The [Alternate] Histories of Polybios: A KH AAR

[Epimetheus]

Historiai Polybiou
The [Alternate] Histories of Polybios
(A Koinon Hellenon AAR)

A/N:

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Hi there! This AAR is a bit of an experiment on my part. Since I'm creating an alternative version of an existing history, I decided that, rather than create a pseudo-history, I would attempt to rewrite an existing one in order to suit it. All of the characters who will appear will be historical ones, but the rolls they play in the events that unfold may be radically different. I plan on keeping with Polybios' overall style, but I'll try to make it somewhat less tedious than the original, and possibly more abridged as well. I also plan to include plenty of pictures and maps, in order to keep it interesting, though I don't have any for this first post. I'll also include footnotes when needed, and maybe occasionally a timeline. I have no idea how often I'll update, as this seems a bit more tricky than simply writing it would be, but I hope to be able to keep at it.

Book 1.1 - Introduction

Were it ever the case that the chroniclers of the past neglected to sing the praises of history, it might be necessary for me to spend time promoting it's study. But all historians ceaselessly endeavor to show us that the most important education and training, particularly for a life of politics, is the study of past. Indeed, the surest, perhaps the only way to learn how to bravely bear the whims of fortune is to remember the misfortune of others.

So I see little point in repeating what has already been said so well by so many others. The very subject of my work, and the unexpectedness of the events I have chosen to record should be more than enough to inspire everyone, young or old, rich or poor, to pick up my systematic history. For I can imagine no way that anyone, no matter how ignorant or barbaric they may be, would not be curious as to how and under what sort of government we Hellenes managed to unite and free all of our cities from the Maeotis to the Pillars of Heracles in less than a century. Nor can I imagine any way that one could be so devoted to other interests as to view anything as being more important than this knowledge.

The period which I intend to cover presents a grand and striking the spectacle, which becomes most apparent when we compare the current Panhellenic hegemony to the most famous empires of the past. The Perses once held control over nearly all of Asia and Aigyptos, but they frequently over-stretched their empire, and their attempts to invade Skythia and Hellas would eventually lead to their demise. The Makedones under Alexandros briefly held sway over all of Hellas, Illyria, Thraikia, and the former Persian empire, but after his death quickly succumbed to division and civil war. In comparison to their size, the Koinon of the Hellenes can hardly compare. But it is not in terms of geography that the Hellenes became great, it is in our governance, military, and wealth, and in these regards the Koinon Hellenon has become immeasurably greater than any empire which preceded it.

While the Perses and Makedones did indeed hold sway over great swaths of land, it was always as tyrants and oppressors, and as such, their rule was forever plagued by instability and strife. But we Hellenes have succeeded in uniting all of the poleis, not through domination, but liberation and sympoliteia, and thus are not only free from rebellion, but have the collective will and power to defeat any rival. In the course of this work it will become more clear by what steps this greatness was achieved, and it will also be seen how many and how great advantages appear to the student from the systematic treatment of history.

The date from which I propose to begin my history is the 128th Olympiad [268-264 B.C.], and the events following the Second Hellenic, or Chremonidian War in Hellas, led by Chremonides of Athenai and Areus of Sparte against Antigonos Gonatas of Makedon, the Sikilian War between Syrakousai and Karchedon, leading up to the the foundation of the second Koinon Hellenon. These events roughly correspond to the end of Timaios of Tauromenion's work. Prior to this date, world affairs had been, for the most part, dispersed, and held little unity of initiative, results, or locality. Ever since, they became inseparably entangled with one another, and thus any record of history afterwards must be treated as an organic whole. The affairs of Hellas became interlinked with those of Italia and Libya, as well as Asia and Aigyptos, all leading up to one end. And so it is for this reason that I chose this date as the beginning of my systematic history. For it is due to our defeat of the Makedones in the Chremonidian War that we Hellenes, feeling that the chief and most essential step in the dream of Hellenic liberation had now been taken, were first emboldened to reach out our hands across the sea to aid the apoikia* in breaking free of barbarian oppression.

Now, we Hellenes are generally well acquainted with the background of the struggle between the poleis of Hellas and the Makedon basileis. However, on behalf of the Philhellenes, as well as those Hellenes from the remote apoikia of Iberia and Keltika, I thought it necessary to briefly summarize that struggle, so that nobody finds themselves lost in terms of the context of this narrative. Indeed, even those well acquainted with such matters may find themselves at a loss to explain exactly how we Hellenes managed to embark upon that great enterprise which has led to Panhellenic hegemony. The answer, in my opinion, lies not in how we have achieved such glory, but rather, in how it was delayed for so long. For whenever the poleis of Hellas have united behind a common cause, no force on earth can stand against them. But once that common purpose had been achieved, they always fell back into old rivalries and hatreds.

What is most striking about to me about my work and the period of time it covers is this: Tyche has guided nearly all of world affairs in one direction and towards one end. Therefore, as a historian, I believe I should endeavor to show my readers the big picture, so that they can see the means by which history has been shaped towards this manifest destiny. Indeed, it was primarily my realization of this that encouraged me to undertake this task, as well as the fact that none of my contemporaries have attempted a general history of this era. If they had, I might have been less inclined to attempt such a work. As it is, while many of my colleagues write detailed treatises on particular wars, and the events connected to them, no one, to my knowledge has seriously studied big picture, and how it has all led toward the Hellenic manifest destiny.

Thus I am compelled not to let this display of divine will to pass unnoticed into oblivion. Indeed, though Tyche's will is forever present in lives of men, she has never before now presented such a grand performance as in our own times. Such is it's scope that one could no more hope to perceive it through the histories of particular events than to understand the entire world by visiting it's greatest cities. Anyone who thinks that by studying isolated histories he can gain an accurate view of history as a whole, is to my mind, the same as someone who thinks that seeing the dissected corpse of an animal is the same as witnessing it alive and free in the wild. Were he able to compare the two, I think he would quickly realize the error of his thinking.

Though it is possible to glimpse the big picture from studying particulars, one can never get a clear view of it. Specific histories therefore do little to contribute to the understanding of it's broad scope. Only by studying the connections between all of these events, and through their comparison and contrast, do we get at least a general view of history, and in my opinion, derive the most benefit and enjoyment from it's study.

Footnotes:

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apoikia: Hellenic trading colonies
Tyche: the Hellenic equivalent to the Roman goddess, Fortuna.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

That's a very brave and novel approach to an AAR - well done!

[Epimetheus]

Book 1.2

I shall adopt as the starting point for this book the first successful Hellenic revolution against the Makedones, which, as I have said, roughly corresponds with the end of Timaios' History, in the 128th Olympiad. However, we must first establish how the poleis of Hellas came to be under Makedonian dominion, and what prompted them to seek their liberation. This is, perhaps an abrupt place to start, however, were I to seek to explain everything from the beginning, my work would have no clear direction or purpose. The starting point has to be one generally agreed on and recognized, and obviously connected to the following events, for if there is any ignorance or dispute in the facts at the beginning, then the value of everything that follows becomes moot. If we have a solid, common basis however, our readers will be, at the very least, more inclined to listen to the rest.

It was, therefore, in third year of the 110th Olympiad [338 BC], 66 years after the end of the Peloponnesian War, that Philippos II Argeades of Makedon defeated the Koinon Boiotion at the Battle of Chaironia, and established his authority over all the Hellenes, save for the Lakedaimonians. He then formed the first Koinon Hellenon, as a means to control the cities of Hellas, while respecting their autonomy. His plan for war against the Persians served as the cause that bound the poleis together, much as the first Persian War had done. The Hellenes rebelled on his death, two years later, but were quickly subdued by his son, Megas Alexandros. During his campiagns against the Persians, the Koinon Hellenon fulfilled it's purpose, maintaining a common peace in Hellas while the king was away. The Lakedaimonians, the only Hellenes who had not been subjugated by the Makedones, attempted to liberate Hellas, but because they did so on behalf of the Persians, they found little support for their cause, and were, in turn defeated by the regent Antipatros at the Battle of Megalopolis in the second year of the 112th Olympiad [331 BC], and forced to join the Koinon Hellenon.

It was against this same Antipatros that the poleis of Hellas would rebel against following the death of Megas Alexandros in the second year of the 114th Olympiad [323 BC], under the leadership of Athenai. The end of the Argeades dynasty did not mean the end of Makedonian power, however, and this rebellion, known as the first Hellenic, or Lamian War, ended in disaster. The coalition forces were defeated at the Battle of Krannon, the leaders were executed, and Antipatros dissolved the Koinon Hellenon, believing that the poleis were easier to control individually and were less of a threat if they were divided. In this assertion, he was perhaps correct, however, as the wars between the successors of Alexandros dragged on, the poleis one by one slipped away from Makedonian control. The Antigonids attempted to revive the Koinon Hellenon for their own struggle against Kassandros, but they lacked the strength to assert control, and a cause to rally the Hellenes behind. By the time the Galatai invaded Makedon and Hellas, in the second year of the 125th Olympiad [279 BC], Makedonian authority in Hellas had deteriorated to the point that only a few key garrisons, such as Korinthos, remained under their control.

Following the retreat of the Galatai, Antigonos II Gonatas managed to establish himself as king of Makedonia. His hold over the ravaged kingdom was not very secure however, as when Pyrrhos of Epeiros returned from his unsuccessful campaigns in the west he was able to take the throne of Makedonia with little difficulty, although Antigonos retained control of the coast and his cities in Hellas. Pyrrhos, growing weary of the struggle, was induced to intervene in a dynastic dispute between Kleonymos, and his nephew, Areus, the Agiad king of Sparte. Kleonymos had been the eldest son of the previous Agiad basileus, Kleomenes, however he was rejected for the throne on account of his tyrannical behavior, and so he had spent many years fighting as a mercenary. Now, however, hoped to claim the throne with the aid of Pyrrhos, and take his vengeance on Areus' son, Akrotatos II, who had stolen his young wife, Chelidonis. It quickly became clear that arbitrating the Spartan dispute was not his only objective, and that the Epeirote king hoped to bring the rest of the Peloponnessos under his rule. However, he was unable to overcome the Spartan garrison, even though Areus and the main force were away on Krete at the time. When he received word of Areus' return, he quit his campaign against Sparte, and turned his attention elsewhere. Pyrrhos campaign did little but antagonize the poleis of the Peloponnesos, many of which allied themselves with Antigonos Gonatas, who, together with Areus of Sparte, hounded the Epeirote king, at one point ambushing and killing his eldest son, Ptolemaios. When Pyrrhos sought to intercede in the political struggle at Argos, he was dragged into a bloody battle in the city streets, and there slain. It was in the aftermath of this struggle that Antigonos came to control much of Hellas. In his struggle against Pyrrhos, he had gained influence in many of the cities, and he set about re-establishing garrisons and attempting to install pro-Makedonian tyrants in many of the poleis.

Four years after Pyrrhos death, in the first year of the 128th Olympiad [268 BC], many of the poleis had soured towards Antigonos, and so Ptolemaios II Philadelphos, Basileus of Aigyptos began promoting the idea of a new alliance of Greek cities against him. While his political goals were much the same, Ptolemaios was more successful, do to his good relations with many of the poleis, as well as his distance from Hellenic affairs. Through his connections to the Athenian statesman, Chremonides Aithalidaios, son of Eteokles, who had served Ptolemaios as a mercenary for many years, he managed to convince the Athenians, who had only recently restored their traditional constitution, to ally with Areus, the Agiad king of Sparte, and declare war against Antigonos. Also joining the alliance were the Achaian and Eliean leagues, as well as Areus' allies in Arkadia and Krete. The Aitolians, the Messenians, and most of the Arkadians, however, were skeptical of the new alliance and it's ability to actually defeat the Makedonians, and so remained neutral. It was in this context, that the Symmachos Hellenike, often called the Symmachos Chremonidou because of his crucial roll in negotiating the treaty, was formed, and it is from this alliance would the second Koinon Hellenon eventually arise.

Supplemental Material:

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Map of the Peloponnesian Territories at the start of the Chremonidian War


Founding Members of the Symmachos Chremonidou:
Basileus Ptolemaios II Philadelphos (not shown)
Athenai
Sparte
Koinon Eleion
Koinon Achaion
Tegea
Mantineia
Orchomenos
Phialia
Kaphyai
and Sparte's Kretan allies. Gortyna, and not Knossos, but other than that, unknown. (not shown)

---

The Decree of Chremonides:

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Gods. In the archonship of Peithedemos, in the second prytany, that of (the tribe) Erechtheis, on the ninth (day) of Metageitnion, the ninth (day) of the prytany, (in) a statutory assembly. Of the prohedroi Sostratos, son of Kallistratos, of (the deme) Erchia, and his fellow prohedroi put the motion to the vote. Resolved by the demos: Chremonides, son of Eteokles, of (the deme) Aithalidai, spoke: Whereas in former times the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians and the allies of each, after making friendship and common alliance with one another, together fought many noble struggles alongside one another against those who were trying to enslave the cities, from which deeds they both won for themselves fair reputation and brought about freedom for the rest of the Greeks, and (whereas) now, when similar circumstances have overtaken all Greece on account of those who are trying to overthrow the laws and the ancestral institutions of each (of the cities), King Ptolemy, in accordance with the policy of his ancestors and his sister, shows clearly his concern for the common freedom of the Greeks, and the demos of the Athenians, having made an alliance with him, has voted to urge the rest of the Greeks toward the same policy; and, likewise, the Lacedaemonians, being friends and allies of King Ptolemy, have voted an alliance with the demos of the Athenians, along with the Eleians and Achaeans and Tegeans and Mantineians and Orchomenians and Phialians and Kaphyans and as many of the Cretans as are in the alliance of the Lacedaemonians and Areus and the other allies, and have sent ambassadors from the synhedroi to the demos (of the Athenians), and their ambassadors having arrived, make clear the zealous concern which the Lacedaemonians and Areus and the rest of the allies have toward the demos of the Athenians, and bring with them the agreement about the alliance; (and) in order that, a state of common concord having come to exist among the Greeks, the Greeks may be, along with King Ptolemy and with each other, eager contenders against those who have wronged the cities and violated their treaties with them, and may for the future with mutual good-will save the cities; with good fortune, be it resolved by the demos: that the friendship and alliance of the Athenians with the Lacedaemonians and the Kings of the Lacedaemonians, and the Eleians and Achaeans and Tegeans and Mantineians and Orchomenians and Phialians and Kaphyans and as many of the Cretans as are in the alliance of the Lacedaemonians and Areus and the rest of the allies, be valid for all {time, the one which} the ambassadors bring with them; and that {the} secretary of the prytany have (it) inscribed on a bronze stele and {set up} on the Acropolis, by the temple of Athena Polias; and that {the} magistrates {swear} to the ambassadors who have come {from them the oath} about the alliance, according to {ancestral custom}; and to send {the} ambassadors {who have been} elected by the demos to receive the oaths {from} the {rest of the Greeks}; and further, that {the demos immediately} elect {two} synhedroi {from among} all {the Athenians} who shall deliberate {about the common} good with Areus and the synhedroi {sent by the allies}; and that {those in charge} of public administration distribute to those chosen (as synhedroi) provisions for as long as they shall be away {whatever} the demos shall decide {when electing them}; and to Praise {the ephors} of the Lacedaemonians and Areus and the allies, {and to crown them} with a gold crown in accordance with the law; {and further, to praise the} ambassadors who have come from them, Theom {. . . of Lacedae}mon and Argeios son of Kleinias of Elis, {and to crown} each of them with a gold crown, in accordance with {the law, on account of their zealous concern} and the good-will which they bear toward {the rest of the allies} and the demos of the Athenians; and that {each of them} be entitled to receive {other} benefits from the boule {and the demos, if they seem} to deserve {any}; and to invite them {also to receive hospitality} tomorrow {in the prytaneion}, and that the secretary of the prytany have inscribed {this decree also and the agreement} upon a {stone} stele and have it set up on the Acropolis, and that those in charge of {public administration} allocate {the expense for the inscription and erection} of the stele, {whatever it} may be. The following were elected synhedroi: Kallippos of (the deme) Eleusis, {and- - - }.

The treaty and alliance {of the Lacedaemonians and the allies} of the Lacedaemonians with {the Athenians and the allies} of the Athenians, {to be valid} for all {time}: {Each (of the parties)}, being {free} and autonomous, {is to have its own territory, using its own political institutions in accordance with} ancestral tradition. If anyone {comes with war as their object against the land} of the Athenians or {is overthrowing} the laws, {or comes with war as their object against} the allies of the Athenians, {the Lacedaemonians and the allies} of the Lacedaemonians {shall come to the rescue in full strength to the best of their ability. If} anyone comes with war as their object {against the land of the Lacedaemonians}, or is overthrowing {the} laws, {or comes with war as their object against the allies} of the Lacedaemonians, {the Athenians and the allies of the Athenians shall come to the rescue in full strength to the best of their ability.} - - - The (following) Athenians swear the oath to the Lacedaemonians {and to those from each} city: the strategoi and the {boule of 600 and the} archons and the phylarchs and the taxiarchs {and the hipparchs}. “I swear by Zeus, Ge, Helios, Ares, Athena Areia, {Poseidon, Demeter} that I shall remain in the alliance that has been made; {to those abiding by this oath} may many good things befall, to those not, the opposite.” (Of the Lacedaemonians} (the following) swear the same oath to the Athenians: the {kings and the ephors (and)} the gerontes. And the magistrates {are to swear the same oath also in the other} cities. If {it seems preferable to the Lacedaemonians and) the allies and the Athenians (to add something) or to remove something in respect to (the terms of) the alliance, {then whatever is decided upon by both} will be in accord with the oath. (The cities are) to have {the agreement} inscribed {upon) stelai and have (them) set up in a sanctuary wherever they wish.

A/N:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Sorry this has been slow going. Even approximating Polybios' style is more tricky than I thought, and the amount of research required is ridiculous. On top of that, I'm only now even close to ready to start playing (I've modded it a fair amount). Still, it's fun, so hopefully I'll be able to pick up the pace soon, once the tedious bits are out of the way.