Slitherine

Getting mixed results researching these guys. Particularly in regard to sheild art.

I'll likely be using these in my Pyrrhic army and I've seen a lot of different views on how they should look. Some say samnite influence, some opt for macedonian. I understand that "Tarantine" was much like "Cretan" in that it was the fighting/equipment style more so than their point of origin. So, my guess is that the dress and shield art would likely vary from army to army.

JF

Remember that the city of Taras or Tarentum which gave its name to Tarantine cavalry was Greek, so I would expect them to be of broadly Greek appearance. Greeks looked on non-Greeks as barbarians so I wouldn't expect them to adopt Italian styles all that much. I think your supposition regarding equipment or style is correct, and at the usual wargames scales it doesn't pay to be too fussy just as long as they can't be readily identified as belonging to a race or people that was different from those you are trying to portray.

I'll admit, I'm sweating this one more than is necessary.

I'll also admit that I like painting macedonian stars and more greek type sheild art.

I was looking for someone to tell me it was ok to do what I wanted to do anyway and it looks like I found it

Thanks,

JF

I don't know near as much ancient history as many on this board but I'm pretty sure the "Tarentine cavalry" refers to the ones he got from Tarentum rather than a generic type of cavalry and Tarentum was a Greek colony so yes I would go with painting them with Greek artwork.

In origin, tarentines came from Taras (latin Tarentum), but in late hellenistic period they are a type of light cavalry, like cretans are a type of archers. There is a good plate of tarentines in Sekunda´s book Ptolemaic reformed armies, Montvert publications.

Emilio

This might help
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/luke/ueda-sarson/Tarantines.html