Sparta Missile Ship

Pursuit Trihemiolia - Helot Javelinmen

Fast, relatively powerful pursuit ships, well able to hunt down pirates and other seagoing scum.

Even the meanest slave can throw a javelin at the enemy.

It is thought that the Rhodians, a significant naval power in the eastern Mediterranean, developed the 'trihemiolia' or 'two-and-a-half' as a vessel for pirate hunting. Given that Rhodes is an island entirely reliant on the sea and shipping this is a believable theory. Pirates used the hemiola, a handy little vessel developed from the dieres or bireme, a ship with two rows of oars; it makes sense that pirate hunters would think of taking a trieres, or trireme, with three rows of oars and modifying it in a similar fashion. A trihemiolia still had three rows of oars on each side, but the top row was reduced to only half the number of oars, positioned midships. The result was a faster, handier vessel that provided a height advantage over a hemiola for any archers on board. There was also a strategic benefit to the Rhodians, who could only draw on the manpower of one island: they could have six trieres warships with full complements of rowers, or seven trihemiolias for the same number of men. The useful design was soon adopted by other maritime powers around the Mediterranean.

(Helot Javelinmen)
An unfree class of non-citizens within Sparta's zone of control, the helots were slaves in most respects. Agricultural labourers, they worked the rich valleys of Eurotas and Pamisos, on which Laconia and Messenia were situated, and were forced to give up half of their produce to the Spartan elite. In addition, helots would also be assigned to Spartan citizens as household servants. Sometimes pressed into military service, helots would be employed as peltasts, and in some cases gained their freedom through such service. Following an earthquake in 464BC which devastated Sparta and possibly claimed as many as 20,000 lives the helots, mainly from Messenia, revolted alongside the perioikoi of Aithaia and Thouria. Cruel and bitter treatment of the helots by their Spartan overlords intensified after this event, and may have led to the tradition of the autumnal krypteia. A declaration of war against the helots made by the ephors, during the krypteia members of the Spartan agoge could prove their skill as warriors. Armed only with a knife, they were expected to live off the land whilst sanctioned to spy on, steal from, and kill the helots. However, this worked both ways, as any young Spartan caught by the helots could be beaten to death for allowing his capture.

Abilities

Pursuit Trihemiolia

• Row Hard 10
  Increases speed for 10 strokes.
  Ship speed

Attributes

• Resistant to Fatigue
  Fatigue has less of an effect on this unit.
• Hide (scrub & forest)
  This unit can hide in scrub and forest until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Pursuit Trihemiolia

• Poor hull strength
• Medium crew
• Uncatchable
• Weak ramming
• Poor boarding
• Average missile combat

Helot Javelinmen

• Short range
• Fast rate of fire
• Very good damage and armour penetration
• Very weak in melee
• Very poor morale

Sparta Units
General (4)
1.Royal Spartans
2.Spartan Named Ones
3.Spartan Royal Guard
4.Disciples of Ares
Melee Infantry (7)
5.Perioikoi Infantry
6.Perioikoi Chosen Infantry
7.Spartan Bladesmen
8.Spartan Named Ones
9.Agora Swordsmen
10.Agora Veterans
11.Disciples of Ares
Missile Infantry (8)
12.Gorgo's Skirmishers
13.Helot Archers
14.Helot Javelinmen
15.Helot Slingers
16.Perioikoi Peltasts
17.Cretan Toxotai
18.Rhodian Sphendonetai
19.Spartan Archers
Pike Infantry (3)
20.Perioikoi Pikemen
21.Spartan Pikemen
22.Agesilaus Spartans
Spear Infantry (11)
23.Heroes of Sparta
24.Perioikoi Hoplites
25.Perioikoi Spears
26.Royal Spartans
27.Spartan Hoplites
28.Spartan Youths
29.Spartan Heavy Hoplites
30.Spartan Recruits
31.Spartan Veterans
32.Spartan Temple Warriors
33.Spartan Royal Guard
Melee Cavalry (2)
34.Citizen Cavalry
35.Spartan Royal Cavalry
Missile Cavalry (2)
36.Skirmisher Cavalry
37.Tarantine Cavalry
Fixed Artillery (4)
38.Greek Giant Ballista
39.Greek Polybolos
40.Greek Bastion Scorpion
41.Greek Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (7)
42.Greek Bastion Ballista
43.Greek Ballista
44.Greek Beehive Onager
45.Greek Scorpion
46.Greek Heavy Onager
47.Greek Bastion Onager
48.Greek Onager
Admiral (2)
49.Scorpion Trieres - Helot Slingers
50.Assault Hexeres - Spartan Hoplites
Melee Ship (4)
51.Assault Tetreres - Perioikoi Hoplites
52.Fire Pot Dieres - Perioikoi Hoplites
53.Assault Dieres - Perioikoi Hoplites
54.Assault Hexeres - Spartan Hoplites
Missile Ship (7)
55.Scorpion Penteres - Helot Archers
56.Missile Penteres - Helot Archers
57.Tower Penteres - Helot Archers
58.Raiding Hemiolia - Helot Javelinmen
59.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Helot Javelinmen
60.Scorpion Trieres - Helot Slingers
61.Missile Trieres - Helot Slingers
Artillery Ship (2)
62.Light Artillery Penteres - Greek Ballista (Ship)
63.Artillery Penteres - Greek Onager (Ship)