Ancient Rome or ancient Greece...
- Thread starter Bushido
- Start date
Yes, Corinthia would be the most simmilar to Ancient Greece.
As for Ancient Rome, I am not so sure. Argos has some elements from this setting, but the commerce thing makes it more like Renaissanse Italy or even the Fenicians (spelling?).
Aquilonia also shows IMHO some of the cultural traits of the Roman Empire -you know, they seem pragmatic people who mantain their status quo by using the best army of the age.
However, it also adds not so Roman qualities like feudalism, the extensive use of cavalry instead of infantry... so it is quite tricky to find a straightforward answer to this.
As for Ancient Rome, I am not so sure. Argos has some elements from this setting, but the commerce thing makes it more like Renaissanse Italy or even the Fenicians (spelling?).
Aquilonia also shows IMHO some of the cultural traits of the Roman Empire -you know, they seem pragmatic people who mantain their status quo by using the best army of the age.
However, it also adds not so Roman qualities like feudalism, the extensive use of cavalry instead of infantry... so it is quite tricky to find a straightforward answer to this.
Etepete
Mongoose
I'd put down Aquilonia as most roman, but all of the Hyborian realms have a roman touch, Koth being Byzans in my opinion.
Though Argos is linguisticly roman, it's the most greek state in my mind, hellas not being hellas withouth the sea. But of course Corinth is greek too. I suppose Argos is cykladic greece, while corinth is closer to (duh) corinth, delphi, athens and the boiotian city-states.
As for the noble cavalry, that's not as exclusively medieveal as one might think. Assyrian Charioteers and pre-classic Hipparch knights antedated the chivalric knight by a hundreds and hundreds of years.
Ergo: Aquilonia is Imperial Rome, Argos is maritime Greece, and Corinth is the rich, opulent Greece of philosophers and city-states.
Though Argos is linguisticly roman, it's the most greek state in my mind, hellas not being hellas withouth the sea. But of course Corinth is greek too. I suppose Argos is cykladic greece, while corinth is closer to (duh) corinth, delphi, athens and the boiotian city-states.
As for the noble cavalry, that's not as exclusively medieveal as one might think. Assyrian Charioteers and pre-classic Hipparch knights antedated the chivalric knight by a hundreds and hundreds of years.
Ergo: Aquilonia is Imperial Rome, Argos is maritime Greece, and Corinth is the rich, opulent Greece of philosophers and city-states.
Quite right that as Hyboria is developing Aquilonia is becoming more akin to Rome than say medieval France. However the feel of Aquilonia is more Late Roman rather than high Imperial, so about 350 AD. Argos has more than a hint of Renaissance Italy and Venice in particular about it, I think. As a side note I perceive Nemedia to be edging towards Gothic/Germanic in feel. Names are quite Romanic but the feel with nemedia for me has always been that they are a little more authoritarian than their Aquilonian rivals and neighbours.
High Lord Dee
Mongoose
For those true historians who are using those cultures to help develop your campaigns or just find it interesting....
I found a very cool map that will help you out. Here it is:
http://hyboria.xoth.net/maps/culturemap.jpg
HLD
I found a very cool map that will help you out. Here it is:
http://hyboria.xoth.net/maps/culturemap.jpg
HLD
Agent Templar
Mongoose
Thanks for the Wikipedia reference. It is very informative.
Etepete
Mongoose
Damien said:No Hyborian kingdom would be alike to ancient Greece or ancient Rome, since Hyboria is a medieval world in government and military styles.
Is it? I like to keep my hyboria slightly timeless with an ancient trend. This is quite contrary to the official material on many counts though ( I can think off a few instances, but not a whole lot)
My full plates for instance are halfway fantasy, halfway cataphract and halfway hoplite (all 150 %
)Howard created the Hyborian Age to tell a range of historical adventure stories with the same protagonist, so it ranges all over the place, from being like the ancient Near East through Elizabethan piracy.
The Hyborian nations are modelled on both medieval Europe and ancient Greece/Rome, with different stories and nations stressing different aspects.
The Hyborian nations are modelled on both medieval Europe and ancient Greece/Rome, with different stories and nations stressing different aspects.
Yogah of Yag
Mongoose
Inspiration (and education) toward Nemedia, Corinthia, Argos:
http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-dgra/0000.html
It's full of great ideas for the "classical" nations of Hyboria.
http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-dgra/0000.html
It's full of great ideas for the "classical" nations of Hyboria.
Technically nothing! People of the Balack Circle sends Conan to ancinet India, Frost Giant's Daughter drops him in the middle of Norse mythology, Black Collosus has him defending a crusader kingdom from chariot-driving Egyptians and Zulu spearmen and Beyond the Black River has him fighting injuns in upstate New York (or maybe its the Ohio river valley).Damien said:
Howard loved writting historical fiction, but he hated the nit-pickers (today we would call them fan-boys) who criticized the historical inaccuracies he allowed in to make for a good story. Thus he invented a mythical age where he could drop in whatever historical setting tickeled his fancy at the time and when somebody called him on a stupid point - like having plate armor in the wrong time period :roll: - he could say "its a mythical pre-history unrecorded by modern scholars, so shut up".
Later.
Damien
Mongoose
First of all.. calm down. Second of all, all I'm saying is that Feudal governments predominate societies filled with two-hand swords, plate armour, war-horses, and extensive use of heavy cavalry....
Regardless of other inspirations present in the setting, it is still a medieval-esque setting in the same way Tolkien's Middle-earth is still Migration-era in style, despite Ancient Egyptian and Greek influences.
So, in my opinion, no culture resembles 'Ancient Greece or Rome' because Ancient Greece and Rome were not feudal governments dominated by knights and cavalry. But there are certainly countries that fit the bill for Byzantine or medieval Italian.
Sheesh.
Regardless of other inspirations present in the setting, it is still a medieval-esque setting in the same way Tolkien's Middle-earth is still Migration-era in style, despite Ancient Egyptian and Greek influences.
So, in my opinion, no culture resembles 'Ancient Greece or Rome' because Ancient Greece and Rome were not feudal governments dominated by knights and cavalry. But there are certainly countries that fit the bill for Byzantine or medieval Italian.
Sheesh.
As I've mentioned before in various threads Conan Properties very much see Hyboria as being set in the Dark Ages. My own assessment of the time frame is about 350-500 AD (that's *my* opinion, not aything official) which means middle-late Roman is quite possible and indeed precisely what Aquilonia looks like. High medieval is definitey not where Hyboria is currently headed.
