CHAPTER THREE: THE HUNT
530th Year of Zalmoxis (183BC)
In the months following our empire’s alliance to the Lusotanoi the basileus was the target of much resentment within the high tribal council. Tzinto’s rivals, such as Dromikaites, son of Pharadmon, lead many of the tarabostes to become sceptical of their basileus’ governing powers. They argued that he was reckless in his befriending of the Iberoi, who were enemies of Roma – a strong military power. They feared that the Romaoi would invade our lands and cause us much trouble, or worse – that Tzinto would invade the heavily fortified Italian peninsula and waste many of our brave troops’ lives on a campaign that was very likely to be doomed to failure.
A great meeting was called in Ambrakia – the largest city in the empire – and all the tarabostes from the tribes of Getai, Thraikes, Skythai, Keltoi and Hellenes gathered to decide upon a course of military action. I attended the assembly too. It was the biggest political gathering I have ever witnessed.
Ambrakia – venue of the great assembly
The issue of Roma was the first subject to be debated, as many were concerned about war with such a powerful nation on top of the existing (if cold) war with the Arche Seleukeia. With all of his political opposition gathered, it did not take long for Tzinto to yield to them and accept that an attack on Rome would be unwise. The west was still under threat however, so the discussion turned to how protection would be granted to the Keltoi of the western empire. Grand General Seuthes complained that, as mighty as his Hosts were, they could not hold off an all-out Romaios invasion for long. Tzinto agreed with the powerful general and promised to reinforce his Hosts with another great army of Keltoi, with a contingent of light cavalry for quick retaliation. If the Romaoi did attack now, the Hosts of the West would be able to hold the western provinces until a retaliation force was mustered.
With the majority of the tarabostes’ worries regarding Roma dispelled, Tzinto spoke of the country’s financial issues, particularly that the huge new military commissioned by Burebista was now putting a massive strain on our economy and causing our funds to plummet.
Some of the more diplomatically-inclined tribal leaders, particularly Hellenes and Illyroi, suggested disbanding some of the armies until our economy could support them. But the true Getai tarabostes, particularly mighty Kloilios, objected strongly to this preposition and called for an invasion to put the armies to use and conquer rich lands to bolster our treasuries. In a truly rousing speech on the subject, Kloilios famously reminded Tzinto that ‘We are the mighty Daoi – Wolves of Zalmoxis! And our nation hungers for resources. Wolves do not sit around idly when they are hungry. They hunt! So let us hunt so that we may never go hungry again!’
Our basileus agreed instantly with the venerable warmonger, eager to earn himself a place amongst the true Getikoi kings – Zalmodegikos, Dizo, Koson, Pharadmon and Burebista, basileis who vanquished many enemies to demonstrate the might of the Getai. He spoke next of the wolf – this time using the analogy to point out the wolf’s intelligence in its choice of target. ‘A pack of wolves will not thoughtlessly attack a nest of vipers – for the vipers are a dangerous target and a ferocious match for the wolves. The Romaoi are vipers. They are no friends to the Pan-Thracian Empire of Getia, but they are too dangerous a target to risk our wolves against in vain. We must be as prudent as the wolf and hunt the sheep.’ He paused and the room filled with the whispers of excitement and anticipation mixed with murmurs of doubt and suspicion.
‘I propose the Koinon Hellenon as our sheep.’ The whispers and murmurs increased to a general chattering, but Tzinto simply spoke over them, silencing most. ‘The islands of Krete and Rhodos are wealthy and ripe to be plundered. Their temples and palaces are brimful with the gold they have earned through trade across the Hellenikos world. If conquered, their harbours will bring precious metals, spice and silk from across the Mesogeios Sea and all its empires, which will flow through our lands and enrich our own great empire. The Koinon Hellenon are also our rivals, as they support the foul Seleukidai who oppose us, sycophantically bowing to their cruel basileus just because they once both shared a war upon the Ptolemaioi. The Koinon has not been victorious in battle for decades; ever since Pharadmon drove them from this peninsula they have been a flock of cowards and misers, harkening to the days before we removed their glory. Let us put the Kretoi and Rhodoi out of their misery and hunt them down like the sheep they are!’
There was a cheer across the whole hall and a feeling that a large proportion of our new king’s naysayers had been converted. To most of the tarabostes, Tzinto now had the potential to be a great, truly Getikos basileus and even a mighty victor like Koson and Pharadmon.
The world at the end of 528YZ:
So in the spring of 529YZ Tzinto assembled an invasion force in Lakonike. This consisted of two armies. The main invasion force would be an army from the Hosts of Hellas made up of about 31,000 Greek hoplitai lead by Grand General Rhemaxos and supported by his 1,100 cavalry.
Supporting Rhemaxos and his Hellenes was the basileus himself, leading an army of around 20,000 highly skilled horse-archers from the Hosts of Skythia.
(It may seem strange to some readers that the Getikos basileus would lead a force of foreign Skythai in to battle and come under no criticism from the tarabostes. This is because, although titled the Hosts of Skythia, these armies were mostly made up of Getikoi tribesmen by now. The Skythai were conquered and assimilated into Getia almost a century ago and their style of horse-archer hit-and-run warfare has been used by the eastern Getai for centuries. The Hosts of Skythia make up the majority of the true Getikos military today, as the Hellenes and Keltoi provide an adequate infantry force for most warfare. Also, since Getia has become so successful in its conquests, many of the Getai have become rich enough to be of equestrian status and so they naturally serve a cavalry role, whilst the subjugated peoples are of lower social status within the empire and serve as infantry as such.)
In the early winter of 529YZ the invasion force boarded the ships of Getia’s newly constructed navy, landed on Krete and laid siege to its capital, Kydonia.
The winter was long for the Geto-Hellenikoi troops, who spent their time constructing siege engines and cutting off supply roots. I spent my much of my time with Tzinto and his cavalry army, who mostly hunted and pillaged throughout the land whilst the Hellenikoi defenders sat, powerless, in their city.
The world at the end of 529YZ:
By the time springtime came, plans of assault had been made and the siege rams were complete. The city was poorly defended and it was clear that defeat would be humiliation beyond recovery for Tzinto and Rhemaxos, so the attack plan was carried out strictly.
After the assaulting army of hoplitai had deployed in battle order, two units manning siege rams began to approach the walls, while two reserve rams waited behind the battle lines in case the defenders managed to destroy the first two.
Both rams survived the approach with all the manning hoplitai surviving too, despite the defenders’ attacks with puny javelins. The siege engines then managed to breach the city’s walls at the gates and at another point almost simultaneously, allowing our troops to flood in and overwhelm the defending forces from two directions.
The first line of defence was swiftly overwhelmed and then the defending general himself – Nepos Andanieus – charged our lines with his elite hoplite bodyguard.
Meanwhile, the other half of our vast army was still marching in through the gates to form up on the north side of the city.
Soon the sheer numbers of our hoplitai overwhelmed the enemy on the west of the city and Andanieus was killed. The few remaining epilektoi hoplitai turned their backs and fell back to the town square.
Once half of our forces were in position on the north of the city, they were ordered forward and charged the remaining enemy soldiers in the city square.
As soon as the western division had reformed, they charged into the fray in the town square as well. Rhemaxos watched from nearby, shouting orders at his troops and inspiring them to obliterate the enemy whilst the Koinon Hellenon troops stood defiant, calling our own brave Hellenes ‘traitors’.
Kydonia soon fell to our forces though and Tzinto ordered the city to be pillaged and its insolent population to be put to the sword, as they resisted Getikos rule so vehemently. Our soldiers ran through the streets looting, raping and killing for two days to demonstrate Thraikios might and to gather all the plunder to be sent back to the royal treasury in Sarmiszegethusa. Rhemaxos, the Hellenikos general, was troubled to carry out these orders, as he saw it as barbaric. Our king however is a pragmatic man and a merciless victor and saw this violent orgy as little more than a necessary aspect of war.
The Kretoi who our basileus saw fit to grant continued life to were rebellious types who rioted in the streets for months after our conquest. The rest of the year was the real battle for Rhemaxos and his Hellenikos army, who lost more men to the mutinous populace of Kydonia than to its defensive army.
So it was that Krete, the birthplace of so-called Greek civilisation was conquered by so-called northern barbarians. Hundreds of years ago Hellenikos culture was born here under the Minoans and now it is conquered by foreigners, as the Hellenikos world begins to crumble under Getikos might. It was here that the Minotaur brutally slaughtered so many sacrificial victims; now that brutality has been surpassed by our own slaughter of the defiant Kretoi.
Whilst this rioting took place our basileus and his army sailed across the rough winter seas to the famous and ancient island of Rhodos, where more Hellenikoi sheep awaited the wolves of Getia.
The world at the end of 530YZ:
On Mighty Getia: Commentaries on the Pan-Thracian Empire (A Getic AAR)
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