Introducing The Persian Army! First Release, 4 Sparabara Shield Bearers! 32mm, , With And Without Bases

Introducing the Persian army! I will be releasing a new part of the Persian army every day, starting with the magnificent Sparabara.

This set includes:

4 unique poses

Pre-supported

With and without bases

Ready to resin print

The sparabara, meaning “shield bearers” in Old Persian, were the front-line infantry of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. They were usually the first troops to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Although relatively little is known about them, they are generally thought to have formed the backbone of the Persian army. They fought in a shield wall and used spears around 2 metres long to protect more vulnerable troops, particularly archers, positioned behind them. The term sparabara can also refer to the combined formation of shield-bearers and the archers they defended.

This tactical system developed from an earlier Assyrian formation, in which a single row of archers was protected by a single row of shield-bearing soldiers. The Persians expanded this concept: one rank of shield-bearers protected multiple ranks of archers, reportedly up to nine. The shield-bearers were also equipped with short spears to improve their effectiveness in close combat.

Sparabara were typically armoured with quilted linen and carried large rectangular wicker shields, which provided light and manoeuvrable protection. This equipment, however, may have put them at a disadvantage against more heavily armoured opponents such as Greek hoplites. Their spears were generally shorter than the long dory used by a phalanx, limiting their reach in direct engagements. The wicker shields may also have been less durable than thick wooden shields in prolonged melee. Despite these limitations, sparabara were likely effective against most other infantry forces, including trained units from regions within the Persian Empire.