Northern Illyrian Axemen

Description

Illyrian Grosphomachoi are effective and renowned skirmishers, pirates and raiders. These hardy warriors were found in Illyrian armies as capable skirmishers, quickly moving across the battlefield to harass enemy formations, occupy key points, or conduct ambushes. Armed with heavy throwing spears, and a large Celtic-style thureos shield for protection, the Grosphomachoi are capable of close fighting with their secondary weapon, a small one-handed axe.

Unarmoured except for simple bronze pot helmets, these troops will not stand for long in close melee with heavy infantry, but are well matched against enemy light troops.

Historical background

These men were usually simple farmers, seafarers and pastoralists, who were mustered for war by their chieftains and war leaders with the promise of slaves and booty, or perhaps the need to defend their homeland from invasion. Politically, the organization of indigenous groups in Illyria was deeply rooted in its kinship structure, rather than in the development of the more sophisticated institutions of the polis or kingdom.

Although the thureophoroi type of heavy skirmisher only became popular in Greece after 280 BC, it was a long-standing type of warrior in Illyria. Illyria was famous for its pirates, who typically prowled the Adriatic Sea in their small lemboi, simple biremes that may have held as few as 50 men. Fleets of these lemboi were able to sail into Greek and Italian waters, and disgorge their crew, who, armed as Grosphomachoi, were able to quickly move inland and pillage coastal regions before a coordinated defence could be mounted.