Most wargames generals tend top ignore weather,
but the following is a startling illustration of the power of weather on
the battlefield:
The following is closely based on a passage in
The Cambridge Ancient History, the essay was written by a Mr Hackforth.
In 341BC the Carthaginians sent a powerful citizen
force to Sicily, in order to prevent the further loss of colonial holdings
to the Corinthian general and liberator of Sicily, Timoleon. We take up
the narrative on page 296: The
battle was fought on the bank of the Crimisus, not far from Segesta. It
resulted in a decisive victory for the Greeks, which was due to several
causes: the presence of a heavy mist enabled Timoleon to surprise the enemy
by an attack from high ground; a violent thunderstorm came on, which drove
rain and hail straight in the face of the Carthaginians; and the heavily-armed
warriors of the Sacred Band, who bore the brunt of the fighting, found
themselves at a great disadvantage in face of the superior mobility of
the Greek infantry; the torrent of rain rendered their equipment still
heavier, and as the plain rapidly became a morass owing to the overflowing
of the river and to the swollen streams which swirled down from the hillside
they found it increasingly difficult to move. Large numbers were swept
away down stream, the rest were slain or put to flight . As many as 10000
are said to have fallen, including the whole of the Sacred Band; heaven,
in a very literal sense, had aided the Corinthian leader in this great
battle, which was fought in mid-June 341: the spoils of the enemy's armour
were very rich, and fine trophies were sent to adorn the temples of Corinth
and to add to her renown.
Taken from: The Cambridge Ancient History
Volume VI Macedon 401-301BC. 1953. University Press: Cambridge.
WRG 7th:
From Volume I, 1992: Army list 54 Early Carthaginian, which features the Sacred Band as Reg A HI LTS Sh @32pts 0-6.The only minimums are Libyan-African Reg C MI LTS Sh @16pts 8-24 and some Greek mercenaries Reg C MI LTS Sh @16pts 6-16, the army also has the option of taking a Numidian allied command, in which case some Numidians also become forced minimums. Timoleon was sent by Corinth as a liberator, not a conqueror, so was not supported by an army of his own, although there were some mercenary troops that accomapnied him from Greece. He would command army list 57 Syracusan, which features an incredible mixture of anything possible, the Sikels Irr C LI JLS Sh @6pts up to 12 are native to Sicily.