| 15mm DBA Hellenistic Marching Camp also suitable for Republican Romans |
AVAILABLE SOON or LATER! |
This is a PROTOTYPE of a camp made using sharpened stakes in the Hellenistic manner, of the type also used by Republican Roman armies on the march, another set based on the "HOPPIDUS" modular system for ancient fortifications and designed specifically for DBA. This set is still under development and the final product may differ from that shown here, but will contains a selection of all the modules you need to recreate these temporary fortifications. The complete set as shown consist of a base formed by four low embankment elements, (need to be cut to size) which leave a full module frontage (40mm) gap, four sections of stakes and a gate made of timber latched together to close the gap itself. This type of stakes are described by Polybius, in Book XVIII Campaign of Flamininus in Thessaly and Battle of Cynoscephalae: "Flamininus, not being able to discover where the enemy were encamped, but knowing for a certainty that they were in Thessaly, ordered all his soldiers to cut stakes for a palisade to carry with them for use when required. This appears to be impossible when the Greek usage is followed, but on the Roman system it is easy to cut them. For the Greeks have difficulty in holding only their pikes when on the march and in supporting the fatigue caused by their weight, but the Romans, hanging their long shields from their shoulders by leather straps and only holding their javelins in their hands, can manage to carry the stakes besides. Also the stakes are quite different. For the Greeks consider that stake the best which has the most and the stoutest offshoots all round the main stem, while the stakes of the Romans have but two or three, or at the most four strange lateral prongs, and these all on one side and not alternating. The result of this is that they are quite easy to carry — for one man can carry three or four, making a bundle of them, and when put to use they are much more secure. For the Greek stakes, when planted round the camp, are in the first place easily pulled up; since when the portion of a stake that holds fast closely pressed by the earth is only one, and the offshoots from it are many and large, and when two or three men catch hold of the same stake by its lateral branches, it is easily pulled up. Upon this an entrance is at once created owing to its size, and the ones next to it are loosened, because in such a palisade the stakes are intertwined and criss-crossed in few places. With the Romans it is the reverse; for in planting them they so intertwine them that it is not easy to see to which of the branches, the lower ends of which are driven into the ground, the lateral prongs belong, nor to which prongs the branches belong. So, as these prongs are close together and adhere to each other, and as their points are carefully sharpened, it is not easy to pass one's hand through and grasp the stake, nor if one does get hold of it, is it easy to pull it up, as in the first place the power of resistance derived from the earth by all the portions open to attack is almost absolute, and next because a man who pulls at one prong is obliged to lift up numerous other stakes which give simultaneously under the strain owing to the way they are intertwined, and it is not at all probable that two or three men will get hold of the same stake. But if by main force a man succeeds in pulling up one or two, the gap is scarcely observable. Therefore, as the advantages of this kind of palisade are very great, the stakes being easy to find and easy to carry and the whole being more secure and more durable when constructed, it is evident that if any Roman military contrivance is worthy of our imitation and adoption this one certainly is, in my own humble opinion at least". With a bit of literary license and considering the scale, they can be used also for all ancient armies based on the Hellenistic model, such as Greek, Macedonian, Syracusan, Pyrrhic, Carthaginians, Republican and earlier Romans, Italians and many others. All the products in the fortifications range are supplied unpainted in kit and require assembly. This set include all the modules required to make a legal 120x40mm DBA camp large enough to hold an element of camp followers in the courtyard. It includes 11 parts, assembly instructions and painting examples. Please note that the kit does not include but do need a base like that shown in the picture! HOPPIDUS is a truly modular system, and all elements of this set are compatible with the rest of the range. This means you can also add more elements from the complete HOPPIDUS range to expand and customize this basic set, for example adding the other three sides on a separate base, to make a completely enclosed fortified perimeter to be used as Build Up Area... Just remember you can pick and choose any combination of modules you like, and we're here to help you at any time, so just e-mail us for any special requirements! NOT YET AVAILABLE |
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