Galatian Naked Warriors
Spearmen Infantry(0.6.7)Side / Back
Short description
Naked Fanatics are fierce mercenary warriors who prove their heroism in battle by refusing to wear armour.
Description
These men disdain the use of armour, preferring instead to place their lives in the hands of the gods, and their own prodigious skill. Their primary weapon is an eight-foot spear which, when wielded by an experienced warrior, is effective against cavalry and infantry alike. These fanatics crave the din of battle and the sight of carnage and will willingly fight under a foreign general, as long as he is willing to pay enough. However, at times these blood-thirsty men can prove to be a liability as they have been known to charge, screaming wildly, into the enemy ranks without even hint of an order to attack. As such a wise commander may choose to keep them in reserve where he has closer control over them, until the time is right to unleash them and cause maximum chaos.
Though fighting naked was not uncommon amongst Celtic tribes, these men come specifically from the Tolistoboii tribe. They were a sept, or sub-clan, of the larger Boii tribe, the dominant group of Celts in Eastern Gaul, but seem to have separated around the time of Brennus' invasion of Macedonia (279 BC). After a short period of looting and burning in Northern Greece, the Tolistoboii (along with the Tectosages and Trocmi tribes) struck out across the Hellespont and into Asia Minor. After a turbulent year or so the tribe settled in Western Asia Minor, around the principal city of Pessinus, the past centre of the now diminished kingdom of Phrygia.
Despite being completely un-armoured these men still carry a traditional oval shield, which is versatile in both defence and offence. Perhaps influenced by primitive narcotics, these men are able to whip themselves into such a frenzy that they seem not to care whether they live or die. The sheer recklessness of these men can be extremely unnerving to any but the most experienced opponent, as were the chilling war cries, which announce their presence on the battlefield