"Achean and Aetolian League around 200BC armament?" Topic

Eventually I am going to be running a Rome vs. Macedon campaign(post in scenarios to follow), now I am researching, and it will start with the battle of Cynocephylae.

My question is mainly about the Aetolian League. They had units present to fight against Phillip V. How were they armed at this time?
Classical Hoplites?
Iphicrates hoplite/Phalangite mix
thureophoroi?

I believe for the sake of the game and figures I can find, they will probably be thureophoroi unless there is solid evidence one way or another.

From what I have researched, by this time the Achaean League had been through Phillopomen's reforms, and the majority were armed as phalangites?

Any help would be great, thanks alot!!

There are some Aitolian seals from Kallipolis (documented in Pantos' "Ta sphragismata tes aitolikes Kallipoleos", apparently) showing thureoi, so it looks as if at least some Aitolian troops were thureophoroi. (I'm not sure how precisely these can be dated). Plus probably a higher proportion of their traditional psiloi javelinmen than in other armies.

As for the Achaians, yes, re-armament in Macedonian style in about 208. Livy XXXIII.14-15 has an interesting account of an Achaian victory over the Macedonians outside Corinth in 197 – see link

I don't think there were any classical hoplites involved at that date.
So mostly a mix of phalangites (probably lighter armoured or without armour) and thureophoroi.

You might want to read Twilight of the Hellenistic World by M. Roberts and B. Bennett.
This book handles mainly the wars just prior to the Roman intervention going full force into Greek affairs.

As I recall, the Achaeans went to peltasts while the Aetolian went to Macedonian style pikemen and then peltests and some pikemen.

Mind you, in ancient writings troops called peltasts are sometimes pikemen (wearing a pelta shield).

Troops now called thureophoroi are in effect what once were called peltasts (armed with spear and/or javelins) wearing a thureos shield.

Ancient Warfare Magazine (Vol IX, Issue 5) has a feature on Hellenistic troops. The Achaean League under Aratus is covered in one article, and the writer (Allen Hillen) states that Aratus' preferred approach was light equipment in the style of thureophoroi, although other members of the Achaean League tended to send troops in a hotch-potch of kit (which probably means what we would call peltasts). It's a good read – well worth a buy!

The idea that Aratos preferred thureophoroi is basically a guess, because we know that the Achaians fought as thureophoroi until Philopoimen re-armed them as Macedonian-style pikemen in about 208 – see Plutarch's "Life of Philopoimen". But when they had adopted the thureos, and why, and under whose leadership, is unknown.