Indo-Greek

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Historical Overview Section

The Indo-Greek Kingdom (or sometimes Graeco-Indian Kingdom) covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent during the last two centuries BC, and was ruled by more than 30 Hellenistic kings, often in conflict with each other.
The kingdom was founded when the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius invaded India early in the second century BC. During the two centuries of their rule, the Indo-Greek kings combined the Greek and Indian languages and symbols, as seen on their coins, and blended ancient Greek, Hindu and Buddhist religious practices, as seen in the archaeological remains of their cities and in the indications of their support of Buddhism, pointing to a rich fusion of Indian and Hellenistic influences.

The Greeks in India were eventually divided from the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom centered in Bactria in a series of civil wars as the Greeks in India re-enacted the city-to-city factional infighting that had so bedevilled their forefathers in Greece and which, ironically, had created an opportunity for Philip of Macedon to conquer a disjointed Greece, founding an empire capable of supporting Alexander's world conquest ... which had of course brought the Greeks to India in the first place. Phew.. Once they split from the Graeco-Bactrian's, a succession of kings (initially Menander 165-55) made conquests south and north, and the Indo-Greek territory for a while included the Indian coastal provinces of Sindh and possibly Gujarat. One of Menanders successors Apollodotus may have even taken Greek advances as far as the Sunga capital Pataliputra (today Patna) in eastern India.

From the mid-2nd century BC, the Skythian or Saka tribes plus other nomads invaded Bactria from the north, and the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom was replaced by the Kushan or Indo-Skythian's. The Parthians also probably played a role in the downfall of the Bactrian kingdom, but the Indo-Greek states, shielded by the Hindu Kush range, were saved from the invasions. However, further civil wars continued and after the weakening of central authority other kings emerged, usually in the western part of the Indo-Greek realm, with groovy names such as Zoilos I, Lysias, Antialcidas and Philoxenos. While all Indo-Greek kings after Apollodotus I mainly issued bilingual (Greek and Kharoshti) coins for circulation in their own territories, several of them also struck rare Greek coins which have been found in Bactria. The later kings probably struck these coins as some kind of payment to the Kushan or Indo-Skythian tribes who now ruled there, though if as tribute or payment for mercenaries remains unknown. For some decades after the Bactrian invasion, relationships seem to have been peaceful between the Indo-Greeks and the hellenised nomad tribes.

The Indo-Greeks had now become very isolated from the rest of the Graeco-Roman world, and they ultimately disappeared as a political entity around 10 AD, although pockets of Greek populations probably remained for several centuries longer under the subsequent rule of the Indo-Parthian's and Kushans.

Using the army in FoG

For an army that is hidden away at the back of the book, this is still quite interesting. Solid Greek foot, massed Indian archers and a couple of elephants make this a Classical Indian army where the role of Elephants can be taken by slightly more resilient troop types. There are not really enough ligt horse to skirmish, and not quite enough Greek foot to use as a strike force on their own, so you do come back to using it as a table-width wall of bow with some bastions of pikemen, spears and elephants to toughen it up.

UK Tournament Results with this army

12 / 12 Indo-Greek Attack 2008 doubles (RoR, IF)

Useful Links

User-contributed links about this army:

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Allies

• Indian, Classical : Date restrictions None Book: Immortal Fire Page: 32 - More elephants - the drilled Bw option for the foot is generally thought to be better as well.
• Saka - Later Skythian or Saka : Date restrictions None Book: Rise of Rome Page: 60 - Up to 4 cataphracts or lancer Cv, loads of Bw/Sw LH and some irrelevant foot

15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army

You can see some of the figures in the Ancients Photo Gallery also on this site

Indian Figures

• Essex Miniatures - 17 Indian figure codes
• Donnington Indian elephant in the Greek range
• Museum Miniatures Useful Indian range, with tee-shirted archers as seen on this site
• Gladiator Miniatures by Fighting 15's (Previously Black Hat) 18 Indians including various elephants and crew combo's
• Old Glory 15's,
• Magister Militum 13 Indians - also sell VVV transfers for Indian Elephants
• Minifigs
• Khurasan new Kushan and Indian range just released.
• Irregular Miniatures 12 Indians sold singly
• Tin Soldier Fun Indian range - some of their chunky elephants appear in the Photo Gallery on this site
• Xyston very nice Indian range
• Hall of Ancient Warriors 8-strong range of Classical Indians
• Battle Line Miniatures 15 Indians in their range
• East Riding Miniatures the former TTG range - so presumably the same as those from Battle Line?
• Outpost Tamil & Hindu Indian ranges, so slightly later than this period from 500-1500 AD
• MY Miniatures Indians in their Macedonian range - may also be former TTG models?

Greek Troops

• Essex Miniatures - large Macedonian & Selucid ranges with over 30 figure codes, plus other allied/mercenary troops
• Donnington 60+ Hellenistics, includes specific codes for different successsor armies
• Xyston Some of their macedonians are creeping up the scale, but generally OK to mix with others
• Museum Miniatures around 30 codes listed for various Hellenistic armies, but some codes are duplicated
• Gladiator Miniatures by Fighting 15's (Previously Black Hat) 54 codes in a range also including Greek hoplite armies
• Old Glory 15's, 9 Macedonians, 27 Successors,
• Magister Militum 19 Selucid and 9 Alexandrian codes, plus assorted allies/mercenaries
• Lancashire Games 14 Macedonian range figure codes
• Irregular Miniatures 26 figures codes for Hellenistics and Successors
• QRF Models 35 codes in their Feudal Castings range, including some excellent personality figures
• Tin Soldier 32 suitable codes in a Hellenistic range also covering Indians & Persians
• Minifigs 45 codes in their Hellenistic & Alexandrian ranges
• Outpost Wargame Services 13 Macedonians
• Viking Forge 17 figure codes in Hellenistic & Alexandrian ranges
• Battle Line Miniatures 43 codes in their Hellenistic range, which also covers hoplite armies
• Isarus/15mm.co.uk 26 Selucid figures
• Warmodelling/Fantassin Have an Alexandrian range

Core Troops

Which troops are absolutely needed for this army, and what are your thoughts on how to organise, paint and buy them.

Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army

Name of Army / Date

• Using asterisks inthe edit mode creates a bulleted list in the actual site
• This is a lot easier to do than easier than setting up tables
• For FoG I suggest listing your army in order or march
• with troop desctiptions on each line, for example
• 4 HF Armoured Average Drilled Impact Foot Swordsmen
• 8 LG Undrilled Unarmoured Poor Bowen
• Dont forget to include your Generals !!!

Include any notes you want here, including comments on how to use - or play against - the army.

Remember to leave a line before you copy the above section as a template for your own list

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