As the sacking of Lilibeo commenced, Ptolemaios (who had then arrived at Sikilia himself) sent an embassy to the city of Karchedon with a peace treaty. In return, he demanded that the island of Sardinia was handed over to Epirote rule.
Within two months, the embassy had returned, bringing the news that the Karchedonians had refused the peace treaty, and so Ptolemaios (and his new army that he had conscripted in Makedonia) set sail for Sardinia.
Arriving at the island during the winter, Ptolemaios set up camp immediately near the sea and organized the supply lines to Sikilia. With the supplies there came news of the homeland as well. As Ptolemaios had gone, the Spartans had finally crossed the borders of Lakedaimon and had conquered Korinthos. During the defense of Korinthos, Zenon (son of Alexandros, Ptolemaios' brother), had also been killed.
However, with that news also came word that Seambys Aiakides, also one of Ptolemaios' nephews, was busy raising an army of his own.
As Ptolemaios came to Karalis, the city that served as the provincial captial of Sardinia, the inhabitants surrendered without any further fighting, and for this Ptolemaios chose not to expel the population.
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As he was in Karalis, Ptolemaios continued to run the affairs of Makedonia and Hellas. As the supply ships came and went, he heard more news about how the situation in the Peleponessos continued.
The Spartans had now crossed the Isthmus, defeating an Epirote leader there and had then laid siege to Athenai.
At that time he also heard that Seambys was almost done with his army and was now preparing to march south.
As Seambys arrived though, he found only that the Spartan force had already annexed Athenai. Without any further waiting, he sent a small force to guard the Isthmus (thus preventing any Spartan aid towards Athenai), and laid siege to the city herself.
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At around the same time that Seambys surrounded Athenai, there came a distress call from Sardinia. The Romani had betrayed the peace treaty that Ptolemaios had strived hard to achieve and laid siege to Messana.
Ptolemaios immediately left Sardinia and sailed for the town of Rhegion, who had recently come under Roman command, hoping to draw the Romans from Sikilia. He was proven right; as Italia herself (as the Romans called Megale Hellas) was threatened, they abandoned the siege of Messana and marched north. They met Ptolemaios on the fields north of Rhegion.
The way Ptolemaios aligned his battle ranks are as following: the Makedonian pezhetairoi formed the mainstay, whilst the elite Chaonion Agema were set at the furthest right flank, as is common in the Makedonian phalanx order. At their flanks were the thorakitai from Ambrakia. The invention of the thorakitai is a story apart; Pyrrhos, knowing that war would eventually break out again with the Romani developed a heavy infantry unit, to defend the phalanx at their weakest points; the flank and rear.
Behind the phalanx line were the Agrianian shock infantry. Armed with axes and javelins, these men were hardy and disciplined and performed excellently against both cavalry and infantry.
Then there were the Scythian archers, who had travelled all the way from Kimmerika with Ptolemaios. They were armed with composite bows which outranged all the bows in the west, save for the Kretans', perhaps.
Behind the left flank were the prodromoi, or forerunners. They were lighter than most of the heavy cavalry, and well-suited for chasing down psiloi and routers.
Opposed to the prodromoi, on the right flank was Ptolemaios himself and his 110 men-strong bodyguard, with 2,000 men of the heavy Molossian cavalry. They were the among the best cavalry in Epiros, composed out of able and young noblemen, comparable to the Hetairoi of the Makedonian kingdoms.
Before long, the first Romani soldiers came into range of the Scythian archers, and they released their deadly arrows into the Romani fray.
Upon taking casualties, the commanding Roman officer [who went by the name of ΓΝΑΙΟΣ ΚΟΡΝΕΛΙΟΣ ΣΚΙΠΙΟ ΑΣΙΝΑ in Greek] ordered his troops to double their speed and they were soon engaged with the line of Ptolemaios.
Battle slowly progressed with neither side gaining a true advantage over the other, and Ptolemaios was uneager to throw in any more soldiers, as the phalangite line did not falter. At that time, though, some of the Roman cavalry had managed to cross past the lines and were on the verge of opening up an entry for the infantry.
Here however, it showed the superiority of the Chaonion phalangites. Two of the men of the front row split from the main ranks and swiftly cut down the horsemen, whilst at the same time, their place was taken by two others. Further on the right side of the Chaonions, were the thorakitai, engaged with Greek hoplites conscripted by Skipio to fight under the Roman banner. At that point, Ptolemaios ordered the Agrianian reserves to surround the hoplite line.
By that time had the reinforcements arrived, led by a cousin of Skipio [known as ΣΕΡΥΟΣ ΚΟΡΝΕΛΙΟΣ ΣΚΙΠΙΟ ΑΣΙΝΑ in later Greek writings]. Now Ptolemaios ordered the Prodromoi onward, who soon clashed with Servios' bodyguard.
Soon though, the more experienced Roman soldiers had found a way to break through the phalanx line of the pezhetairoi and were now engaged in close-combat with the Makedonian phalangites.
On the far right side, the rest of the Romans had followed their example, and the front line of the Chaonions were forced to drop their pikes and draw their swords.
To Ptolemaios' surprise, the Kalabrian hoplites had not yet surrendered and were fighting with fierce determination, even though they were surrounded and attacked in the rear by the Agrianian shock troops.
At that point, however, came a crucial turning point in the battle. Skipio the Younger's horse had been cut down from under him and he was crushed underneath his steed. His head was then punctured by several blows from Agrianian soldiers.
Due to Skipio's death, most of the Roman line was faltering, and as the Roman cavalry was routed, the Agrianians pushed on, now engaging with the Roman Allied heavy infantry.
It was then that Ptolemaios decided to finally employ his deadliest units, the 36 Elephantes from the Indus river. The greatest difference between the use of the Seleukids and the Epirotes was the fact that Pyrrhos had developed a technique which employed the elephantes as a cavalry screen, and not so much a force to be thrown in at the front. The results for the Roman lines were catastrophic:
Causing a massive rout on the left side, the right side was faltering, but did yet stand. As the hoplites were finally broken, the flanks were open for Ptolemaios and his Molossian cavalry. He circled around the battle line and crashed upon the Roman lines.
Rhegion proved catastrophal for the Romani, and proved the excellence of the phalanx combined with heavy infantry and cavalry in the west.
The Roman population of Rhegion was expelled and sold as slaves in Ambrakia, Epidamnos and Pella, though the remaining Greek population was left in peace.
And thus began the conquest of Megale Hellas.
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Next: Chapter V - On the Spartans
Lot's, LOT'S of battles coming up in the next chapters.
Re: Anabasis Pyrrhou - An Epeirote AAR
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