- Never near Argos -

[Mediolanicus]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Damn

Thanks for the following! I wonder what all those lurkers think of this AAR. Criticism is welcomed too, even saying it's plain bad - as long as you say why.

Damn indeed.

It was a great battle to play, except indeed the death of Ptolemaios, which was completely unexpected. Before his death the Galatians had been annihilated and one unit of Illyrians was routing, but when Ptolemaios fell all hell broke loose. Several units started to rout including the peltastai which were fighting together with my elephants. The elephants were slaughtered and then all but three units routed. I gave up and retreated those three.

And now, a small update.

Book IV, 20-23.

Background:

It seems that the siege of Pella was called off when the army there heard about the death of Antigonos, since we now read that this Rhouphos Bouthrotios – the one we read about in Book IV, 4 – had escaped Demetrias with his prisoner and arrived in Pella during the autumn of 267.
Although we lack the sources about the why and when exactly, we can be certain that it was also in this autumn that Krateros the historian, older brother of Antigonos, succeeded him as King of Hellas, Thessalia and Makedonia and Strategos of Lesbos.
In fact only Southern Thessalia was really directly governed by Krateros. Lakonia was still completely independent and although the poleis in the rest of the Poleponessos and Attica did have Antigonid puppets as tyrants or high officials, they still retained a certain level of independence.
Makedonia of course was in Epirote hands and the plan to reconquer it had been dropped when the news of Antigonos’ death had reached the besieging force.

The text:

[…]
After being smuggled out of Demetrias by Rhouphos Bouthrotios, Hieronymos was transferred from Pella to Ambrakia, where Alexandros, son of Pyrrhos, was residing for the winter.
[…]
In spite of the nearing winter, Alexandros crossed the Adriatic Sea to see his father. He took with him the news of the death of his older brother and the captive old historian, Hieronymos.
[…]
Pyrrhos did not react well to news of the death of his oldest son and heir. He praised him for his bravery, but did not accepted his arrogant overconfidence after killing Antigonos Gonatas.
He is said to have warned everyone there about the dangers of hubris and then retreated to his private quarters. For the next 20 days there he remained, only to exit to offer to the gods. During those days, a period of mourning was declared in Taras.
[…]
Pyrrhos, still full of vengeance, declared that Hieronymos, who was by then in his eighty seventh year, should be locked up and be tortured every day. Throughout his torture he was to be told over and over again about all the lies he had written about Pyrrhos and the Aiakid family.
[…]