Justinian’s Wars

   

I’ve been interested in the Roman reconquest of the West since a boyhood reading of Count Belisarius by Robert Graves.  Many years later Montvert Press published Roy Boss’s wonderfully illustrated book Justinian's Wars.  It was packed with interesting information and informed analysis and so I invested in the necessary figures.  Alas what I bought in terms of Byzantines failed to inspire and the project failed due to my disappointment.  On the plus side I was happy enough with my Goths and sundry other Germanics and Huns.

Peter Heather’s latest book Rome Resurgent re lit the flame and I realised there were some fine Byzantines to be had.  Indeed, mostly there always had been I’d simply bought the wrong ones. So, older and wiser I got stuck in again and made a start.

First, I needed some Roman heavy cavalry archers and Old Glory sell good ones.  Here they are.

I struggled to find figures I liked for the elite Bukelarii cavalry that provided the battle wining edge to Justinian's armies.  Eventually, I settled on these from Khurasan you might note that some of them are drawing their bows.  

I think that is a nice touch by the designer.

I also needed some heavy infantry.  These ones are from Donnington Originals and I like them immensely. 

The supporting archers are Minifigs that have lain neglected for decades.

The next pic is a mystery to me I have no idea who made these figures.  I’ll field them as medium infantry.

In the wreckage of the abandoned project I located some dismounted Lombard nobles sculpted by the talented Steve Shaw.  I have enough for a full unit.  Dismounted Lombard nobles were once a staple of Belisarian Army lists but were purged in a subsequent revision.  Peter Heather locates them in the battle line and that's good enough for me.

More to follow soon but I feel a good start has been made.  Belisarius will ride again or perhaps in my case more accurately  -at last.