Cavalry
Athenai Epilektoi Hippeis - Athenian Picked Citizen Cavalry
I’ve kept the equipment generally the same as in stock DEI, but have given them mostly Boeotian and Thracian helmets, with cavalry cuirasses and scale-plated linothoraxes. The Athenian cavalry had a strong association with Poseidon, and set up their decrees at the shrine of Poseidon Hippios at Kolonos (now within Athens proper, but in ancient times it was outside of the city walls). This association was remarked upon by Sophocles, and it appears that there may have long been an almost political connection between aristocratic landowners and Poseidon, with lower and middle class city dwellers showing a similarly strong class/political connection with Athena. Shields include some of the same shields as the Logades, some expensive embossed shields, shields with common symbols of Athens, and shields with symbols of Poseidon. Stats slightly buffed.
Athenai Hippeis - Athenian Citizen Cavalry
I have added shields to make them competitive with other greek cavalry. I don’t disagree with the idea that they would have remained unshielded until contact with the Celts, but all of the other greek spear (not xyston)-armed cavalry save the Spartans have shields, and at the start of the GC Athens had just lead the greek defense against the Celts at Thermopylae in 279 prior to their eventual defeat by the Aetolians. Of the classical city-states, Athens was supposed to have the second best cavalry after Thebes, and it seems this competence continued to some degree in the Hellenistic era- though they were certainly eclipsed by the successor states. According to the work of Richard Burgh in The Horsemen of Athens, though the Hellenistic cavalry of Athens declined greatly in numbers, it remained a professional institution, with service that often passed from father to son in aristocratic families (shown on surviving records of the names of cavalry commanders from specific years). Apparently they even defeated Macedonians in a cavalry skirmish, as Pausanias records a monument to the victory (possibly happened in 303 BC).
So I have upped their stats slightly on top of giving them shields, though they should still have trouble against successor state cavalry. Hellenistic Athens apparently struggled to recruit wealthy young men to the cavalry from outside of the traditional cavalry families, so what I would like to do is cap them pre-thureos reform, remove or increase the cap post-reform, and finally reskin them for the Thorax reform.
They have a mix of cuirasses (only the type flared at the bottom front, which likely improved rider comfort at a key junction of armour, horse, and body...) and partially scale-reinforced linothoraxes, and their helmets are now mostly Boeotian with a few crested attic and Thracian ones mixed in. The shields of the cavalry include both hoplons and wooden shields, painted with common Athenian symbols, symbols associated with horses, and in particular with symbols of Poseidon.
Neotarantinoi Hippeis - Athenian Tarantine Cavalry
Outfitted entirely with Boeotian helmets and with some commonality between shields-this is the sort of balance between uniformity and uniqueness that you can expect with other WIP reform units.
I have given every member of the unit a minimum of a quilter, so I have slightly upped armor values. I have also added the cantabrian circle ability (Classical Athens employed Scythian horse archers, and could hypothetically have learned the tactic from them. At the end of the classical era this unit may have included some Athenian citizens as well- perhaps just officers and Alcibiades
https://stefanosskarmintzos.wordpres...ncient-athens/
I’ve also seen references to a tarentenic circle that may have been just such a tactic used by well-trained tarentine cavalry, so it seems fitting to the importance placed on this unit type in hellenistic Athens. Maybe they are a little OP as an individual unit, but Athens will remain limited in developing other styles of cavalry in the mid game compared to rival Hellenic factions.
Hoplites
Logades - Athenian Elite Hoplites
I’ve made extensive use of a specific style of heavy Thracian helmet here. It appears often on attic pottery and there have been physical find of the type as well . It seems the ideal helmet to me to retain all the functionality of the heavy successor helmets while allowing for more traditional Greek crests. Cuirasses of bronze & iron and scale linothoraxes are used throughout, along with a mix of iron and bronze greaves. The shields of the Logades included general symbols of Athens, the Star of Theseus/the Medontid Clan(likely no longer a political force, but I’m using it as a symbol of nostalgia/civic pride in Theseus-see the lekythos at the primary source met link below for use of the symbol on Theseus’ shield), Tripods (a sign of victory in public competition or membership in a priesthood), Chariot wheels ( chariot racing was a favorite sport of the wealthy, victors would show off), Triptolemus (associated with the Mysteries of Eleusis popular at Athens, carried by prominent Athenians associated with organizing the rituals), and symbols of the Alcmaonid clan (the family of Pericles and Alcibiades-again, nostalgia for the golden age).
Zeugitai Hoplitai (Formerly Athenai Hoplitai) - Athenian Hoplites
The Zeugitai were the middle class of farmers, craftsmen, and merchants in Athens that formed the backbone of the hoplites armies of the classical era. I have outfitted this unit with mostly plain linothoraxes and linothoraxes with some scale added. Fully scale-covered linothoraxes are present among the best equipped men in the unit, but are rare. Helmets are bronze attic, chalkidean, thracian, and thracian/phyrgian hybrid types. Shields are emblazoned with symbols such as Athena’s owl, the Alpha for Athens, lions similar to the lions of delos, Snakes (associated with Athena), Medusa’s head (represented sometimes on Athena’s shield), pottery (Athens was famous for making it), and symbols of Athenian clans such as the triskelion.
Thetes Hoplites (formerly Epistratoi Hoplitai - Levy Hoplites)
Drawn from the poorest free citizens of Athens, these are similar to other levy hoplites throughout the Greek world. As well-trained rowers, the Thetes were the backbone of Athens’ fleet in the classical era, and were sometimes called upon to serve as hoplites as well. They enjoyed far greater political rights in Athenian democracy than fellow greeks of similarly modest means elsewhere. Historically Thetes were disenfranchised when the southern Greek rebellion was crushed in the Lamian war in 322, but any proper restoration of Athenian democracy and independence would require the restoration of voting, military service, and some public office-holding rights to this class.
Skirmishers and Missile units
Athenai Ekdromoi - Athenian Light Hoplites
Since these men are chosen for their speed to run out of the phalanx, they have no greaves to slow them down, and are otherwise slightly more lightly equipped than the Thetes Hoplites.
Athenian Iphicratean Peltasts
I wanted to give the unit invented by an Athenian (Iphicrates) a unique look for Athens. Based primarily on the second reference image, I hope I have accomplished this plausibly. I have upped the armor slightly due to the increased presence of quilters and linothoraxes, along with slightly heavier helmets. This unit will be developed further in later reforms.
Sources:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...f877e6e6d1.jpg
https://weaponsandwarfare.files.word...scsdcvcsvd.jpg
Athenian Archers
Boeotian Kettle Helmets and Petasos are the most popular headgear for keeping the sun out of the eyes. These men would likely be Thetes, and since archery was a skill associated with life in the countryside I have kept some sheepskin cloaks that would be readily available to farmers/herders/hunters of the attic countryside of modest means.
Naval Units
Athenai Epibatoi
These marines are equipped with linothoraxes and partially scale-reinfocred linothoraxes. They were drawn from the Zeugitai class like the main line hoplites, so they can afford similar equipment. Shields most commonly use an anchor pattern owls, medusas, and nautical symbols like tridents, shells, sea creatures etc. They wear attic, chalkidean, and thracian helmets. No greaves or heavy cuirasses that would be difficult to remove in case of sinking.
Athenai Epibatoi Toxotai
Similar equipment to the land-based archers, but with some sailor’s caps and deck crew interspersed.
Officers
Lochagos & Standard bearers
Officers have painted attic or heavy thracian helmets with wreaths and capes to distinguish them from even elite infantry. Their shields carry the star of Theseus, and they carry finely crafted Xiphos.
Standard Bearers have ornate attic helmets, Athena-emblazon Hoplons, and will eventually receive standards with the same image as their shield (the texture I adapted for this is bugged and I’m still trying to figure out why).
Naval Officer (Trierarch)
The Trierarchs of Athenian warships were often a wealthy citizen who funded the construction of the ship himself, so all have shields with an image of their command as a symbol of civic and personal pride. No greaves or heavy cuirasses, as with regular marines.
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