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Short description

Cretan archers from the proud polis of Knossos are famed throughout the Mediterranean!

Description

By far the most famous of Greek archers, the archers of the Cretan poleis, like Knossos, are renowned throughout Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. The political instability and endemic warfare on Crete resulted in a steady supply of Knossian archers, both as mercenaries overseas and for service in Knossos itself. With their composite bows, they outrange most other archers, and due to their experience and skills learned from childhood they are some of the best bowmen of the ancient world. In this period, the Hellenistic era, they were protected by light linothorakes with pteryges, bronze helmets or petasos hats, boots, as well as small round Pelte shields. Should these Knossian Archers be forced into a melee, they can defend themselves with curved machaira swords. On the battlefield, these men are most efficient when attacking unarmoured enemy units or when shooting from an elevated position, while their equipment even allows them to fend off the enemy’s light units in melee.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

‘There are several cities in Crete, but the greatest and famous are three: Knossos, Gortyna, and Kydonia. The praises of Knossos are hymned above the rest both by Homer, who calls it “great” and by the later poets’ (Strabo, Geography. 10.4.7). Home and setting to no small number of Greek myths: think of King Minos; the labyrinth and the minotaur slain by Theseus and Ariadne; and the workplace of Daidalos and Ikaros; the polis of Knossos arose from its history as a Minoan palatial centre to become one of three key cities in Crete during the classical period. Constant tension and conflict between Cretan city-states and polities can be seen from the 5th century BC onwards with Knossos’ treaty and alliance with Argos and Tylissos, in difference to the other two major polities of Crete: Gortyna and Kydonia, who favoured Sparta at the time (Merrill, Tò πλε̑θος in a Treaty concerning the Affairs of Argos, Knossos and Tylissos (1991), pp. 16-25).

By the mid 3rd century BC Knossos was involved in the Lyttian War (220-216 BC) that saw Knossos and Gortyna aspire to partition Crete between their two spheres of influence. Opposing factions within Gortyna led to the expulsion of younger individuals who sought reproachment with Lyttos, and the introduction of over a thousand men from Aitolia (an ally of Knossos) to conquer the city of Lyttos near unopposed (Plb. 4.53). Despite early successes, this war would end in a defeat for Knossos, which would become a Macedonian protectorate until 205 BC. This is slightly puzzling, given Knossos’ aid in the form of sending troops to the Peloponnese to fight against Macedon. Returning the favour for the Aitolians help in capturing Lyttos, Knossos ‘sent a thousand [troops] to the Aitolians’ (Plb. 4.55) to aid the Aitolian League’s war with the Achaian League and Macedon (Plb. 5.13). Given Crete’s reputation for its bowmen, it is likely that among their number was sent a contingent of bowmen. These may have seen further service as mercenaries, given that Cretans appear in the service of all major Hellenistic Kingdoms as well as smaller city-states, including Macedon (next to the treaties: Plb. 3.66; 4.67; 5.36; 5.97) as well as the Roman Republic (Liv. 14.30).

Knossian Archers were equipped similar to other Cretan mercenary archers: wearing bronze pilos helmets and linothorakes over chiton tunics, and being protected by small bronze or bronze-covered shields that were a distinctive feature of Cretan archers (Xen. An. 5.2.29-30). The size of their shields still allowed for the use of their composite bows, which were of a “Scythian” type and able to fire quickly and powerfully. On their feet they wore either standard Greek military boots or the so-called endromis shoes that were laced over a broad tongue at the front and can be seen on many contemporary vases.