Creating Caesar's army for the siege of Alexandria

The heavily armed and armoured legionnaires was the backbone of the Roman army in Egypt. But they weren’t alone fighting against Caesar’s enemies in Alexandria.

Here is a guide to the army Caesar fought with in Alexandria and how I built my own wargames equivalent.

View fullsize

The Roman army arrayed before the walls of Alexandria.

The Late Roman Republican Legion (”Caesarian” or “Marian” are common wargamers terms for these,) was a formidable fighting force. The legion had been so successful that several other states around the Mediterranean tried to copy the romans. So called ”imitation legions” were raised for example by the Numidians, the Seleucids and by the Kingdom of Pontus.

Caesar arrived in Alexandria with two severely understrength legions, a total of 3200 men (a full size legion was around 4800 men). These legions were the veteran 6th Legion and the 27th Legion. The 6th had been raised by Caesar five years earlier in Cisalpine Gaul. They had fought at both Alesia and Pharsalus. Later during the siege they were reinforced by the 37th legion which was made up of surrendered Pompeian legionnaires after the battle of Pharsalus. 

With him were also 800 gallic cavalry, probably mercenaries. Cavalry from Gaul was a favourite of Caesar and these could have served him for a long time. There were probably other soldiers accompanying Caesar to Egypt too, especially light troops and archers. Such units are seldom mentioned in the sources but they are a good way of adding some more exotic elements to your Roman army.

There are a few companies producing 28mm ”Caesarian” Romans. My favourites are the ones offered by Wargames Foundry. They are great miniatures sculpted by Mark Copplestone. The rank and file might be a bit stiff for some but the characters like the centurions and tribunes look great. 

Warlord Games make some in plastic which are decent. If you need a lot they are if nothing else quite cheap and with some suitable shield transfers they look great. Warlord Games also make a nice pack of casualties which is always good to have. I made a testudo with a box of them!

I know Gripping Beast also have some Caesarian Romans, sculpted by Colin Patten, one of my favourite sculptors. These have been out of production for several years though. I’ve asked them a couple of times about it and they have said they will come back someday. Aventine Miniatures are also about to release some so worth keeping an eye out for those.

Caesarian Romans from Wargames Foundry.

A testudo made from Warlord Games plastics, I’ve added a metal casualty, also from Warlord, to add some interest. To be honest I think the shield transfers makes most of the work here.

The best part of the Wargames Foundry sculpts are the characters, like centurions and praetorians, just fantastic sculpts. The guy on the right is supposed to be Caesar with a surly Mark Anthony behind him.

There is a bit more choice regarding the cavalry. Republican cavalry would be perfectly fine since mercenaries serving in the roman army for a long time were probably issued roman equipment. Warlord Games, Aventine Miniatures and Lucid Eye all make republican cavalry. I’ve even written a review of the latter option which you can read here. If you want something a bit more exotic you could use Gallic cavalry from a number of manufacturers, Foundry, Crusader and Warlord all make them. Victrix have some in plastic. I use these gauls from Gripping Beast, beautiful sculpts by Colin Patten.

View fullsize

Gauls by Gripping Beast. I use them both as Gallic mercenaries for the romans and as Galatian mercenaries for the Ptolemies.

As for light troops we are spoilt with choices. The sources don’t really mention what, if any, light troops Caesar brought with him, but the Romans made great use of light troops from all over the Mediterranean so you can’t really go wrong. In his commentaries Caesar writes:

“”… from Crete he raised archers, and cavalry from Malchus, king of the Nabateans… and auxiliary troops mustered from every quarter.””

— Julius Caesar, The Alexandrian War

So definitely some Cretan archers. This doesn’t have to mean archers from the island of Crete, even though it probably does in this case, it could also mean archers armed in the ”Cretan style” i.e with shields and swords. Other than that any model in a tunic with a spear would do. Even thureophoroi would fit perfectly fine. I mostly use Foundry's Cretan archers and these ”Macedonians” in hats.

View fullsize

Cretan archers on the left and generic javelinmen on the right, all by Foundry Miniatures.

When arriving in Alexandria Caesar was accompanied by 10 Rhodian ships which was later supplemented by more ships from Rhodes, Syria, Cilicia, Pontus and Lycia. The exact composition of the Roman fleet present in Alexandria is unknown but in his commentaries Caesar mentions he had ”10 quinqueremes and quadriremes”. These are big warships, quinqueremes had 300 rowers and between 70-120 marines according to Polybius. I would assume the marines on these ships would be Roman legionaries but it is plausible they were Rhodian or any other ’nationality’ mentioned above. If nothing else it’s a good excuse to add some thureophoroi to your force and call them Rhodian marines.

Here are some photos of my Roman collection from the Gallery section.

Veteran legionaries of the Tenth legion await orders to engage Metellus Scipios forces. Outside of Thapsus, Africa (modern Ras Dimas, Tunisia), april 6, 46 BC.

Cretan archers attack Germanic warriors, east of the Rhine, 54 BC.

South of Memphis, along the shore of the Nile, some roman legionaries relax with a game of dice, 45 BC.

Julius Caesar watches as his legions march to suppress Vercingetorix's revolt in Gaul in 52 BC.

A roman testudo advances on the Ptolemaic defense lines during the Battle of the Nile, 13 January, 47 BC.

A Publicanus, a Roman tax collector, argues with a local farmer about his debts to the Roman state, 28 BC, Faiyum Oasis, Egypt.

A consul accompanied by an aquilifer and cornicen looks out at the battlefield as the sun sets. Behind him the triarii and the principes patiently awaits their orders.

Hastati, with Velites skirmishing in front of them, prepares to repel a charge by Senone Gauls. Northern Picenum, Italy, 295 BC.

Roman testudos are harassed by Ptolemaic skirmishers as they approach the royal army’s fortified camp along the shores of the Nile. Nile Delta, Ptolemaic Egypt, 47 BC.

---