The Line of Ptolemy

[Horatius Flaccus]

I'm looking forward to it.

[Roka]

Here's the situation, I am missing notes for the first two years after the last update. However I have been able to figure out who was born in this period by checking ages against the current date. I then have a period between 257 and 255 were I have notes but no screenshots, so the next chapter will be shorter as I can't use the screenshots to flesh it out a bit, sorry.

Anyway, next chapter will be up tonight at some point.

[Roka]

Chapter V
The “Peace” Years
259-255 BC

After 23 years of being a Basileus/general Ptolemaios II, decided to pass chief control of his armies to his son-in-law Pyrrhos. It is commonly believed that a combination of pressure from his daughter and a genuine respect for his son-in-law contributed greatly to this decision. Upon taking control of the principal army of the Ptolemaioi Pyrrhos started recruiting great numbers of Galatians having been impressed by their skill, courage and ferocity in previous battles. This would have varied consequences in later years as the armies began to rely on steadily decreasing numbers of Jews for their auxiliary troops.

Staying in the area of Ioudaia while he recruited his army Pyrrhos drew up plans for an invasion of the region of Sinai. The region was depicted as a centre for both banditry and piracy and this was used as the reason for the invasion. However many philosophers argued the point that a discovery of copper had recently been made in the region and that the local king was unwilling to trade with Ptolemaios.

In this period many building projects were completed including mines in Kilikia and a river port a short distance from the town of Pselkis in the province of Triakontaschoinos.

In the spring of 256 BC Pyrrhos crossed the border between Ioudaia and Sinai at the head of his new-look army. Advancing on Petra the seat of power of Hayu, King of the Maranitoe, Pyrrhos ordered his army to surround the town and dig in for a long siege, despite the fact that the town was unfortified. After a failed attempt to break the siege Hayu also settled in for the long haul. The siege continued for over a year until in the summer of 255 BC a decisivie battle was fought. An unknown historian said this of the battle:

“The army of Ptolemaios, under the command of his son-in-law Pyrrhos lined up in the plain before the town. The Maranitoe King formed his men up facing the invaders. Many of his men were levied and had little experience of warfare whereas the army of Pyrrhos was made of a semi-professional core of Phalangitai, supported by wild Galatikoi. The majority of his army were veterans of the war against the Seleukid King.

Hayu was said to have been a learned man and he had studied the campaigns of Alexandros. Therefore he realised that the key to defeating the hammer and anvil tactics used by Alexandros and his Diodachoi was to turn the hammer whilst smashing the anvil. He tried to tie down the flanks of Pyrrhos' army while breaking through the centre.

After a brief exchange of missile fire the main battle lines clashed. In the centre of Pyrrhos' line the bulk of the Maranitoe infantry attacked while a smaller force under Hayu's son attacked the left. Hayu himself led his cavalry and the smallest of his three infantry groups towards the left flank. The battle remained at a stalemate for a long time as the Maranitoe cavalry were able to inflict terrible losses on the Ioudaioi fighting there. Seeing the danger of the fighting in the centre Pyrrhos had previously moved infantry from his left flank to reinforce the centre and had ordered his Prodromoi to the left. Outnumbered by the enemy his cavalry were driven back and would have been crushed had it not been for a brave charge by the general into the flanks of the engaged Maranitoe cavalry, locking horns with and defeating Hayu in single combat.

Seeing their king die the Maranitoe closest to were he fell threw down their weapons. Soon this gesture was repeated all across the battlefield and only small pockets of fighting remained, the largest of these centring around the son of Hayu and his bodyguards, however he was struck down and the remainder of his bodyguard also surrendered.”

With Petra now in Ptolemaic hands work was began to extract the mineral resources of the region to increase the wealth of the Ptolemaioi.

Timeline of this Period:~

259 BC

• Philista, daughter of Alexandros Thraikikos born.
• Skyllinos, son of Euergetes born

258 BC

• Terpnos Ptolemaios, son of Meleagros travels to Alexandria to study

257 BC

Summer

• Philotera, widow of Menelaos Salaminios dies

Autumn

• Mines completed in Kilikia

Winter

• River port opened in Triakontaschanos

256 BC

• Pyrrhos crosses into Sinai and besieges Petra

255 BC

Spring

• A Hellen named Philanor Syrakousates becomes governor of Side

Summer

• Pyrhos defeats Hayu and takes controls of Petra