"What is the background to Xyston's Spanish Pillion riders? " Topic

Not trying to be a stickler or anything….I ended up with Xyston Spanish Caetrati pillion riders to paint and I assume there was an account to inspire the figures. I can't find find anything myself. Cavalry was scares in Hispania so I assume the doubled up riders spring from that. It appears a well placed pilum might get a 2 for 1 hit!

I do know the cavalry would during the punic wars sometimes dismount to fight hand to hand……maybe that is where the tenuous link is from, but it would be great if Xyston could come on here and provide the link/info.

I believe early Germans and possibly Numidians also used pillion riders, think of it as a force multiplier. NB they dismounted to fight on foot, often among the cavalry

Duncan Head's AMPW mentions them.
Comes from Strabo – " they ride double on horseback, though in the time of battle one of the two fights on foot" III 4

Livy mentions even the Romans during the second Punic War adopting the tactic of having a second man ride behind the cavalryman, only to dismount as they approached the enemy. I want to say that in that case the second man was a skirmisher, a javelin man. Wish I could remember which battle he cites them doing that at. I think the idea was to trick the enemy cavalry into engaging, thinking they were headed toward a cavalry skirmish, only to find themselves peppered with javelins and immediately charged by cavalry.

I'll jump in here, as I imagine Robbie and Jon will be busy, and I'm responsible for sculpting them anyway… and a right PITA they were too – trying to get two riders stuck together to be castable was not fun!

Anyway, Swampster's got it: Armies of the Mac and Punic Wars.
'Otherwise Caetrati might form a reserve in battle, deploy on the flanks, or support the cavalry. In this case they would ride pillion behind the horsemen, dismounting to fight.'

Brilliant! Thanks as I couldn't find that tidbit on my own. Of course, I was googling "pillion" and not "double on horseback." It makes perfect sense that you'd port some of your lights by horseback.

Lovejoy, this year I've painted Xyston Romans, Gauls, Spanish and an assortment of other nationalities for my Pontic army. Xyston figures are joy to paint and I frankly don't know how you manage to pack on so much detail in 15mm!

Monty
Twin Cities Gamer

many thanks to you lovejoy, and all the sculptors at Xyston

All of the stuff you fellows produce is a joy to paint and to play with.

A tactic this useful surely got used in other eras?

As I suspected it was based upon one of them fighting on foot. Thnak you Lovejoy for the jog to the memory I have AMPW so will ahve to look at again and Livy after I've finished my tranche on Napoleonic reading.