Show threadRTokarczukApr 16, 2023

The difficulty with this relatively 'simple' map is in varied and differing interpretations of sources (mostly Thucydides).

Issue #1: Lagoon to the west of the central hill exists now - but there are arguments that it was a land/ plain in the ancient times ('ignore blue to the right of the hill'). No channels, no streams.

Issue #2: Athenians fortified their position but the exact location of their walls is uncertain. Their positioning is going to be of utmost importance to 'less than 10 unit counters' that Athenians have.

The picture below shows the next phase of my map - but it will need to be corrected and polished. Away with Lagoon. The positioning of walls follow Kagan ('Archidamian War') description here...

but I've read recently
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1061&context=library_map_prize

and I'm swayed by the arguments there (they make Thucydides description of Spartan strategy sound reasonable :) ). The Athenian Walls, like Birnam Wood, will move :D

Please, don't ask me about positioning of wood hexes - they are completely arbitrary, just like Leader ratings :)

Hoplite/ War Galley adventure continues. Kyzikos map (410 BCE) for a different scenario has been printed and prepared for subsequent testing.

#WIP #mapmaking #HexesUponRome

RTokarczukApr 15, 2023

Trying to liven out my fascination with Ancient Greeks.

Map in progress for the battle of Pylos 425 BCE. This is the battle where 600 Athenians (90 heavy armed/ hoplites, about 540 light armed soldiers) defend themselves on the fortified hill. 17 inches by 24 ("half-map" in GBoH games).

Spartans had numerical superiority... but the land access to the hill was difficult [This is future location of so called Old Navarino Castle).

Spartans tried therefore to disembark on the rocky shore, south-east of hill. They had fleet of 60 galleys but not all of them could "beach" at the same time because of confined space. Athenians with 60 hoplites and some archers were able to repel the invaders.

Few days later, the more famous battle happened - Sphacteria, where Spartans isolated on the island of S. suffered their ignoble land defeat.

The map will be used with Great Battles of History system (War Galley/ Hoplite) in an attempt to commercialize Peloponnesian War battles.

#AncientsDoNotBoreMe #HexesUponRome #WIP