Seven Hills – A Week of Very Ancient Rome

[nikko]

Hello,
Superb paintjob !!!
Nikko

[Captain Blood]

Great work doc 

[Mad Doc Morris]

Didn't think of "Plebs", but that's a striking resemblance indeed.

Anyway, upwards the social ladder again, if only a few scales. There we find Tiferios, a shopkeeper from just below the Aventine Hill. The prospering marketplace nearby (later to become known as the Forum Boarium) allows him to make a living from odds and ends for cattle traders and traveling merchants.

Economy is still pretty much based on barter in these early days. Hence Tiferios' fine bronze cuirass and his elaborate helmet may have been the proceeds of a few good deals. However, it's equally possible that he 'found' them in a neighbours house earlier this season…

The much later classification of Roman citizens by their wealth first and their age close second may be the result of the very same process: Young men would gather experience and equipment from season to season, thereby progressing from mere skirmishers over light and increasingly heavy infantrymen until they were able to join the ranks of the highly specialised, Greek-style phalanx.

We'll return to that tomorrow.
Oh, in case you didn't guess it, that's again a model by Aventine.

[DonVoss]

What a wonderfull little project...
Great work all over.

Cheers,
Don

[Lt. Hazel]

Opte! I really love your Project, the Choice of miniatures is cool and the paintjobs are splendid as usuall.
Cheers
Jan

[Lagartija Mike]

I'm truly impressed. While I'm a partisan of the dingy realist school, this is great stuff.

[Mithridates1]

Great job, enjoying this thread very much.   Aventine make some impressive figures - have just ordered more of Volscians to flesh out a unit.  So your five o'clock shadow and overall paint scheme is very timely.  Thanks.

[Mad Doc Morris]

Well, thanks for all your kind comments and for bearing with me. Another three to go, here's the fourth.

Coincidentally fourth son of a butcher, Maraius had little hope to inherit more than odd jobs in the family business. However, his father agreed to a friend's offer, who was childless and had asked to adopt one of the butcher's 'spare' sons. After some haggling Maraius was handed over to his new family, now designated heir to a small farm near the Aventine Hill. There's little diversion, just hard work, so Maraius is more than happy to answer the patron's call to arms. Hot-tempered but inexperienced he serves as a hastatus, a javelin-man.

Maraius' rectangular shield bears a viper, because his job is to sting the enemy and sneak away quickly. It may seem cumbersome, but it was likely adopted first by light troops to make up for a lack of body armour. In turn, other than heavy armour it is easily discarded if the enemy is in hot pursuit. Wolf pelt and bronze disks seen here are some kind of last resort, yet interestingly also protecting the warrior's back.

Originally there was perhaps little difference between thrusting and throwing spears. So in advance of the introduction of specialised weaponry – like the pilum – the hasta (literally and related to "a goad") denoted just any kind pointy stick. In that era of hardly formalised warfare a warrior could also carry several sets of 'combat equipment'. Thus, while early Greek hoplites in heavy armour wouldn't refrain from hurling sticks and stones, Maraius is armed with sword and long spear as well.

This was one of my favourite models to paint. I really like that overly dynamic pose. And, yes, these grass tufts need some redressing.
Next up, one of Maraius' better-off relatives.

[philhendry]

These are simply superb.

[bigredbat]

Loving these!  Beautiful paint jobs.

[Phil Robinson]

And nicely turned out he is too, liking the vibrant colours a lot.

[Smithy]

Love what you're doing here, painting is superb. Just look at that javelin. Adam

[pocoloco]

Pure ancient awesomeness! 

Can't wait to see the rest of companions.

[tancrede]

Wonderful paintjob ! 
Clean, crisp and full of colors, just as I like...

[Mad Doc Morris]

So glad you're enjoying this tour de force. Thanks for taking the time to visit and comment!

Remember Maraius' new father, the farmer? He's too old for military service now, hence he's asked his brother-in-law, Ofetios, to keep an eye on the young lad while they're campaigning with Valesios. Ofetios is a livestock breeder, so he knows his ways around the woods and hills up and down the Tiber valley where his herds are pastured. That's also why he's a welcome guest in any warband going on a raid. Seriously, trade or raid, it's the same business for him.

Men in their prime are valued members of the Roman community. Therefore they're less likely to expose themselves in battle but will rather wait to support the skirmishers in close combat if more stubborn resistance is met. As farmers, traders or craftsmen they may lack extensive formal training or experience required to join the phalanx, so they continue to fight as up-armoured light infantry.

Ofetios gear consists of several layers of armour: a white linen vest underneath (subarmalia), a quilted jerkin made of cloth or leather and pieces of scale armour to protect more delicate body parts. This is probably based on Etruscan wall paintings, and some may argue that the white straps (pteryges) were simply attached to the jerkin (and Smithy may have a final word here). But I simply wanted to add another colour here. The shield design is ripped off a decal by LBM (I'm a cheapskate).

In a much later period men like Ofetios would be called principes, "the first to be caught". If this referred to their role on the battlefield (the first to engage in 'the real deal' of close combat) or to the Roman taxation and recruitment system (whoever had the funds was expected to serve, so picked first), is all guesswork. Like everything presented here, of course.

Sorry for the small changes in colour, the camera really struggled with all those reddish tones. The slight sheen, in turn, may be due to the photos being taken right after varnishing's done. And close-ups are rather unforgiving.

Aaaanyway, stay tuned for tomorrow.