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===[COMMITTED]=== Scythian Archer - Athens (Rework)


wackyserious
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First of all, I certainly welcome having Scythian (scale) armour textures available, both for (cataphract) cavalry and infantry archers.

However, I'd advise against using armour for the Athenian “Scythian archer”s, because of their specific history. Originally they may have been a mercenary bodyguard of the late 6th C Athenian tyrants (Peisistratos and his sons Hipparchos and Hippias), but during the 5th C they were a body of state slaves who apparently acted as the police force in Athens (because they weren't citizens, they could not be sued, and because they were public property, their owners could not be sued either); they're present in several of Aristophanes' comedies. It is doubtful they ever fought on the battlefield, though. So colourful caps, capes, tunics, trousers and a gorytos (bow-case), yes please, but shields or body-armour, no thanks.

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If a Scythian is displayed with a hoplite, it's a generic mercenary, who could have been employed by any Greek state on the battlefield. And yes, those could indeed have armour (e.g. Greek linothrax, Scythian scales, etc.)

In contrast, when an Athenian classical text refers to the Σκύθαι (Scythians), Σπευσίνιοι (those of Speusinos), or τοξόται (archers), they typically mean the permanent public police of Athens, not ordinary mercenaries.

Spoiler

Skythian_archer_plate_BM_E135_by_Epiktet

 

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Basically, please don't hesitate to add Scythian textures with armour, just don't use them for the Athenian champion.

On second thought, perhaps we should create some (untrainable) Scythian mercenary templates, e.g.:

Scythian mercenary archer b: trousers and long sleeves, no armour

Scythian mercenary archer a: trousers and long sleeves, linothrax

Scythian mercenary archer e: trousers and long sleeves, scale armour

Athenian infantry archer champion: fancy clothes, no armour.

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On 7/26/2019 at 1:18 PM, wackyserious said:

072619 - Scythians.jpg

Ready to commit.

As a general guideline IMHO:

Few colors to not distracte the player to see the player color, to see them as a uniform kind of unit and spot them fast.

Would keep the torso with similar patterns, and only small changes in the arms , like the middle one.

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@wowgetoffyourcellphone I am not sure about the half round shield. I think they where a little bit more flat. In addition, the Archer on the horse has both his arms free. It seems almost like the shield was fixed on the armour.

What material is the shield suppose to be according to you? I personally, think it was a wood + something material. However, this is just my interpretation.

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@Genava55 thanks for the reference.

@wowgetoffyourcellphone would it be possible to bring the protection shield and the horse rider closer together? In addition, could you improve the texture of the protection shield? It would be nice if you would use the same texture as the body armour has.

In regards to the helmet. Currently they are open, but according to the replica they would look more metallic/greyish. Can you change it to have a more metallic/greyish look?

In addition,  the current helmet is open, could you add the ear/side face protection and neck protection plates?

Otherwise I really like the work you did.

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By the way.

Quote

There is always a debate about if the depictions of Scythians archers in Archaic and Classical pottery were real Scythians or archers of different ethnical groups , as an iconographic conventionality symbolizing a second rank character accompanying a “hero” . Professor Ivantchic concludes that the ‘Scythian’ clothes corresponded to the character’s function, not to his ethnical identity. The ‘Scythian’ attire of the archers on the vases, therefore, has nothing to do with the real Scythians of the North Pontic area [19]. As most of the depictions of archers in Archaic and Classical Pottery are actually figures of such warriors, we must always remember Ivantchic’s interesting conclusion. In a Pottery currently exposed in the Brussels, Musees Royaux and dated between 525-475 BC (Picture 3) we can see an archer shooting in motion with a short composite Scythian bow, drawing the arrow to the face height and looking very similar (although one cannot be certain) to the thumb technique. He may be using a protection for his thumb or not , but definitely we have a clear example of horizontal wrist grip, an indication of holding the string locked in his thumb, a placement of the arrow in the right side of the bow thus having a lot of similarities to the basic characteristics of the thumb form.

https://koryvantesstudies.org/studies-in-english-language/page209-2/

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