated dekanikos, which means that he was not simply a cavalry soldier, but a commander of circa 10 soldiers. Kasher notes that Andronikos’ cavalry unit was most probably an ethnically mixed troop because we meet at least five different ethnic designations in the contract: Among the witnesses we find a Chalkidian, a Kromnian, an Erythrian and a Boeotian. All these people are of Greek and Macedonian origin, and Alexandros is the only one who can definitely be considered Jewish.We do not know how large his land was, but he must have been an upper-class member of a cavalry unit and certainly enjoyed all of its privileges. (Source: Jews in Ptolemaic Egypt in light of the Papyri - Szanto Zsuzanna).

Furthermore, the War Rule scroll (among the Dead Sea Scrolls) mention cavalry units fighting in the war against the Seleucids: Two types of cavalry are mentioned. Each rank of infantry is to be accompanied by 50 cavalry "of the rule", mature men aged 40-50, equipped with a lance 8 cubits long (ca. 365 cm, or 12'), helmet, greaves, cuirasse and round shield (Source: http://lukeuedasarson.com/NewSonsOfLight.html). I think it's unlikely they had shields with a lance that long, however. This information combined with the sources of Jews serving in the Ptolemaic hipparchies does provide some basis for the theory that these were the men who previously fought under Ptolemies and provided their experience for the cause. Cyrene was an important site for Jewish military colonists - they served as Ptolemies' garrison troops. I imagine Cyrene, after gaining independence, would rely on these troops in their struggle against the Ptolemies. And that they'd be more readily available than Greco-Macedonians or Thracians, hence their inclusion in the roster. They will be slightly inferior to their Greek counterparts. As for their look - I will base them on the Thracian Sarissophoroi and add some more Hellenic and Jewish elements (like in the added concept art):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• MISSILE CAVALRY
  

Cyrenaean Jewish Horse Archers (Kyrenai Judeoi Hippotoxotai)
[Politai]

The previously mentioned War Rule mentions other kind of cavalry - The rest of the (presumably lighter) cavalry, who appear to be equipped with bows and javelins, are to be 200 strong for every 1000 infantry, marshaled in 7 lines on both flanks of each division (Source: http://lukeuedasarson.com/NewSonsOfLight.html).

I'm not sure whether this type of a unit should be included - War Rule is from the time of the Maccabean revolt, but then my reasoning is that there had to be some sort of military tradtion for horseback archery for the Jews, otherwise I find it rather unlikely they'd employ such a unit. It would certainly spice up the Cyrenaean roster, but I'm on the fence here. If they make the cut, they'd probably be slightly below basic horse archer units.

(Drawing source: Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars - Duncan Head)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You can find additional information and sources here:
Part I (Jewish Military Settlers)

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the above roster.

[Ygraine]

Yes, there are these guys:

Cyrenaean Swordsmen (Kyrenai Machairophoroi)
Thureos Reform
[Politai]

The machairophoroi, that is, the sword-bearers, probably form several units of the guard and were professional soldiers. Some were protecting the royal couple, and were members of social-religious associactions called the sunodoi, "colleges", grouping the First Friends and the chiliarchoi (Source: Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt - Christelle Fischer-Bovet). I believe that the machairophoroi were thureos wielding swordsmen, as depicted on numerous Stelai. Herodotus terms them "short-sword carriers" and describes their equipment as including plaited helmets and concave shields with unusually large rims.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

There will be some Libyan lookalikes in the unit, as per this:

That such marriages were common is proved by the constitutional regulations imposed on Cyreneby Ptolemy after 322 BC, which are preserved in an inscription, and which include the provision that the children of Cyrenaean men by Libyan wives should have citizen status.

One more change to the Greek & Macedonian roster: Iphicratean Peltasts instead of the regular ones.Cyrene already has excellent Libyan javelinmen, which will probably deal more ranged damage, but also be more vulnerable.
Thus far I'm thinking of leaving only two Libyan units - javelinmen and mounted javelinmen, can't really think of anything else, but I'd ideally want to have at least one more unit.

So many units that it's easy to miss

I would probably add libyan tribesmen or something similar. Cheap 300-men per unit spears with weak stats that you can use to tire enemies or push siege engines with.

Looking forward to your unit-previews!

[Magas of Cyrene]

So many units that it's easy to miss

I would probably add libyan tribesmen or something similar. Cheap 300-men per unit spears with weak stats that you can use to tire enemies or push siege engines with.

Looking forward to your unit-previews!

The Nasamones faction has some Libyan units, like these:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I'll probably make them spearmen, since swords would probably be way to expensive. Or I'll keep that unit instead:

Cyrenaean Jewish Spearmen (Kyrenai Iudaioi Taxeis)
[Laoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Jewish military settlers were often employed in a role of garrison troops. These hellenised, unarmoured soldiers armed with a spear, a bronze pelte shield and a handful of javelins are a useful skirmishing force that can be relied upon in almost any circumstance. Lightly armoured spearmen, with a javelin or two for skirmishing. A stop-gap unit.
--------------

I don't want to uncessarily bloat the roster, so one of these units will probably get tossed out. In any case, the plan is to make Libyans look like this, however:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I'm hoping I'll have a first unit preview next week, but we'll see

[Ygraine]

The Nasamones faction has some Libyan units, like these:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I'll probably make them spearmen, since swords would probably be way to expensive. Or I'll keep that unit instead:

Cyrenaean Jewish Spearmen (Kyrenai Iudaioi Taxeis)
[Laoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Jewish military settlers were often employed in a role of garrison troops. These hellenised, unarmoured soldiers armed with a spear, a bronze pelte shield and a handful of javelins are a useful skirmishing force that can be relied upon in almost any circumstance. Lightly armoured spearmen, with a javelin or two for skirmishing. A stop-gap unit.
--------------

I don't want to uncessarily bloat the roster, so one of these units will probably get tossed out. In any case, the plan is to make Libyans look like this, however:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I'm hoping I'll have a first unit preview next week, but we'll see

Looking forward to seeing it!

Would you say that Cyrene was "ptolemaic" enough by 278 bc to consider their culture dominant there? If I understood correct, they fell into the Ptolemaic sphere around 322 bc. Or would you still consider their culture "mainland-greek" hellenic at that point? Thinking if I should make them ptolemaic or keep them hellenic in my overhaul - and you're our expert

[Magas of Cyrene]

Looking forward to seeing it!

Would you say that Cyrene was "ptolemaic" enough by 278 bc to consider their culture dominant there? If I understood correct, they fell into the Ptolemaic sphere around 322 bc. Or would you still consider their culture "mainland-greek" hellenic at that point? Thinking if I should make them ptolemaic or keep them hellenic in my overhaul - and you're our expert

I'd classify Cyrene as a Succesor Kingdom at DeI's starting date, as for the culture - I'd go with Hellenic, Magas was an ambitious man and surely would have taken steps to distance himself from the Ptolemaic Kingdom he planned to invade.

There was some Libyan influence in the culture as well:

Herodotus observes that the women of Cyrene celebrated the festivals of the Egyptian goddess Isis, and observed the prohibition on the meat of cows (which were sacred to Isis), while the women of Barce also observed the Egyptian prohibition on the eating of pork, and states that these Egyptian customs came to the Greeks through the Libyans (source: THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF AFRICAGeneral Editors: J. D. FAGE and ROLAND OLIVER).

[Magas of Cyrene]

CYRENAEAN ARMY PREVIEW

The following preview uses pre-existing DeI units (all credit goes to their authors); the plan is to use them as a baseline and then heavily modify their look. At the very least I hope to add unique shield symbols. I've added commentary on planned changes below. As always, feedbeck would be greatly appreciated! There will be at least one more additional Libyan units, but I'm still researching the topic. I've added population classes to each unit:

I. Kleruchoi
II. Politai
III. Laoi
IV. Xenoi

Big thanks go to KAM 2150 and Ygraine, who helped me put this roster together!

• GENERAL
  

Cyrenaean Royal Pikemen (Kyrenai Agema Phalangitai)
[Kleruchoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Sacred Squadron (Kyrenai Hiera Ile)
[Kleruchoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Royal Guard (Basilikoi Epilektoi Hoplitai)
[Kleruchoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• MELEE INFANTRY

Cyrenaean Swordsmen (Kyrenai Machairophoroi)
Thureos Reform
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

–-
Cyrenaean Thorax Swordsmen (Kyrenai Thorakitai)
Thorax Reform
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

–-
Thracian Cleruch Falxmen (Kyrenai Kleruchoi Rhomphaiaphoroi)
[Kleruchoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Cyrenaean Libyan Swordsmen (Kyrenai ??? Machairophoroi)
[Laoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Commentary: Mix between the above: small thureos shields, Greek helmets, no armour, no belts.

• HOPLITE/PIKE INFANTRY
  

Cyrenaean Cleruch Pikemen (Kyrenai Kleruchoi Phalangitai)
[Kleruchoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Iphicratean Pikemen (Kyrenai Iphikratous Phalangitai)
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Hoplites (Kyrenai Hoplitai)
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Light Hoplites (Kyrenai Ekdromoi Hoplitai)
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Jewish Thureos Spearmen (Kyrenai Iudaioi Thureophoroi)
Thureos Reform
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• MISSILE INFANTRY
  

Cretan Cleruch Archers (Kretai Kleruchoi Toxotai)
Thorax Reform
[Kleruchoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Iphicratean Peltasts (Kyrenai Iphikratous Peltastai)
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Late Peltasts (Kyrenai Peltastai)
Thureos Reform
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Archers (Kyrenai Toxotai)
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Commentary: This is the cheaper version of the Cretan Archers and it will show - they won't have any armour, a lot of them will wear petasos hats, they will have only small shields.
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Cyrenaean Jewish Slingers (Kyrenai Iudaioi Sphendonetai)
[Laoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Libyan Javelinmen (Kyrenoi ??? Akontistai)
[Laoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Commentary: I'll try to make them look closer to those models.

• SHOCK CAVALRY
  

Cyrenaean Royal Squadron (Kyrenoi Ile Basilike)
[Kleruchoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Jewish Light Lancers (Kyrenai Judeoi Sarissophoroi)
[Kleruchoi albo Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• MELEE CAVALRY

Cyrenaean Spear Cavalry (Kyrenai Lonchophoroi)
Thureos Reform
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Cyrenaean Libyan Medium Cavalry (Kyrenai ??? Hippeis)
[Politai]

• MISSILE CAVALRY
  

Cyrenaean Tarantine Cavalry (Kyrenai Tarantinoi Hippeis)
Thureos Reform
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Jewish Horse Archers (Kyrenai Judeoi Hippotoxotai)
[Politai]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Cyrenaean Libyan Horse Javelinmen (Kyrenoi ??? Hippakontistai)
[Laoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• ELEPHANT
  

Cyrenaean North Aftican Elephants (Kyrenai Tarantinoi Hippeis)
[Kleruchoi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Ygraine]

Lovely roster!

[Magas of Cyrene]

Lovely roster!

Thanks!

Here's a small sneak peek of the new Libyan Javelinmen:

[♔Greek Strategos♔]

Great work buddy...Keep it up.

[Tenerife_Boy]

Oh nice hair! so close to reality I see!

[Magas of Cyrene]

Oh nice hair! so close to reality I see!

I didn't make it, it was already in the game, just trying to make them look close to these: