Rise of the Arche Epeirou

[Scipio Germanicus]

Chapter 4: A Short Rest

After the end of the Macedonian War, Pyrrhos went about securing his new possessions. Ptolemaios was made the governor of Demetrias while a portion of the Phalangitai were sent to garrison Pella. Pyrrhos himself took the remainder of his army and marched back to Ambrakia.

His representatives in Pella and Ptolemaios in Demetrias, having pacified the conquered regions, begin to set up governments. Despite the objections of many, both Makedonia and Thessaly are given equal status to the Epeirote homelands. Pyrrhos hoped that doing so would make the people of those regions happier, thus making them easier to rule.



While Pyrrhos built up the infrastructure of Hellas, Helenos and the town of Taras were once again threatened. The Romans broke the six-year peace with the Epeirotes and blockaded Brundisium. Helenos was now completely cut off from Hellas.



However, he had been busy during those six years. He had first completed a stone wall to improve the town’s defenses. To counter any siege engines the Romans might bring, he had trained many Toxotai. These archers could use arrows wrapped in oily cloth and lit on fire to shoot at rams and towers, hopefully setting them on fire. He’d also trained Peltestai, who could rain javelins on the enemy but were also decent melee fighters. It would be with this force, along with the surviving Illyrians and Hoploi, that Helenos would have to defend Taras.




In the winter of the third year of the 127th Olympiad (266 BC), Nereis, daughter of Ptolemaios, marries an Agrianian named Aruptaios of the Eleaios family. Seeing potential in the young man, Pyrrhos sends him to Pella as a governor.



After years of peace, events in the southern part of Hellas force Pyrrhos to build up his army. Antigonus had been defeated after a year of almost constant battles. With Antigonus’ defeat, the Koinon Hellenon had finally captured Korinthos and the whole of Peloponnesos. However, instead of disbanding most of their army and preparing for peace, the Koinon had raised even more troops. They then moved a large part of these troops to Attike. Seeing this as the precursor to an invasion, Pyrrhos quickly began raising more soldiers.



Ptolemaios also began preparing for war, training Hoplitai and Phalangitai to defend Demetrias in case of an attack.

Their moves proved wise. During the last year of the 127th Olympiad, the Hellenes made their move. A small force marched north from Attike and besieged Demetrias. At the same time, a slightly larger force crossed the Straits of Rion and attacked Thermon, the meeting-place of the Aetolian League.

Aetolia had been a buffer state between the Epeirotes and Hellenes, with both sides agreeing to refrain from moving troops in the region. With these acts, the Hellenes initiated the largest war ever fought in Hellas. The prize for the winner was absolute control of Hellas. The future of both the Koinon and Epeiros were at stake.

[Scipio Germanicus]

Alas! My game has unfortunately become unstable and crashed! I have tried repeatedly to continue but is keeps crashing at the end of the turn in winter 242. If anyone has any suggestions as to how to fix it then I'll try. But if not, then I apologize to any who may have enjoyed my attempt at writing.

[anubis88]

wow, surprisingly good read... You really have a way of writing, i like that. To bad about your crash

[Scipio Germanicus]

Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it, what little there was. I don't feel particularly inspired to start another one right now bc of school and work, but hopefully I will soon.