Bactrian Greek Project (part 1)

I have had a fascination for the armies of these most remote of the Successor states of Alexander the Great's conquests for a very long time. Way back in the early days of Miniature Wargames magazine there was an article (or short series?) giving an overview of the history of these states and the likely components of the armies. The possibilities of a Macedonian style core of pikemen with all sorts of exotic auxiliaries from Iranian lancers through to Indian elephants or complete allied contingents couldn't help but arouse the ambition to field these on the tabletop! 

A Greek / Macedonian core of settler soldiers supplied traditional style phalanx pikemen and perhaps some elite cavalry and other types were recruited more locally. There doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence, images from coins and a few carvings and statuettes principally, but what there is suggests there were at least some sort of theurophoroi, elephants and Iranian bow armed cavalry as a part of Bactrian armies of the period. 

The theurophoroi facinate me, as it is unclear whether they were Hellenistic battlefield spearmen, (maybe a development from classical hoplites), or flexible skirmishers with the ability and equipment to get up close and personal, or something different, perhaps imitation legionaries? Maybe a combination of several of these roles if they were full time mercenaries, able to turn their hand to multiple situations. The Bacrtrian Greek ones appear to have Hellenistic roots but could also be locally raised troops with imported elements of kit and training.

There are some very nice figures of theurophoroi available but one of the few Bactrian representations show them possibly armoured and with a pointy helmet (maybe the Greek Pylos hat/helmet.) I was able to cobble together something approaching this from a Victrix plastic hoplite with a new shield and a head from the Wargames Factory "Numidian" infantry  box.  (This is what plastic figure are meant for. Easy conversion fodder. Oh how quickly that razor saw slices through polystyrene!)

I am quite happy with this look, a conceivable auxiliary to the pikemen in the army. I will probably put together a unit of these and perhaps another with Boeotian helmets, as this seem to be the most commonly represented headgear.  I have also now acquired some of the Essex Miniatures Bactrian Greek theurophoroi (photos to come) which have a version of this helmet and their pikeman which sports a very nice late style Hellenisitc headgear.