Thureophoroi
Encyclopedia
The thureophoroi was a type of infantry
soldier
, common in the 3rd to 1st century BCE, who carried a large oval shield called a thureos
which had a type of metal strip boss and a central spine. They were armed with a long thrusting spear, javelins and a sword. They also usually wore an iron or bronze Macedon
ian helmet. The thureos
was probably originally an adapted form of a Celt
ic shield. Thracian
and Illyria
n infantry probably adopted the shield before the Greeks
. However it has been suggested that the thureos was brought to Greece after Pyrrhus of Epirus' campaigns in Italy, as his Oscan allies and Roman enemies used the scutum
.
s and the phalanx
and seem to have operated in a role intermediate between the two types. They often supported light troops and seemed to be capable of operating in a similar manner to peltast
s. The thureophoroi were well suited to the tactical needs for smaller states, mainly border defense. They were mobile and could rapidly advance over varied terrain. According to Plutarch, they could fight as skirmishers and then fall back, assume spears and tighten the ranks, forming a phalanx .
infantry was the peltast
to the extent that this became a synonym for mercenaries in general. A few illustrations of the early 3rd BC still show a small round peltai shield
in use but by the mid 3rd century BCE it has been replaced by the thureos
. The thureos was adopted by the Achaean League
and by the Boeotia
ns in the 270s BC. Plutarch
describes Achaean citizens equipped with the thureos as skirmishing at a distance like peltasts but also as having spears for hand-to-hand combat. Despite their spears, we are told that the thureophoroi were not reliable in hand-to-hand fighting owing to their nature as light troops. Mercenary thureophoroi were not only Greek but could be from other areas such as Anatolia
. Alongside this form of fighting the thureomachia, fighting with swords and the thureos, was developed into an athletic event in many Greek competitions. The Achaean League under Philopoemen
abandoned the thureos around 208-207 BC in favor of the Macedonian sarissa
, although the citizens of Megalopolis
, an Achaean city, had adopted the Macedonian style in 222 BC after Antigonus III Doson
gave the city bronze shields to form a contingent of epilektoi armed as Chalkaspides
('Bronze-Shields'). By the end of the 3rd century BC the thureophoros was no longer the dominant troop type in the smaller Greek states, having been replaced by the Macedonian style phalanx. A related troop type was the thorakites
.
and Sidon
. They can also be seen in terracottas from Seleucia on the Tigris
.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, common in the 3rd to 1st century BCE, who carried a large oval shield called a thureos
Thureos
A thureos was a large oval shield which was commonly used in Hellenistic armies from the 3rd BC on. It was adopted from the Galatians probably first by the Ilyrians, then by the Thracians before becoming common in Greece. Troops who carried it were known as thureophoroi. It was made of wood...
which had a type of metal strip boss and a central spine. They were armed with a long thrusting spear, javelins and a sword. They also usually wore an iron or bronze Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
ian helmet. The thureos
Thureos
A thureos was a large oval shield which was commonly used in Hellenistic armies from the 3rd BC on. It was adopted from the Galatians probably first by the Ilyrians, then by the Thracians before becoming common in Greece. Troops who carried it were known as thureophoroi. It was made of wood...
was probably originally an adapted form of a Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic shield. Thracian
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
and Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
n infantry probably adopted the shield before the Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
. However it has been suggested that the thureos was brought to Greece after Pyrrhus of Epirus' campaigns in Italy, as his Oscan allies and Roman enemies used the scutum
Scutum (shield)
Scutum is the Latin word for "shield", although it has in modern times come to be specifically associated with the rectangular, semi-cylindrical body shield carried by Roman legionaries.-History:...
.
Role
Thureophoroi (or thyreophoroi) are usually distinguished from both skirmisherSkirmisher
Skirmishers are infantry or cavalry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside a larger body of friendly troops. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to harass the enemy.-Pre-modern:...
s and the phalanx
Phalanx formation
The phalanx is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar weapons...
and seem to have operated in a role intermediate between the two types. They often supported light troops and seemed to be capable of operating in a similar manner to peltast
Peltast
A peltast was a type of light infantry in Ancient Thrace who often served as skirmishers.-Description:Peltasts carried a crescent-shaped wicker shield called pelte as their main protection, hence their name. According to Aristotle the pelte was rimless and covered in goat or sheep skin...
s. The thureophoroi were well suited to the tactical needs for smaller states, mainly border defense. They were mobile and could rapidly advance over varied terrain. According to Plutarch, they could fight as skirmishers and then fall back, assume spears and tighten the ranks, forming a phalanx .
Development
In the 4th century BCE, the main type of mercenaryMercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
infantry was the peltast
Peltast
A peltast was a type of light infantry in Ancient Thrace who often served as skirmishers.-Description:Peltasts carried a crescent-shaped wicker shield called pelte as their main protection, hence their name. According to Aristotle the pelte was rimless and covered in goat or sheep skin...
to the extent that this became a synonym for mercenaries in general. A few illustrations of the early 3rd BC still show a small round peltai shield
Peltarion (Shield)
A peltarion, pelta or pelte was a crescent-shaped wicker shield commonly used in the ancient world before the 3rd century BCE and gradually replaced in some cases with the thureos. Xenophon describes the shield as "round" but such round shields are rare in contemporary art. It could either be...
in use but by the mid 3rd century BCE it has been replaced by the thureos
Thureos
A thureos was a large oval shield which was commonly used in Hellenistic armies from the 3rd BC on. It was adopted from the Galatians probably first by the Ilyrians, then by the Thracians before becoming common in Greece. Troops who carried it were known as thureophoroi. It was made of wood...
. The thureos was adopted by the Achaean League
Achaean League
The Achaean League was a Hellenistic era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese, which existed between 280 BC and 146 BC...
and by the Boeotia
Boeotia
Boeotia, also spelled Beotia and Bœotia , is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. It was also a region of ancient Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, the second largest city being Thebes.-Geography:...
ns in the 270s BC. Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
describes Achaean citizens equipped with the thureos as skirmishing at a distance like peltasts but also as having spears for hand-to-hand combat. Despite their spears, we are told that the thureophoroi were not reliable in hand-to-hand fighting owing to their nature as light troops. Mercenary thureophoroi were not only Greek but could be from other areas such as Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. Alongside this form of fighting the thureomachia, fighting with swords and the thureos, was developed into an athletic event in many Greek competitions. The Achaean League under Philopoemen
Philopoemen
Philopoemen , was a skilled Greek general and statesman, who was Achaean strategos on eight occasions....
abandoned the thureos around 208-207 BC in favor of the Macedonian sarissa
Sarissa
The sarissa or sarisa was a 4 to 7 meter long spear used in the ancient Greek and Hellenistic warfare. It was introduced by Philip II of Macedon and was used in the traditional Greek phalanx formation as a replacement for the earlier dory, which was considerably shorter. The phalanxes of Philip...
, although the citizens of Megalopolis
Megalopolis, Greece
Megalópoli is a town in the western part of the peripheral unit of Arcadia, southern Greece. It is located in the same site as ancient Megalopolis . "Megalopolis" is a Greek word for Great city. When it was founded, in 371 BC, it was the first urbanization in rustic and primitive Arcadia. In...
, an Achaean city, had adopted the Macedonian style in 222 BC after Antigonus III Doson
Antigonus III Doson
Antigonus III Doson was king of Macedon from 229 BC to 221 BC. He belonged to the Antigonid dynasty.-Family Background:He was a grandson of Demetrius Poliorcetes and cousin of Demetrius II, who after the latter died in battle and rescued Macedonia and restored Antigonid control of Greece...
gave the city bronze shields to form a contingent of epilektoi armed as Chalkaspides
Chalkaspides
The Chalkaspides , made up one of the two probable corps of the Antigonid Macedonian phalanx in the Hellenistic period, with the Leukaspides forming the other....
('Bronze-Shields'). By the end of the 3rd century BC the thureophoros was no longer the dominant troop type in the smaller Greek states, having been replaced by the Macedonian style phalanx. A related troop type was the thorakites
Thorakites
The Thorakites was a soldier similar to thureophoroi. The literal translation of the term is curassiers, which suggests that they may have worn a short Celtic mail shirt or possibly a thorax.-Role:...
.
Illustrations
Thureophoroi are frequently illustrated in grave paintings from AlexandriaAlexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
and Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
. They can also be seen in terracottas from Seleucia on the Tigris
Seleucia on the Tigris
Seleucia , also known as Seleucia on the Tigris, was one of the great cities of the world during Hellenistic and Roman times. It stood in Mesopotamia, on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the smaller town of Ctesiphon, in present day Babil Governorate, Iraq.-Seleucid empire:Seleucia,...
.
Sources
- Head, Duncan (1982). Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars. WRG.
- Sabin, Philip & van Wees, Hans & Whitby, Michael (eds.) (2007). "The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Warfare: Volume 1, Greece, The Hellenistic World and the Rise of Rome". Cambridge University Press