Cretan Archers: Veteran Light Infantry

The skill of the bowmen of Crete was well known and consequently were used in many different armies in the ancient world. The earliest depiction of these skilled bowmen comes from the Minoans and it shows them using both simple and double-convex bow designs. Cretan Bowmen served in the armies of Alexander the Great, the later Greek city states, and as auxiliaries in the Republican and later Imperial Roman armies. It's this role that that these archers will fill as I feel my existing force lacks vital longer ranged hitting power.

The mountainous terrain of Crete made skilled hunters of the local men and their expertise and prowess with a bow was widely recognised. They were ideal light skirmish troops but could just as easily be found manning defences or probing enemy weaknesses prior to battle. Recruited as auxiliary light infantry in the Republican Roman army they were also armed with short swords and small round shields although hand to hand fighting was generally a last resort.