Lives: Alkyoneus Argeades (A Makedonian AAR)

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Chapter I: An Unexpected Guest

The
spring of 260 marked the 12th year of my father's rule, and since the end of the war with the Greeks in 267, the Kingdom had enjoyed relative peace and prosperity with the exception of some minor rebellions in Illyria, and the occasional raid from the north by restless barbarian tribes. It was during this time that my father received a messenger from Antiochus, King of Arche Seleukideia.

Messenger: Hail King Antigonus, I bring you a message from King Antiochus of Arche Seleukideia.

Antigonus: Welcome, what does our noble ally in the east say to us?

Messenger: Antiochus has asked me to inform you that the Seleukid Kingdom is beset on all sides by those who would ravage her like crows in order to pick from her this piece or that. Antiochus campaigns in the distant east and has recently learned that the upstarts of Pontos have begun to wage war against him, and are attempting to seize Seleukid holdings in the west. This new threat seems to have allied itself with Egypt, and my King Antiochus wishes to assist Makedonian military aid against this new allegiance. He goes on to say that he is aware of your conquests and understands that you have control of the once independent Greek Polises. He feels it would interest you that Pontos has taken Sinope, a Greek colony along the southern coast of the Black Sea. My King has asked me to inform you that he will not dispute any holdings Makedonia claims in her war with Pontos, and offers this chest of 20,000 Mnai to cover the expense of the war effort.

Antigonus: Makedonia does not make allies lightly. You may inform your King that Makedonia will make preparations for war during the winter season, and come spring, we shall sail with an army to take measure of Pontic courage. We shall bring the sword, the sarissa, and the xyston to Pontos, and we will see what metal is in the hearts of such men who would feast as vultures upon the holdings of an ally.

Messenger: On behalf of Arche Seleukideia, and King Antiochos, I thank you for your loyalty King Antigonus. May Poseidon guard you at see, and Zeus upon the earth.

Antigonus: I could do nothing else but. Seek you a bed here for the night, and come the morrow I will send you by the swiftest road back to your king.

And so it went, as far as I can remember it. The following day the messenger left for Syria, and my father began to plan the invasion of Pontos. It was decided to march first to Byzantion, and take the city by storm if necessary. My father planned to use the strategically positioned city as a base for future operations. He planned to used the narrow straits to keep the Pontic naval forces from entering the Aegean, and disrupting the trade of Makedonia, and her allies. Once Byzantion was established as a base, my father's plan was to sail on to Sinope, and take it by surprise before Pontos knew what hit them. My father raised 20,000 foot and 4,000 cavalry for the expedition along with a fleet of Pentekontoroi. It was time.

In
the spring of 259, the army was assembled and ready to depart. Concluding his affairs in Makedonia, my father appointed his younger brother Kalos Commander and Chief of the homeland army, and his elder brother Krateros Regent. After paying homage to the Gods, we left Pella at the head of 24,000 men, and a war-chest of 40,000 Mnai for bribes, provision, and the hiring of mercenaries if need be. My father understood that it was money that won wars. The troops were eager for battle and fortune, and the march to Byzantion was not a long one. We arrived upon the people of Byzantion so suddenly, they had not even time to close their gates and prepare a defense. The city fell quickly with only a hand-full of Makedonians killed in the assault. Most of the people of the town fled to the citadel, and agreed to hand the town over to my father, if he swore to spare their lives. My father had lost neither time, nor many men in the assault, and he was in a fine mood. He agreed to the terms, and even allowed the former Governor of the city to rule as Satrap of the new Satrapy. Before departing Byzantion, my father sent word to Krateros, to build an expedient road from Pella to Byzantion. He knew he may need to get fresh levies quickly to Byzantion, in order to send them forth to the east. Finalizing our affairs in Byzantion, we set sail for Sinope, careful to keep land just out of sight, effectively hiding just beyond the horizon. It was the first time I had ever been at sea with such a fleet. The prows of the ships glistened in the sun, and the innumerable sails were full of wind. It was as if the Gods themselves had blessed our voyage.


Late
in the Summer of 259, we landed three days march west of Sinope. It took several days to unload all of our men, material, and horses from the ships. My father gave orders to the Admiral to take the fleet on to Sinope, and lay a blockade around the port. We began our three-day march to Sinope, setting a fortified camp each night. My father deployed scouts and agents throughout Pontos and the surrounding region and by the time we began to get close to Sinope, my father had learned that it was scarcely defended, yet Pontos had 40,000 men near Amaseia, and another 40,000 in Galatia, near Ankyra, which they had just taken. My father had no desire to have a Pontic army arrive behind him while he had Sinope under siege, therefore he decided to take the city by assault, and be safe within the walls before the Pontic armies could arrive. He knew that he could use his fleet to keep him supplied if he had to, this being the only port city Pontos possessed, and he also knew Winter was fast approaching.

The Siege of Sinope






As our army approached the gates, we could hear the cheers of Greeks within the walls, calling for liberation. The Makedonian battle standards were brilliant in the coastal breeze, and the soldiers, with the exception of the Gauls, maintained their disciplined composure.



The honor of the ram was given to the Gallic mercenaries, and true to their warrior culture, they bashed down the wooden gates and rushed inside, and my father ordered the hoplitai in behind them.



The Gauls encountered a group of levy spearmen and attacked them savagely.



The levies were no match for the Gallic warriors and fled toward the town center, the Gauls peppering them from behind with missiles.



Covering the advance of the hoplitai, the slingers slung over the walls blindly, causing a shower of
stones to fall upon the enemy troops, doing little damage, but causing discomfort.



The Gauls, having won the gate, retired to guard one of the approaching streets as the hoplitai flooded in.



Once inside, the hoplitai faced serious resistance in the form of a sarissa phalanx. Determined to break each other, the phalanxes locked together and began to push with shield and stab with spear. The phalangites had the more reach, but with every broken sarissa, the hoplitai came closer to victory.



The fighting went on brutally in the narrow streets, and while the phalangites fought bravely, they began to waver under the onslaught of the hoplitai.



The phalangites routed, the hoplitai stood aside, their part in the battle finished, and cheered the pezhetairoi as they marched into the city.



The city lost, and rather than face his fate at the hands of his master, the Pontic general charged to his death and was skewered upon Makedonian sarissas.



The last of the defenders fought courageously to hold the square, but they could do little against our phalangites.

The
battle was won and Greek citizens emerged from their homes by the thousands to cheer our army. My father and I entered the gates with our companions as Greeks showered us with flowers and grasped the hands of our Hetairoi as they rode by. My father met with the former governor of Sinope, a man named Leonidos, and named him Satrap of his new province. Due to the fact that Makedonia was Sinope's liberator, and the fact that Sinope needed the protection that the Makedonian Kingdom could offer, he was happy to agree and thanks my father for the honor to rule his people once more. It had been a good start to our campaign, and we had lost few men thus far, but with winter fast approaching it was time to make winter quarters. Little did we know at the time, that we would be fighting a great battle soon, in the newly fallen snow.

The known world, 259 B.C.

To be continued with Chapter II: The Death of a King......