FOG Book : Immortal Fire
Description
The Sacred Band of Carthage is the name used by Greek historians to refer to an infantry unit of Carthaginian foot citizens that served in Carthaginian armies during the fourth century BC. The presence of Carthaginian citizens fighting as infantry in these armies is unusual as Carthaginian citizens usually only served as officers or cavalry in the Carthaginian armed forces and the bulk of Carthaginian armies were usually made up of mercenaries, infantry from allied communities (who might be Punic colonists) and subject levies.
Trained from an early age to be tough phalanx spearmen, these men were from wealthy Carthaginian families, and as such had extremely good equipment. They were trained from birth to be great warriors and they were able to afford high quality armor and weapons. They fought as a traditional phalanx organized in the Hellenic style.
The "Sacred Band" consisted of a small heavy infantry unit of 2000-3000 men, who were "inferior to none among them as to birth, wealth, or reputation" and distinguished by "the splendour of their arms, and the slowness and order of their march".
At the Battle of the Krimissus in Sicily in 341 BC, the "Sacred Band" fought as a well organized phalanx. It was destroyed utterly. Two thousand citizen troops (perhaps a similar unit), are recorded as being in Sicily in 311 BC, the last time that citizens troops are recorded as being overseas. By 310 BC, the Sacred Band appears to have been reformed, only to be destroyed in battle against Agathocles at Tunis.
After its destruction in 310 BC, the "Sacred Band" disappears from historical record. When Carthaginian citizen infantry turn up in the historical sources during later wars, their numbers are significantly higher implying a levy of all available citizens due to crisis. Larger citizen forces turned out at the Battle of Bagradas during the First Punic War, the Mercenary War, and the Third Punic War, but the "Sacred Band" is not mentioned in any of the surviving accounts we have of these wars.
"It was composed of young nobles, who wore dazzling white shields and breast-plates which were works of art; who even in the camp never drank except from goblets of silver and of gold. But this corps had apparently become extinct, and the Carthaginians only officered their troops, who they looked upon as ammunition, and to whom their orders were delivered through interpreters. The various regiments of the Carthaginian army had therefore nothing in common with one another or with those by whom they were led. They rushed to battle in confusion, "with sounds, discordant as their various tribes," and with no higher feeling than the hope of plunder or the excitement which the act of fighting arouses in the brave soldier".
They are also sometimes depicted as cavalry as well as infantry.
Use in FOG
The Sacred Band is Superior, Armoured, Drilled Heavy Foot - Offensive Spearmen.
Operating alongside their more numerous (but less well armed) African Spearmen, the Sacred Band is a useful unit to have. The ability to re-roll 1's and with being Armoured makes them likely to win at Impact and (in 2 ranks of 3 bases) certainly pack a hefty punch unless coming up against a numerically superior force - but even then their POA's should count (in a practice session, a unit of Sacred Band mashed an 8 base average unit in just 3 rounds!).
As usual with Offensive Spearmen they are effective against most cavalry and so could flank the African spearmen quite securely (not many cavalry will fare well against spears and better armour) or act as a line breaking shock unit (especially against sword-armed opponents).
Their Drilled training belies the suggestion that they were unruly and difficult to control - but in FOG it does make them an effective back-up unit as well (i.e. to shore up any gaps in the line or protect the rear).