A Chremonidean War Story

[Teleklos Archelaou]

267: The Peloponnesian soldiers did not join the main Greek army. After the fleet returned from Rhodes it loaded the men from Athens and those still on Crete for the journey back to Rhodes again, but the army did not include Peloponnesians in its numbers. The reason is this: when their spies reported that Karia was on the whole poorly defended, Areus still did not see reason enough to lead a Spartan army across the sea again at this time, but in a show of support he agreed to accompany the force to Rhodes in the hopes of bringing some cities over to their side and aid in diplomatic affairs. He arrived in Rhodes as the army was training the last of the soldiers for the expedition, and watched them board the ships as they prepared to sail into enemy lands.

266: Chremonides had been an ally of the Ptolemies and during his lifetime had visited Egypt, but if the koinon was to continue to thrive and grow, he knew new lands must come under their control. Areus was unwilling to accompany him directly, so Chremonides and the main koinon army boarded the fleet at Rhodes and crossed over to the mainland northwest of Halicarnassus in Lydia, Seleucid domains. No Seleucid army opposed him though, but diplomats arrived in his camp much more quickly than any army could, and informed him that any attempt to take the city of Halicarnassus would be the last straw for king Ptolemaios. Chremonides dismissed the diplomats and in the summer led his soldiers towards the walls of the Karian capital and with the siege received word that a state of war was had begun between the koinon and the Ptolemies. It was a calculated move though - the Ptolemies had their own troubles with the Seleucid forces in Syria and would hardly move upon the Greek armies in western Anatolia he reckoned. However, in the fall spies reported a Ptolemaic army moving west into the eastern borders of the province, but by winter they had returned to Pamphylia. Bad news fell in the winter on the mainland too though in two places. First, Thermon was attacked by an Epeirote force so large that there was little chance the Aitolians could hold out for long. These conditions immediately precipitated a return of the diplomat at Ambrakia and a state of war followed. Also, north of Sparta a large Arkadian army was raised and began to lay waste to Spartan trade routes north to Corinth and northwest to Elis. There was no koinon force on the mainland large enough to attempt to deal with the Arkadians at this point. Luckily the Thebans still blocked the Macedonians from venturing further south. The koinon now had lost all their allies as a result of the rash decision to move upon Halicarnassus and the Epeirotes actions at Thermon.

265: The battle of Halicarnassus would not have been won by Chremonides if not for the mercenary soldiers he recruited when he first set foot in Karia. They were clearly the factor that tipped the scales in his favor, and after a siege had worn the Halicarnassians down the final battle was mildly anticlimatic. Diplomats were sent to the Ptolemaic king, but they were not recognized and attempts to bring about a ceasefire were dismissed. Pleased with the victory, but disgusted by the inability of the alliance to sooth the anger of the Ptolemaic king's diplomats, Areus prepared to sail back to Sparta in the spring. The limits of their domain and the main army at Halicarnassus are shown here:

264: Areus sails from Rhodes towards the mainland, but puts in at Chalcis first as a safer route is necessary to protect the Spartan king. A light raiding force of Epeirote soldiers crossed the gulf south of Thermon into Peloponnesian territory, but Euhpranor Ilioneus, whose name we will remember for some time, made contact and convinced the force to cease hostilities with the koinon. A ceasefire was agreed upon and trade rights established. The party was given 1000 mnai additionally to secure their good will, but no talks of reestablishing the alliance were tolerated. Spies reveal that the Seleucid forces in Lydia and Phrygia are much larger than our earlier estimates. Diplomats sent into Pamphylia have had no success in talking with the Ptolemies. At the end of the spring the Seleucid armies outside of Ipsos move upon Pergamon and lay siege to it. In the summer, Thersites leaves Corinth and travels to Olympia to compete in the Olympic games. He is 29 and this is his first Olympic games. To be honest, the people of Corinth are somewhat glad to be rid of him for a month, he has been a good governor these last few years, but he fancies himself a philosopher poet with refined tastes and while he is very much involved in the bureacracy and political life of the city he is also rumored to be corrupt and is never seen worshipping the gods.

In the fall, in addition to word coming from Olympia that Thersites had failed in his attempts, the Seleucid envoy at Athens demands a small sum of money or their soldiers in Lydia would attack. Fearing yet another state of war, the alliance agrees to pay him off...although there were thoughts that it could bring the Ptolemies back into favor with the alliance if they were to take a harsher stand with the Seleucids. Bad news also arrives in the fall: a moderate sized Macedonian force leaves Demetrias and approaches the province's borders to the south, crossing over into our lands. Areus arrives at Gytheion, the port south of Sparta just in time to hear the news. It is decided that a force cannot be raised at Sparta large enough to deal with the Arkadians, so their other Peloponnesian allies continue to build an army at Corinth. In the winter, the Macedonians have succeeded in evading the Theban army and arrive suddenly outside the city walls of Athens. Chremonides' son Doros is in charge of a very small garrison - relief must come from elsewhere if the city is to remain free.

Areus is too exhausted from his long sea voyage and travels back to Sparta to lead a relief force. His son Akrotatos takes his personal bodyguard and a number of skirmishers south to Gytheion where they board the fleet and move north to the Isthmus. The gathering army at Corinth cannot cross the Isthmus itself, as the force of Thebans would pounce upon them as they crossed over into the Megarid and leave no men left to attack the Macedonians, under the command of a captain Polykratis, sieging Athens. Doros is well loved and the people bear the siege well so far, but are too few to stop the advance of the Macedonians themselves.

264: Eugenios, son of Agothokles of Rhodes, formed a close friendship with Areus while the king was on Sparta, and the youth accompanied him back to Sparta to undergo the traditional agoge training instead of remaining on Rhodes. In the spring of 264 he comes of age and decides to remain at Sparta to continue his training. In Corinth, Thersites leads a small but balanced army onto the ships south of the Isthmus and joins Akrotatos. Their plan is to sail around the coast to Marathon, to join forces with a handful of hoplites from Euboia and surprise the Macedonians. They are unable to put in at Marathon though, and land at Oropos further north where a unit of Cretan mercenaries joins them. Then now have a force that may pose some problems for the Macedonians, but if the Thebans move upon them they will not last long.

There is no turning back now though, ships bearing the flag of the king of Tylis sail into the Gulf of Euboia in the late spring and utterly destroy the small alliance fleet anchored off Oropos. But the Thebans have not moved, so only the battle with the Macedonians remains. Thankfully no further relief force for their soldiers has arrived. As the alliance army begins to cross the last set of hills north of Athens, they find the Macedonians have the higher ground. With the barbarian ships visible in the straits to the north, and with Athens visible in the distance to the south, the battle begins. With a small relief army coming from Athens, it is a very close battle. Having the high ground, tree cover, and several units of sphendonetai, the Macedonians start to pick apart my soldiers. I charge ahead on each wing with a general's bodyguard, and hit the sphendonetai, but a full Thessalian cavalry unit goes after Akrotatos, who loses many men and begins to flee the battle. Thersites arrives to help him and he regains his composure, but Thracian prodromoi have slammed into the wing of my hoplite line, and phalangites pop up out of the trees and rush into my own slingers. Doros and his soldiers rush from Athens, but only his mounted bodyguard arrives in time - but it is just barely enough - he slams into the back of the Thessalian unit, which routs, then the Thracian prodromoi, which routs as well. Two of my units of hoplites had routed also, but the Cretan archers rushed into the Macedonian phalangites and held them long enough for all three generals to collapse into their rear, finishing off the last of the seriously dangerous units. The other skirmishers in the woods then fled. It was a clear victory - they destroyed half of my army of 500 total, but I eliminated almost their entire army of 350 soldiers. Had they been led by a general, they probably would have won. The siege is lifted. (note: no CTD even with reinforcements and all generals (3) surviving).

The remants of the army move into the city of Athens, and the Macedonian survivors flee north to Demetrias. There is now for the first time two koinon armies clearly - one at Halicarnassus, and a small but growing one at Athens. No movement towards Arkadia is taken yet - but soon the rebels must be dealt with. The Ptolemies still refuse to speak with us on the topic of a ceasefire. To make matters worse, in the fall word reaches Corinth and Athens that Areus has fallen ill and died. Akrotatos is still recovering in Athens and is named the new Eurypontid king of Sparta at the age of 32. As Akrotatos has no children yet, the people have clamored for Doros to be named heir. Given Areus' relationship with young Eugenios Rhodios, if the boy had any promise whatsoever, he might be named heir at this point instead, but it has only taken a year for the Ephors to realize that although he has become quite Spartan in his manners, he has alienated the people around him and it is clear he is stunningly incompetent. It is only too bad the Macedonians do not ask for a trade of a peace for an important hostage. In order to not risk provoking the Thebans, the decision is made to form a new fleet at Rhodes, sail to Attica, board the army with Akrotatos there, and sail south to surprise the Arkadians by attacking them from the direction of Argos. The Macedonians are clearly occupied with expansion to their north and few soldiers remain south of the Vale of Tempe. But wherever the Epeirote armies now are, they are not fighting the Macedonians and Thermon is nearly empty.

In the winter, the fleet arrives in Athens, but spies report that almost the entire garrison of Demetrias has moved north to aid the Macedonians' interests in taking Dardanoia. Should the Arkadian (eleutheroi) forces be dealt with, should I send Eugenios (what a misnomer!) in a headlong charge against the Arkadians? Should the Theban forces be dealth with instead? Should the fleet take the smaller mainland army to Thessaly and attempt to liberate Demetrias from Macedonian control? It is winter now, but some decision must be made to prepare a spring campaign...