Prof's Vulcanalia of Ancients (upd.14.04.2014 - Assyrians)

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Each year, on August 23rd, ancient Romans celebrated the Vulcanalia in honour of Vulcan, god of fire. For the purpose of placating Vulcan and keeping him from burning down the crops which at that time were at risk due to the usual heat,  Romans created bonfires and heads of families  thrown all possible stuff into them, above all small animals and sometimes fish caught in the Tiber river , as kind of sacrifice. Though obviously it didn't work for Pompeji  as the next day after celebrating of Vulcanalia in 79 AD, on August 24th, the volcano on Mount Vesuvius had erupted.  You know how the story went then.



Amongst other gods Vulcan wasn't that popular being kinda nerd there, ugly and also crippled after falling from the heaven to the earth but like that many on this forum this guy was a maker, he made some useful stuff, like thunderbolts for Jupiter, armor for Achilles, trident for Neptune and even (how cool is that) an animated dog of brass!  Not that lucky with the women though.. first he was falling in love with Minerva but for some reason she had vowed perpetual virginity. Oh dear...after some spell of depression Vulcan asked himself "why do we fall mate?" And answering at once "so that we can learn to pick ourselves up" he finally married Venus, a quite pretty girl. One day Venus committed adultery with Mars. What a bitch..No surprise Vulcan was getting that incalculable and destructive.



Anyway,  reading about that ancient festivale of Vulcan and the countless temples to the honor of Vulcan built by Romans I have thought it is maybe not that wrong to create my own temple of Vulcan, someone just had to make this here. So in this thread I am going regularly to "sacrifice" some small painted Ancients miniatures. Because you never know..

And the today's sacrifice is an Aventine Charity figure. Great figure from one of my favorit makers of miniatures for Ancients Wargaming. I was going for the Legio XII with this one, the legion's emblem was a thunderbolt (fulmen), just a nice one to paint. And apparently the Twelfth Legion had fighted Germans (Quadi) in 173 AD, so that would be the explanation about the severed head, looking actually quite German.

Early Imperial Roman Germanic Auxuillary Centurion
Legio XII Fulminata, Eastern Pannonian Plain, Quadi Campaign, 173 AD

[OSHIROmodels]

That's an exquisite figure Alex 

That made for rather interesting reading (currently sat in Narita waiting for a plane).

Are we to look forward to seeing you make a temple then 

cheers

James

[Poiter50]

That's my granddaughter's birthday, she turns 1 this year! She is a little thunderbolt. 

[cuchulain23]

Absolutely stunning work on the figure.

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Thanks, gents

Are we to look forward to seeing you make a temple then  

You know, Jim, I'm not a very terrain or buldings maker This thread is my temple

But  perhaps I would find something in an aquarium shop, in the meantime it’s obviously that I have some need of a Roman city table.

[Andym]

Great Pj! 

[einarolafson]

Love that miniature!! And your painting job is fantastic!!

[OSHIROmodels]

Thanks, gents

You know, Jim, I'm not a very terrain or buldings maker This thread is my temple

But  perhaps I would find something in an aquarium shop, in the meantime it’s obviously that I have some need of a Roman city table.

That's a shame 

cheers

James

[Blue in vt]

Very nice prof!  I've been tempted by Aventine miniatures quite often....but I'm not
Sure I could do them right like you did here....looking fwd to more.

Cheers,

Blue

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Very nice prof!  I've been tempted by Aventine miniatures quite often....but I'm not
Sure I could do them right like you did here....looking fwd to more.

Chris, I'm sure your painting style would work perfectly, just give it a try!

[Mason]

Great work, Prof.
A right lovely job you've done on 'im!
 




I guess this thread shows that you are suffering withdrawal symptoms from the finish of Ancients Painting Club.
 

[Prof.Witchheimer]

I guess this thread shows that you are suffering withdrawal symptoms from the finish of Ancients Painting Club.
 

maybe a little bit

And here comes Hannibal Barka. Hannibal means in Phoenician "Baal is merciful". We couldn't claim that of Hannibal himself though. He was embodiment of evil for the Romans. Actually many people are seeing Hannibal playing the part of a good boy in that clash between him and the Roman Republic, even a sort of a lonely hero.  I don't know why but I don't like him that much. I actually sympathize with Romans. I never understood all that unendless rambling in Italy. Sure, he won some battles but 15 years in Italy without reaching anything but a strong enemy, who got enough time to learn all his tricks. That was not really smart.  And Zama was the proof of this. Whatever, here is a miniature of him made by Xyston Miniatures. Btw, I'm also not that much convinced by this sculpt but it has a nice face and I am currently trying to paint anything I have bought in the recent months therefore I was a well-behaved boy and painted him.

[Mason]

Well, he certainly looks the 'mean and moody' sort!
Stunning brushwork and colour choices as usual.
 

[commissarmoody]

Don't worry about it Prof. If he had one and for some resin we progressed along similar lines after that in history. Folks would be sympathizing with the Romans. Its the classic love of the underdog. Even if the Underdog was also kind of a jerk face themselves. 

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Don't worry about it Prof. If he had one and for some resin we progressed along similar lines after that in history. Folks would be sympathizing with the Romans. Its the classic love of the underdog.

On the other hand it's a pity the Romans had destroyed Carthago