Anabasis Pyrrhou - An Epeirote AAR

**Hax** · 12-15-2008, 21:29

@Priestlizard: Thanks for reading! Pyrrhos will have quite some trouble in securing all of Hellas, though.

@Obelics: At the moment, he's still in Greece, dealing with this troublesome little state Sparta and the Aitolian league in Thermon.

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Chapter IV - On the Athenians

With the capture of Byzantion, Pyrrhos dreams of a united Hellas came closer to vision. He installed one of the local tyrants as the ruler and left, this time for home.

However, peace had not yet come. With the death of Chremonides, who had always been on good terms with the Epeirotes (especially concerning their Macedonian politics), the Athenian council of Nobles came together and elected Doros, son of Chremonides, as their leader. Doros was not as pro-Epirote as his father had been, and one of his first actions was to send an army into Thessalia.

Due to a quick scheme made up by Ptolemaios and some of his trusted diplomats, the Athenian commander was placated by a "gift" of gold.

When Pyrrhos heard of the Athenian betrayel, he marched his armies past Pella and south into Thessalia, where he spoke briefly with his son concerning the Athenian movements. Since Antigonos came to power in Makedonia, the Athenians had been in an alliance with the Spartans and Rhodians. Knowing how the Spartans might send an army past the Isthmus, Pyrrhos ordered a small contingement, made up primarily of phalangites and archers to defend the passes. And thus, the siege of Athenai began.

Due to the blockade of the Isthmos, the Spartan allies were unable to send reinforcements of any kind to Athenai, neither by land nor by sea, as the Argead fleet was still in Hellene waters. As the siege progressed, the Athenian garrison ran out of supplies soon enough and Doros was forced to leave the city and meet Pyrrhos in the field. The elites of Doros marched out first, meeting Pyrrhos' pikemen on the steep hills of Attike

Almost all of the remaining garrison was either worn out by disease and hunger, and those that did still live were soon picked off by Pyrrhos' archers, leaving only Doros and his bodyguard to confront Pyrrhos. He himself did not last long and was crushed on a pike by an Illyrian known only as "Xenophon". His name would later be recorded in one of the books kept in the library of Athenai.

With the death of Doros, and the last true connection to the Spartans lost, the city surrendered.

As Athenai fell, Antigonos and his sons had been poisoned, effectively ending the Argead dynasty, and to avoid any further danger to the city, Korinthos and the Achaian League joined Pyrrhos.

At this time, Hellas had been nearly united, save for the Aitolians situated in Thermon and the Spartans in Lakedaimon, and as Pyrrhos victories' grew, so did his army; as it now measured over 27,500 men. Amongst them were over 5,000 Hellenic-Illyrian pikemen from Epidamnos and Ambrakia, and 750 Pezhetairoi from Chaonia, who had been with Pyrrhos since the beginning of the union at Pella. Also came 1,800 Thessalian horsemen with strong steeds, and 2,000 prodromoi or fore-runners from Makedonia. Then there were the 2,000 Cretan mercenaries with their well-crafted bows and sharp arrows, and 750 hippo-toxotai from Scythia, present since Tylis. And at the last were the feared Thracians with their falxes and javelins, marching silently at the end of the row.

Pyrrhos halted at Delphi, making sacrifices to Apollo before marching on. They camped there for over two weeks and left on one of the many winter-mornings as the snow was glistening in the rising sun.

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Next: Chapter V - Over the Sea?

**Aemilius Paulus** · 12-16-2008, 02:29

Yea! An update!!!

Keep up the good work - you're almost past the one page, which happens to be the moment of crisis for most AARs!

**NickTheGreek** · 12-16-2008, 17:03

Good update Hax and I'm liking the army you built Pyrrhus, it looks tasty

**johnhughthom** · 12-16-2008, 17:08

Originally Posted by Hax

Next: Chapter V - Over the Sea?

East or west? The Epirotes get new units with the vanilla Marians don't they? May be an idea to leave Italy alone for a while. Great AAR so far.

**machinor** · 12-16-2008, 17:57

No the Epirotes do not get any reforms. That's the reason why Italy is never safe from me when I'm playing Epeiros.

**Olaf Blackeyes** · 12-16-2008, 22:21

Id say go go Carthage or Egypt.

**Maion Maroneios** · 12-17-2008, 14:08

Excellent, truly excellent Hax! I just read everything through, after my week-long absense from the fora to enjoy my vacations

Good to see an Epeiros AAR and hope it will continue for us to see the "Arche Apeirou" or "Megale Apeiros" in the future

Maion

**Hax** · 12-17-2008, 19:52

@johnhughthom: Actually, the Ptolemaioi have been targeted so much by other players, I've decided something else! Thanks for reading!

@Olaf: Yesss, Karkhedon is indeed evil. You'll see what happens! Thanks for reading ^_^

@Maion: Glad you liked it! I'm hoping to create an empire that would make Alexandros proud, if you know what I mean. Whether it's east or west, I'll just see where the wind takes me!

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Chapter V - Over the Sea?

Years passed as the Aitolian garrison withered. After almost three years, the Aitolian council decided (against the will of the military leaders) to surrender the city to Pyrrhos, hoping that he would not raise an arm against the inhabitants. Even though Pyrrhos did not touch any of the city's inhabitants, the Aitolian council had been formally disbanded, effectively ending the Aitolian League.

At this time, Hellas prospered as it had not done since the death of Kassandros Antipatros. The entire Kingdom was now in a period of wealth and prosperity, which would later be known as the start of "the First Epirote Golden Age". From the Makedonian plains of Pella to the hills of Dodona and Epiros, money was flowing like the waters of the Neilos in autumn, allowing the many cities to increase their standard of living;

It was also this that allowed larger ports and markets, suited for trade;

Remarkebly, the wealth of the many mines of Thraikia and Makedonia was not only used for cultural and economical growth, but also for the maintaining of larger military forces and armouries.

It was at this same time that several Syracusan ships came from Sikilia, telling how the Phoenician traders had built an empire which exceeded even the Epirotes and the Ptolemaic and Seleukide dynasty.

As Pyrrhos was growing old now, he no longer had the strength to go to Sikilia himself. Knowing that his former general, Hieron was still in power, he sent another young man who had risen to a promising position amongst the Epirotes. His name was Pergamos Poitneonios, of whom we shall speak of more later.

Studying under Pyrrhos' son, Alexandros, Pergamos had learned the ways of trading and speaking excellently, which made him well-loved amongst the Hellenes of Ambrakia. He had quickly raised an army, which consisted out of some 5,000 Illyrian phalangites from Ambrakia, 3,200 thorakitai, a relatively new invention. Armed with a thureos and armed with shorter spears than the phalangitai, they were disciplined and well-armed. Then there were the 4,000 psiloi, made up evenly from slingers and Cretan mercenaries. Pergamos' personal bodyguard consisted out of his 750 man-strong somatophylakai and 2,000 noblemen from Makedonia, known as the Loncophoroi in the Greek tongue. The fore-runners, or Prodromoi, made up another 2,000 men. And finally, the pride of Epiros, there were 360 Elephantes from India, a personal gift by Antiochos I, for his proven loyalties.

As the ships were loaded, Pyrrhos bid his last farewell to Pergamos, and sending a note to his son Ptolemaios, who was still in Thermon to pacify the region, he laid down on his bed in Ambrakia. And as the sun started to drop behind the horizon and the ships sailed into the evening red, Pyrrhos, King of the Epirotes, Hegemon of the Aitolian League, and Lord of the Korinthians breathed his last breath.

So ended the reign of Pyrrhos.

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Next: Chapter VI - On Karkhedon