Spartans, 530–479 B.C.
Zvezda 1:72 Scale Figure Review
Zvezda 1:72 scale Spartans features a Spartan King, officer, musicians, 30 heavy infantry hoplites with bronze bell cuirass, and three Helot state slaves in convincing wargame poses.
Contents
41 Figures in 12 Poses – 24 mm equal 173 cm Height
- King with Bell Cuirass, Xiphos and Aspis (1)
- Officer with Kopis and sacrificial Goat (1)
- Salpinktes with Salpinx (1)
- Aulist with Double Flute (1)
- Hoplite with Dory and Aspis, standing (6)
- Hoplite with Dory and Aspis, first rank (6)
- Hoplite with Dory and Aspis, overarm thrust (6)
- Hoplite with Dory and Aspis, third rank (6)
- Hoplite with Xiphos and Aspis, running (3)
- Hoplite with Xiphos and Aspis, thrusting (3)
- Hoplite with Xiphos and Aspis, wounded (1)
- Helot (3)
Evaluation
Good choice of subject, Zvezda 1:72 scale Spartans wearing the bronze bell cuirass may be deployed from the Spartan War against Hippias to the Second Persian invasion of Greece, by which time the bell cuirass was replaced by the lighter, and more comfortable linothorax, which was equally impervious to arrows.
The wounded Spartiate has had his bronze bell cuirass penetrated by an arrow, which has got to be an extremely rare event, especially considering that the left side of his chest would also be covered by the large aspis shield. Historical and experimental evidence indicates that a Persian arrow was generally incapable of penetrating a Greek bronze bell cuirass under normal battlefield conditions. Persian arrowheads – often three-edged (trilobate) and made of bronze or iron – were designed for creating deep wounds in soft tissue or lighter armour rather than piercing heavy metal plate. Recognizing that their panoplia protected them from lethal hits, but not from the nuisance of massed fire, Greek hoplites typically charged at a run (hoplitodromos) to close the distance quickly and minimize exposure to arrow volleys.
The spear-armed hoplites fit together nicely in a phalanx. One serious problem, however, is that all of the hoplites‘ shields are decorated with Greek shield designs. This may be perfect for toy soldier fans, but not for wargamers who want to play with painted troops. These shield designs are too bulky to be compatible with 1:72 scale, they are difficult to paint, and severely limit the usefulness of these figures unless we are prepared to recruit soldiers from seven different cities or city-states into the same phalanx. There are now beautiful decals of Greek shield designs, which unfortunately can only be used on these figures after the laborious removal of the superimposed designs.
The hoplite pictured on the left wears a rare Attic helmet with the cheek guards folded up, which is quite dangerous in combat and therefore rather unlikely.
These four hoplites have lost their spears and are now fighting with the Xiphos or the curved Kopis. They are really nice and active poses that unfortunately do not fit into the same phalanx as the previous four hoplites. If a spear broke or the spearhead was chopped off by an opponent, the hoplite would turn the spear around and fight with the Sauroter (“lizard killer”) on the back end of the spear. Wargamers who need 16 or 24 phalangites for a phalanx will want to upgrade these four poses with the Dory as well.
The Psiloi and Peltasts in this set are excellent figures, but there are far too few poses for them. The trouble is that duplicate poses in the same unit, or even on the same stand, are particularly obvious in the more dynamic light infantry. Skirmishers are individualists, not synchronized dancers. This fact can hardly be concealed even by painting the duplicate poses differently; light infantry simply thrives on the variety of available poses. Zvezda would have done well to dedicate a separate set to the light infantry.
Historical Employment
- Spartan War against Hippias, 511–510 BC
- Athenian Revolution, 508–507 BC
- Boeotian War, 506 BC
- Ionian Revolt, 500–494 BC
- War against Argos, 494 BC
- First Persian invasion of Greece, 492–490 BC
- Second Persian invasion of Greece, 480–479 BC
Possible Conversions
Zvezda Greek Infantry is a must-have for wargamers and collectors of the classical period of the 5th and 4th centuries BC.