Roman Era

I have been interested in Roman era history for many years.  I have a great many books on this period, including many modern authors such as Adrian Goldworthy, Ross Cowan and Stephen Dando-Collins, plus the excellent biography of Augustus by Boris Johnson.  I also have many of the translated classics by Caesar, Tacitus, Livy etc.

A long time ago, I decided that one day I would create a Roman era set-up and purchased many of the figures which I needed in order to do so. However they are all still in their boxes, so it is a pending project, but writing this page on the website has inspired me to do something about it, so I am thinking of creating a small Roman set-up,  perhaps one Legion, plus auxiliaries and some Ancient Britons.   I might do this between finishing my Jacobites and starting my War of Austrian Succession expansion.

The idea was that the various enemies which the Romans would fight would be in as many different historically justified structures as possible, since I quite like the challenges of assymetric warfare.  If the set-up comes to fruition there will be:

Roman Army –

Four legions plus auxilliaries (effectively the force of the AD43 invasion of Britain) comprising II Legio, IX Legio, XIIII Legio and XX Legio.  It will also have various alternate commanders such as Caesar, Mark Antony, Germanicus, Suetonius Paulinus, Scipio etc for other campaigns in the late Republican and early Imperial period, including when Roman legions fought each other.

The main legionary figures are Italeri, the rather misnamed Julius Caesar’s Legions.  I liked the look of these figures and wanted my legions in Lorica Segmenta.  Although they have rather odd shields, with central holes, I plan to take advantage of these to put cut off glass headed dressmaking pins through them, welding the shield bosses around these, then using the pins protruding on the rear of the shields to fix to the figure’s arms to give more accurate shield holding positions.  Some figures are kneeling, but I will straighten these out to crouching.

I will use Hät Republican Roman command sets for mounted officers and some centurions and other command base figures.  I plan to have 3 figures per century, 18 per cohort, including a command base.  Each legion will comprise 9 normal cohorts and one large one of 5 double sized centuries (the latter 30 figures).  The legion will have 4 cavalrymen, 5 Scorpio catapults (Hät each with a 2 man crew), one large ballista catapult and one onager (both of the latter Zvezda).   Command includes a mounted Legate, 2 x mounted Tribunes and a foot Prefect.  Each legion has two Alae of auxiliary cavalry, and four Cohorts of auxiliary infantry (all Hät figures).  There are a few cohorts of auxilliary archers and slingers, not specifically attached to any particular legion, plus some Praetorians.

Ancient British Army –

Boudicca’s Army, with a large Iceni Tribe and smaller Trinovantes and Coritani tribes.  The infantry figures are a mixture of Airfix, Revell, Italeri, Hät and Caesar, to provide the greatest variety possible in each warband.  Warbands are 30 or 60 strong.  There are a few cavalry (Italeri and Hät), plus chariots from Airfix and Hät.  The warbands (tribal clans) have slingers, but no other light infantry.

German Army –

Arminius (or Herman) with tribes of Cherusci, Bruteri, Angivarii, Chatti, Sugambri, Marsii and Upipetes (all a bit smaller than the large British tribes).  The infantry figures are Italeri, Hät and Caesar organised in warbands of 30 or 60. Cavalry are converted from Hät Goths.  There are some light infantry spearmen designed to run alongside the cavalry.  They have a few archers.

Numidian Army –

Under Juba, to include two Roman type legions (Italeri Republican Romans), each with 10 equal cohorts of 18 each. Numidian light cavalry (Hät and Zvezda) and light infantry (converted Hät Velites), plus some Celt mercenaries (shared from Ancient British), some Arab militia and three elephants.

Egyptian Army –

Cleopatran – To include two Roman type legions (interchangeable with Numidian) plus some Ptolomeic troops (converted from Hät Hastatii) and Nubian troops (Caesar, but converted to look like those in Nick Sekunda’s book “The Ptolomeic Army”).

Parthian Army –

Planned, but no figures purchased.  All will be Hät if ever made in 30 figure units.

If I get around to any of these I will post on my blog and put pictures of them here.