News Update March 31, 2025 - Armies and Enemies of Ancient Greece and Macedonia (1 Viewer)

Julie

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JJDESIGNS NEWS UPDATE 31st MARCH 2025
ARMIES AND ENEMIES OF GREECE AND MACEDONIA
MACEDONIAN PRODROMOI/SARISSOPHOROI

In ancient Greece the Prodromoi were skirmisher light cavalry. The translation can best be represented by “runners-before”, or “runners ahead”. This implies that these cavalry moved before the rest of the army and can best be described as intended for scouting and screening missions.

PROD01-X4.jpg


In the Macedonian army of Philip II and Alexander the Great, the cavalry unit termed as Prodromoi are sometimes referred to as Sarissophoroi, which translates as “pikemen”, or “lancers”.
This leads to the conclusion that they were armed with an uncommonly long ”xyston”. Which is believed to be as much as 14 ft long.

PROD02-X2.jpg


It is recorded that they acted as scouts reconnoitring in front of the army when it was on the march. In battle, they were used in a shock role to protect the right flank of the Companion cavalry.
After the Battle of Gaugamela, the Persian light cavalry were to take over the role of scouting duties, leaving the Macedonian Prodromoi to then assume a purely battlefield role as shock cavalry.

PROD03-X2.jpg


At the Battle of Gaugamela, the Prodromoi under Aretes were responsible for finally routing the Persian left wing cavalry, winning the battle in this sector.
Aretas was to replace Protomachus as the commander of the Prodromii, and at Gaugamela they were to break the Massagetae heavy cavalry, with Aretes personally killing their leader.

PROD04-X2.jpg


During the Macedonian invasion of the Achaemenid Empire, the Massagetae provided the Achaemenid army with 40,000 troops, which was a larger number than the troops furnished by all the other inhabitants of the coast of the Caspian Sea put together.

The Prodromoi and Persian Heavy Cavalry will be available later this year.
More details about the Persian Heavy Cavalry sets will be available at a later date.
Also Please note the Macedonian Phalanx will be back in stock soon.

Best wishes,
john jenkins
 
Back 15 years ago I thought East of India did a great and almost complete group of this period. This is more detailed and more complete. Kudos to collectors who got it all... I would love to see that. I'll post mine someday but laziness and delicate sarissas are tricky...
Jason and Francis seem ready...
And the Persian King of Kings was a leader of an impressive civilization. We may all be Greek fans or not, but Persia was quite the Empire.
Paddy
 
I don't collect this range or time period, but I will say those are some beautiful sculpts!
 
I didnt have space to put my Macedonian cavalry out… this was also before the Persian light infantry was released.
 

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