AG052 Mamertines 2

The Mamertines (or ‘Sons of Mars’) were a group of Campanian Mercenaries, originally in the pay of Agathocles of Syracuse fighting Carthage for control of the island of Sicily. When Agathocles was killed and the war drew to a close, the Mamertines were left unpaid and idle; they decided to take matters into their own hands and occupied the City of Messana, setting themselves up as petty tyrants. Hiero, the new Tyrant of Syracuse, set out to defeat them and take back the City. The Mamertines, military weak in the face of Hiero’s onslaught, sought help firstly from Carthage (ironic in the extreme!) and then from Rome. Their double dealing was the catalyst for the First Punic War, bringing Rome and Carthage into conflict for the first time

This pack of figures represents non-Roman Italian Thureophoroi, as fought for Carthage, Rome and Syracuse. You can use them to represent Campanians, Bruttians, Lucanians and, of course, the legendary Mamertines.

This pack contains 4 highly detailed metal figures, plus 4 Hoplon shields. Supplied unpainted and un-based. You will need to provide your own wire spears. If you require Thureos or Roman scutum shields, please advise.