Dayve
12-01-2007, 20:51
Introduction
Alkyoneus, son of Antigonos Argeades who united all of Greece for the first time in history. You accompanied him on his campaigns in the south to defeat the Koinon Hellenon, and in the west to defeat the Epirotes, who consistently refused offers of peace. You were present at the capture of Athens, Sparta, Epidamnos and Ambrakia, and have proven your bravery and unweilding loyalty time and time again.
At 56, not as sharp and capable as he once was and with his work almost complete, Antigonos hands over control of the army to his son, Alkyoneus, heir to the Makedonian throne and a united Greece, to live out the rest of his days governing our capital. Your father has asked great things of you, and has taught you well for the task. The horse and spear still reigns supreme in Greece and amongst the squabbling successors in the east, but in the west our phalanxes are outclassed by the legions of our ambitious neighbours. That's not to say the phalanx is obsolete, however it would require some modification to be succesful in Italy. Thureophoroi, Thorakitai and Peltastai will be the keys to defeating the Romani, should the war ever come.
For now though, the Romans are not your concern. They are weak and have more important enemies to worry about. Your immediate concerns are the cities of Thermon, Krete and Rhodes, the last people of the old Greek world who yet do not answer to the Makedonian throne. After that, you must turn your attention to the barbarian tribes of the north. They are not united and will prove an easy conquest for a king as brave and intelligent as yourself. Their warriors are impetuous and fierce, and if we can 'persuade' them to fight for the Makedonian flag, they will be a fine addition to your armies.
Finally, your fathers greatest wish, which he has every confidence you will fullfil, even though it will not be in his lifetime, is to bring home the body of our greatest king, most magnificent leader of men and conqueror of nations in history, Megas Alexandros, place it at the royal tomb of Pella where it truly belongs and remind those squabbling children of the successor states where they came from and where their loyalties should lie. You aren't going to go by sea though, you are going to go a route that would make Alexander himself proud, carve an empire in the process and bring home Alexander across the lands he himself conquered in times past. Afterall, with piracy at an all time high we can't afford to lose our greatest leader to the rebels of the sea.
Chapter 1 - Disaster
Alkyoneus prepares to lay siege to the city of Thermon. Although they have campaigned with him all across Greece and have witnessed his bravery first hand, some even being saved in battle by the man himself, the men are unsure of his command skills as he has yet to be in charge of a battle. Meanwhile, Kalos Argeades, uncle to Alkyoneus, has been tasked with overseeing the construction of a fleet large enough to safely move the army to Krete, and then Rhodes, after which point Kalos will accompany him in battle in order to gain some experience of combat before the two begin their work subduing the barbarians of the north.
https://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4641/thermonye3.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Disaster! Alkyoneus has been killed by an earthquake in his camp outside Thermon. The ambitious plans of king Antigonos now fall upon Alkyoneus's second in command, his uncle Kalos. Kalos has never seen battle and has spent his career so far governing Pella and then Athens, and now must prove himself worthy. His first task will be travelling to the fort outside Thermon, and then attacking the city itself with the army his brother, king Antigonos, left to his son, Alkyoneus. Construction on the fleet has begun, but must now be left in the hands of local administrators loyal to Makedonia. Kalos is now heir to the Makedonian throne.
Kalos is attacked by the army of Thermon before he can besiege the city. He draws his army upon a hill and waits for the enemy to come to him.
https://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3518/thermonbattlezu8.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
https://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3518/thermonbattlezu8.0aae195efb.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=511&i=thermonbattlezu8.jpg)
Kalos may lack experience, but that is favourable to lacking common sense and intelligence. The enemy general sends 80% of his infantry up the hill to attack the phalanx head-on. They drop like flies upon the spears of Kalos' experienced phalanxes.
https://img138.imageshack.us/img138/2310/thermonbattledv1.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The enemy send yet more infantry to attack the phalanx but they meet with the same fate as the first wave. A unit of hoplites begin to move toward our left flank and Kalos sees his first opportunity to prove his bravery. After dispatching of the remnants of a unit of medium cavalry, he charges into the rear of the hoplites that have been pinned by our barbarian mercenaries and begins to cut them down.
https://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4820/thermonbattlemm0.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
With half of their forces and almost all of their infantry destroyed it becomes clear the enemy have lost the battle miserably. Kalos signals his mobile infantry to form on the left flank and advance towards the remainder of the enemy forces whilst he and his cavalry move to dispatch of a unit of Peltastai which has become detatched from the rest of the army. The enemy general sends what skirmishers he has left to attack our mobile infantry, where they are cut down effortlessly.
https://img338.imageshack.us/img338/835/thermonbattlebf3.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
With his army destroyed, the enemy general fights to the death, surrounded at the points of our spears. With such a humiliating defeat, what else could he have done? Out of 2,200 soldiers, only 200 remain. Our forces lose less than 70 men.
Left defenseless, Thermon surrenders to Kalos Argeades and there is no resistance as his forces enter the city. To show his intentions are honorable, Kalos takes no slaves and his men are given the order not to loot or pillage.
Kalos has completed the work of his brother, king Antigonos. For the first time in history, the entire Greek peninsula is united under one king and there is peace between every city. A new era of peace and prosperity in Greece lies before us. An ambitious program of building now begins. Roads and ports must be built, and solid trade routes re-astablished after the chaos of the past 11 years.
https://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5320/unitedgreecewg2.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The fleet is almost built, and it is time to convince Krete and Rhodes that they want to be a part of the Makedonian kingdom. If gold will not convince them, our spears most certainly will.
_________________________________
I hope everybody enjoyed this first installmentas much as i have enjoyed making it so far. Stay tuned in the next couple of hours as Kalos Argeades sails to Krete and Rhodes with his army to convince them that they want to become satraps to the Makedonian throne.
Alkyoneus, son of Antigonos Argeades who united all of Greece for the first time in history. You accompanied him on his campaigns in the south to defeat the Koinon Hellenon, and in the west to defeat the Epirotes, who consistently refused offers of peace. You were present at the capture of Athens, Sparta, Epidamnos and Ambrakia, and have proven your bravery and unweilding loyalty time and time again.
At 56, not as sharp and capable as he once was and with his work almost complete, Antigonos hands over control of the army to his son, Alkyoneus, heir to the Makedonian throne and a united Greece, to live out the rest of his days governing our capital. Your father has asked great things of you, and has taught you well for the task. The horse and spear still reigns supreme in Greece and amongst the squabbling successors in the east, but in the west our phalanxes are outclassed by the legions of our ambitious neighbours. That's not to say the phalanx is obsolete, however it would require some modification to be succesful in Italy. Thureophoroi, Thorakitai and Peltastai will be the keys to defeating the Romani, should the war ever come.
For now though, the Romans are not your concern. They are weak and have more important enemies to worry about. Your immediate concerns are the cities of Thermon, Krete and Rhodes, the last people of the old Greek world who yet do not answer to the Makedonian throne. After that, you must turn your attention to the barbarian tribes of the north. They are not united and will prove an easy conquest for a king as brave and intelligent as yourself. Their warriors are impetuous and fierce, and if we can 'persuade' them to fight for the Makedonian flag, they will be a fine addition to your armies.
Finally, your fathers greatest wish, which he has every confidence you will fullfil, even though it will not be in his lifetime, is to bring home the body of our greatest king, most magnificent leader of men and conqueror of nations in history, Megas Alexandros, place it at the royal tomb of Pella where it truly belongs and remind those squabbling children of the successor states where they came from and where their loyalties should lie. You aren't going to go by sea though, you are going to go a route that would make Alexander himself proud, carve an empire in the process and bring home Alexander across the lands he himself conquered in times past. Afterall, with piracy at an all time high we can't afford to lose our greatest leader to the rebels of the sea.
Chapter 1 - Disaster
Alkyoneus prepares to lay siege to the city of Thermon. Although they have campaigned with him all across Greece and have witnessed his bravery first hand, some even being saved in battle by the man himself, the men are unsure of his command skills as he has yet to be in charge of a battle. Meanwhile, Kalos Argeades, uncle to Alkyoneus, has been tasked with overseeing the construction of a fleet large enough to safely move the army to Krete, and then Rhodes, after which point Kalos will accompany him in battle in order to gain some experience of combat before the two begin their work subduing the barbarians of the north.
https://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4641/thermonye3.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Disaster! Alkyoneus has been killed by an earthquake in his camp outside Thermon. The ambitious plans of king Antigonos now fall upon Alkyoneus's second in command, his uncle Kalos. Kalos has never seen battle and has spent his career so far governing Pella and then Athens, and now must prove himself worthy. His first task will be travelling to the fort outside Thermon, and then attacking the city itself with the army his brother, king Antigonos, left to his son, Alkyoneus. Construction on the fleet has begun, but must now be left in the hands of local administrators loyal to Makedonia. Kalos is now heir to the Makedonian throne.
Kalos is attacked by the army of Thermon before he can besiege the city. He draws his army upon a hill and waits for the enemy to come to him.
https://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3518/thermonbattlezu8.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
https://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3518/thermonbattlezu8.0aae195efb.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=511&i=thermonbattlezu8.jpg)
Kalos may lack experience, but that is favourable to lacking common sense and intelligence. The enemy general sends 80% of his infantry up the hill to attack the phalanx head-on. They drop like flies upon the spears of Kalos' experienced phalanxes.
https://img138.imageshack.us/img138/2310/thermonbattledv1.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The enemy send yet more infantry to attack the phalanx but they meet with the same fate as the first wave. A unit of hoplites begin to move toward our left flank and Kalos sees his first opportunity to prove his bravery. After dispatching of the remnants of a unit of medium cavalry, he charges into the rear of the hoplites that have been pinned by our barbarian mercenaries and begins to cut them down.
https://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4820/thermonbattlemm0.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
With half of their forces and almost all of their infantry destroyed it becomes clear the enemy have lost the battle miserably. Kalos signals his mobile infantry to form on the left flank and advance towards the remainder of the enemy forces whilst he and his cavalry move to dispatch of a unit of Peltastai which has become detatched from the rest of the army. The enemy general sends what skirmishers he has left to attack our mobile infantry, where they are cut down effortlessly.
https://img338.imageshack.us/img338/835/thermonbattlebf3.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
With his army destroyed, the enemy general fights to the death, surrounded at the points of our spears. With such a humiliating defeat, what else could he have done? Out of 2,200 soldiers, only 200 remain. Our forces lose less than 70 men.
Left defenseless, Thermon surrenders to Kalos Argeades and there is no resistance as his forces enter the city. To show his intentions are honorable, Kalos takes no slaves and his men are given the order not to loot or pillage.
Kalos has completed the work of his brother, king Antigonos. For the first time in history, the entire Greek peninsula is united under one king and there is peace between every city. A new era of peace and prosperity in Greece lies before us. An ambitious program of building now begins. Roads and ports must be built, and solid trade routes re-astablished after the chaos of the past 11 years.
https://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5320/unitedgreecewg2.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The fleet is almost built, and it is time to convince Krete and Rhodes that they want to be a part of the Makedonian kingdom. If gold will not convince them, our spears most certainly will.
_________________________________
I hope everybody enjoyed this first installmentas much as i have enjoyed making it so far. Stay tuned in the next couple of hours as Kalos Argeades sails to Krete and Rhodes with his army to convince them that they want to become satraps to the Makedonian throne.