DBA Camp Elements

Kyrenean Camp

By Brian Reddington-Wilde.  Camp for I/56 Kyrenean Greek, suitable for any Greek army, and particularly for any Doric states.  Figures are 15mm Xyston. Priestesses converted from Tribal Womenfolk. Javelins are .020 brass wire with hammered out heads. The rock formation is made from layers of balsa wood and putty. Altar table is made from balsa. Altar items are carved from plastic. The flame in the oil lamp is bits of thread fiber and zap-a-gap.  The priestess' base is 20mm x 20mm, so if it is removed from the camp, an infantry or cavalry base can be inserted in its place.

The camp scene depicts libation offerings to Aphrodite and Ares. In Cyprus, and across the Doric lands the martial aspects of Aphrodite were honoured. Kyrene is one of the Doric states. Several Doric temples jointly honour Aphrodite and Ares. Animal sacrifices would have been performed before the battle by the general himself. Libations during the battle demonstrates the highly pious character of the general. The shield designs of the assisting priestesses, the goat's and ram's heads, symbolize sacrifices to Aphrodite and Ares respectively. 

On the portable altar table are all the basic ingredients for a Classical Hellenic ritual - a barley basket (some grains of barley have been strewn on the altar at the start of the ritual), an oil lamp for the sacred hearth flame of Hestia, a bronze krater in which to mix the wine and water for the libations (only barbarians drink their wine straight), a phiale (small libation cup), and two larger vessels. The vessels are red-figure pottery; Dionusos and a grape vine on the wine amphora, and a dancing Nymph on the water oinokhoe. The musicians provide accompaniment for the hymns.

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