ProjectSeleukid - thorakitai/imitation legionaries

The latest unit for ProjectSeleukid are these 28mm armoured heavy infantry with thureos shields and short spears from Aventine Miniatures. For Magnesia, these will represent the 4,000 Lykians, Pisidians, Pamphylians brigaded together. Their equipment if not specified in the sources, although as part of the main battle line it is likely that they were either thureophoroi or thorakitai.

In more generic 2nd and 1st century BC battles, I will field the unit as reformed Argyraspides (hence the fancy silvered metalwork and super ostentatious purple helmets). I am yet to see any specific evidence that suggests there was much of a difference between the so-called imitation legionaries, and generic thorakitai in Seleukid armies. At Daphne (166 BC) the only real description of these troops - given by Polybius 30.25.3 - is less than detailed.

Heading were some men equipped in the Roman manner in mail cuirasses, five thousand men in the prime of their life.

For a number of convincing reasons, it is usually considered that these 5,000 were half of the Argyraspides, the elite Seleukid heavy infantry who deployed as phalangites at Raphia and Magnesia. I think this is quite reasonable. But the meaning of 'equipped in the Roman manner' says nothing of precisely how they were armed, nor how they operated in the field.

For now, at least, I am happy to deploy the unit in whatever way suits the rules or the context, seeing the spears as either melee weapons, or as throwing spears. In Fantastic Battles I would opt to run them as : elite company: drilled, shieldwall, thrown weapons (or long spears).