finally paints the first of his Gauls...
Out today are Thureophoroi and Thureophoroi command for Greek, Macedonian and Hellenstic armies.
Mercenary troops formed a significant role in Hellenistic armies, and hired soldiers often served as garrison troops or wherever a permanent military presence was needed. During the third century BC, these troops are often referred to simply as mercenaries; but when they are called anything specific, it is usually thureophoroi – which means thureos-bearers. The thureos is the long, oval shield, which was probably adopted from the Galatians who invaded Greece and Anatolia in the early third century BC.
Thureophoroi wore little in the way of armor aside from a helmet, and were armed with a spear, and often with lighter javelins for throwing as well. They were clearly adaptable troops, capable of fighting at a distance and mixing it at close quarters, and no doubt their services were much in demand. From the middle of the third century, troops equipped identically to thureophoroi can be found in the Greek citizen armies, too. They were the go-anywhere, do-anything troop type of the Hellenistic age: adaptable, professional and practically universal.
The command set provides a determined sword-armed commander, accompanied by a standardbearer and a horn-blower:
The Thureophoroi join our large range of Alexandrian Macedonian models – view the full range here.