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Short description

The Rhodian Epibatai are experienced men usually deployed on ships, but they can be equally effective on land.

Description

Rhodes was one of the major and most successful naval powers of the Hellenistic period. Despite the small size of the island and its population, the Rhodians became an influential player in 'world' politics from the end of the 4th century on. The reasons were manifold, but the base of its power lay in the synoicism of is three poleis Ialysos, Kamiros and Lindos into a single city-state, also named Rhodos (Ῥόδος) in 408/407 BC ((Diod. XIII, 75, 1), probably as a measure to strengthen the island's defenses against a possible Athenian invasion. The layout of the city followed the grid plan devised by Hippodamos of Miletos, which would later be used for hundreds of cities in North America. A large artificial harbour strengthened the impression of a wealthy and powerful polis (Strab. XIV, 2, 5).

In 307/306 BC Rhodes withstood the siege of Demetrios I., who earned himself the derisive epithet "Poliorketes" ("the city besieger") for failing to break through the city walls, even though he had constructed the largest land war machine of all times, the giant siege tower called Helepolis. To celebrate their victory, the Rhodians built the famous Colossus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Even though it only stood for 54 years before being brought down by an earthquake in 226BC, it still equally shocked and impressed visitors in its fallen state for centuries to come (Strab. XIV, 2, 5; Plin. Nat. Hist. XXXIV, 41).

When the Colossus fell, the most famous and influential kings of the day offered their help and donated enormous amounts of gold, silver, grain and olive oil (Polyb. V, 88-90). The Rhodians used this influx not to repair and re-erect the Colossus, but rather to repair the harbour and its fortifications, and then to add new fortresses and walls as well as to build new war ships. Six years later, they had become, according to Polybios "[...]the supreme authority in maritime matters" (Polyb. IV, 47, 1) in the Eastern Mediterranean. Rhodes profited from its central location on the trade routes from the Seleucid and Ptolemaic Empires in the East to Greece and Italy in the West and steadily enlarged its fleet over the following decades.

Since the Rhodians were skilled sailors, they mainly relied on the traditional trieres and had less use for the huge, bulky warships of the Hellenistic kingdoms. Each of these galleys was usually manned by 186 men and could transport a number of Epibatai ("Marines"). Usually, these were Archers and Hoplites. Since there is no space to form a phalanx on a ship, the Hoplites usually fought with their swords. The Rhodians also used them for landing operations, especially in Caria and nearby Lycia, territories they had acquired after the Peace of Apameia in 188 BC due to their support of the Romans. However, revolts were frequent, especially in Lycia, and the Epibatai were the best suited Rhodian troops to quickly suppress these rebellions.

They do not wear any armour, as a muscle cuirass would be their undoing if they would fall into the sea - not even Michael Phelps would stay overwater with an extra 25kg attached to his body. A linothorax would start to suck water in and become increasingly heavy, hence it would equally be a death trap, and the same is true for greaves. Hence the Epibatai have abandoned all other forms of metal armour protection but for the reinforced Chalkidian helmet and a similarly reinforced, large Aspis shield.