Anabasis Pyrrhou - An Epeirote AAR

**hrrypttrbst** · 12-11-2008, 19:09

Good chapter

I wonder what you will do with the Romans now they have slaughterd your allies in Italia.

**Hax** · 12-11-2008, 21:30

NickTheGreek: Thanks for reading. I hope you'll also enjoy the next chapters.

hrrypttrbst: Hehe, well; Pyrrhos is already growing pretty old, and he might not even live long enough to make the Romans suffer for the conquest of Taras. However, his son Ptolemaios is also quite promising...

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Chapter III - The Gateway to the East

As Serdike had been conquered, Pyrrhos set his eyes east. The rest of Thrace still had to be subjugated, and he had been quite impressed by the fierceness that the Thracians had shown. He once again assembled his armies and marched away from the city, leaving only a small garrison to deal with any dissendent citizens;

The air grew colder as the army marched on, with summer turning into autumn, colouring the leaves a golden-brown. It was during this time that the army was in no short supply, as the area was rich with appletrees, which were just getting ripe.

Before the winter snows came, however, they had reached Tylis, starting their siege.

The city of Tylis had been raided by Galatians from far-away lands not too long ago, and they had left their mark. Their leader, Virssuccios, alledgedly was among those who pillaged the Deliphinion, and he led an army of Thraco-Galatians. It was from here that Pyrrhos sent several embassies towards the north, calling out for mercenaries, to which several replied. There came 1,000 Hippotoxotai, or horse-archers, from the far northern steppes, old Skythians who had been driven from their homeland when the Sakae came.

Without any warning, the Galatians came out after a year, their warchants ringing through the air and the sound of swords being brandished sending chills down Pyrrhos' men. Their fear was unnecessary, however, as they were undermanned and malnourished. They threw themselves against Pyrrhos' phalangitai without managing to make any true progress.

From the flanks came Virssuccios himself, riding with his blond-haired Gauls into battle. Pyrrhos rode around the flanks with his Molossian spear-bearers and crashed into Virssuccios men.

They were quickly joined by the Thessalian hoplites, who cut down the large Gallic steeds with their ferocious spears.

It was at this moment that the battle turned into Pyrrhos' favour, as the Gauls steadily tired, losing their resolve to fight. The final turning point came when Virssuccios himself was pulled off his horse and stabbed multiple times, causing any Gaul in sight to turn tail and flee. It was at this moment that the horse-archers of Skythia proved their second worth. As they had spent all of their arrows, their nimble and light steeds caught the fleeing Galatian horsemen, making sure they did not escape. They pursued them all the way into the city, where the remaining 300 surrendered.

And thus, Tylis, too, had been captured.

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The fall of Tylis was a double victory for Pyrrhos. Not only did he gain a rich town, but also was his reputation among the Hellenes of the world improved, seeing that he destroyed a ferocious Galatian warleader, who had disgraced the Delphinion.

Pyrrhos did not stay to enjoy his victory, as is his way. Immediately after pacifying the region, he assembled the armies again and marched on, this time to the rich port-city of Byzantion. Byzantion was critical for trade in the Pontos Euxeinos, as he who controlled the Golden Horn controlled the grain-trade from Krimea to the city of Athenai.

As he laid siege to Byzantion, news came from his son, Ptolemaios in Demetrias. Several armies of the Hellenic Alliance had been spotted near the borders of Thessalia. Even though they did not cross the border, Ptolemaios thought it wise to raise his defenses.

At around the same time, a Epirote diplomat spoke with an embassie from the Seleukid Kings in the Asia. Seeing that further fighting was no longer needed, they both agreed to a ceasefire.

Even further, they agreed that trade would be in the interest of both of the Kingdoms, and thus a trade agreement was signed.

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As all proceeded good and well, the siege of Byzantion was drawing to a close. Aidesios, the local tyrant of Byzantion, aligned his soldiers on one cold spring morning, and thus the battle for Byzantion began.

Aidesios army consisted mostly out of Hellenic soldiers, mingled with some local Thracians.

Pyrrhos himself had not been quiet either. Forced to leave some of his troops to keep the peace in Tylis, he had sought out the aid of several thousand Thracian and Galatian mercenaries.

Having fairly little time to organize the lines, Pyrrhos ordered his phalangites to stand in the center, with their flanks backed by the Thracians and Galatians. Before he could overlook any more of the battle, the Byzantian
hoplites were upon his lines.

As the hoplites clashed with the blond-haired Galatians, Pyrrhos had already sent his Illyrian cavalry round the flanks. Brandishing their long spears, they sent the Taurantian steeds forwards, crashing into the hoplites' flanks, crushing most of them under the hooves of the light horses.

Pyrrhos' own cavalry had in the meantime annihilated the remainder of Aidesios' bodyguard, causing a massive rout amongst Aidesios' army.

As in Tylis, the remaining forces were chased into the city, and the gateway to the East was secured.

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Next: Chapter IV - Of the Athenians