| Rhodiculous | 17 Jan 2016 1:02 p.m. PST |
Hi all, I've started planning for a Ptolemaic army and am ready to paint some test models! But I'm having trouble finding information on colours for clothing. Does anyone have and advice for this, or know of any websites for this sort of info? I'm mainly looking for information on colours for the phalanx, from everything from guard to levy troops. Thanks for any help! |
| MajorB | 17 Jan 2016 1:17 p.m. PST |
Your guess is as good as mine … |
Frederick  | 17 Jan 2016 2:57 p.m. PST |
Not sure about the Successors but when I researched a similar question on Early Imperial Roman legions the best I could get was red was used a lot – beyond that, it was pretty much free rein so you can paint 'em up like you like |
| Mithridates | 17 Jan 2016 3:04 p.m. PST |
Suggest you do a search on TMP using say "ptolemaic" – I am sure lots will come up. Le soldat lagide by Stephane Thion has colour drawings, for some examples: link |
| Cyrus the Great | 17 Jan 2016 3:07 p.m. PST |
I'd avoid purple or blue and stick with white, red or maybe, brown. |
 BigRedBat  | 17 Jan 2016 3:58 p.m. PST |
Buy Le Soldat Lagide, you won't regret it, as Mithridates says. It has lots of images based on grave paintings. Failing that, the Osprey Macedonian Army by Nick Secunda is useful. |
| foxweasel | 17 Jan 2016 4:07 p.m. PST |
No one actually knows, do what you think looks good. |
| Rich Bliss | 17 Jan 2016 4:37 p.m. PST |
Can't go wrong with white, off-white, beige and taupe. |
| BigRedBat | 17 Jan 2016 4:57 p.m. PST |
Funnily enough we do know a great deal about clothing colours and equipment for this army; more than we do for most armies in ancient history. More than the Romans, for example… They were a colourful bunch. There was purple (also various shades of red, orange, greens, blues, yellow, pink and rose to name but a few of the tunic colours). There is a handy tunic colour table in Soldat Lagide… |
| MajorB | 18 Jan 2016 3:34 a.m. PST |
Funnily enough we do know a great deal about clothing colours and equipment for this army; more than we do for most armies in ancient history. Interesting. What ancient sources provide that information? |
| LEGION 1950 | 18 Jan 2016 7:47 a.m. PST |
MajorB, the sources come from wall paintings in ancient tombs and also in ancient texts. Mike Adams |
| LORDGHEE | 18 Jan 2016 10:18 a.m. PST |
there was a good thread last year with links to drawings. a group was doing Raphia or Ipsus. try seaching those. the wall painting of sky blue and pink where informative. |
| HANS GRUBER | 18 Jan 2016 10:43 a.m. PST |
One of the murals:
Some reconstructed soldiers:
|
| BigRedBat | 18 Jan 2016 1:15 p.m. PST |
Palestrina mosaic; just lovely! It's a later copy of an Egyptian original, probably depicting rather late Ptolemaics. |
| LEGION 1950 | 18 Jan 2016 10:38 p.m. PST |
Also , check out the latest issue of Ancient Warfare for colors. Mike Adams P.S. Hi Simon |
| Mithridates | 18 Jan 2016 10:53 p.m. PST |
Picking up on Mike's reference – Ancient Warfare IV (6) has an analysis of Successor clothing colours, based upon various primary sources. Red, white and yellow are the most common with others like blue, green, brown and purple also in evidence. Sometimes a single or double white stripe is seen. |
| BigRedBat | 19 Jan 2016 3:05 a.m. PST |
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| Rhodiculous | 29 Jan 2016 3:00 p.m. PST |
I bought a copy of the recommended book Le Soldat Lagide, and want to thank you all for suggesting it to me! Took two weeks to arrive but it's fantastic for all the plates, shame I can't understand French though. Seems to me that red is the dominant colour for the Ptolemaic troops so I'm now painting and unarmoured phalanx with that in mind, to be followed by some thureophoroi. |
