Re: The Pyrrhic Dynasty : A Makedonian AAR
Chapter 128 : The First Persian War :
The Armenian Front (Part IV) : Subtle Conquest
In the spring of the twenty eighth year of the rule of Philippos V, the lands of Makedonia, Hellas, Epeiros, and Ionia completed a new system of roadways. Though the mountains of Hellas were difficult to conquer, Romaioi engineers managed to construct a great system of transportation to unite the often divided lands. The road that would be most famous was the great roadway that winded through the hills from Athenai north to Salonika, bypassing Pella, and then traveled inland before turning east and to the city of Byzantion. This became the main road through eastern Hellas, but there were also many others.
That same spring, the vast army of cavalry mercenaries from the steppes, that had been fighting for the Arche in Armenia, headed east. Traveling from Iberia to the Pontos Hykania, these mercenary warriors completed the easy task of claiming the lands for the Arche. For the people of the region, little would change, as little changed when the were first conquered by the Makedones and then again conquered by the Median armies of the Persian Empire. Only one town resisted. They attempted to face the steppe horsemen outside their city, but the steppe warriors rained down death from all sides and killed every last man that resisted.
In Elymais, Alypios Antigonos III took command of a new army and marched for the Persian Gates. The Persians did not resist at all that year. They fought internally over who would be their new king and left themselves open. However, for that whole year, Antigonos would not be able to face the Persian in a decisive battle. By winter, he was determined to invade Persis and take the old Persian capital. He would march the next spring (See Chapter 107 : The Persian Gates).
That summer, the Kingdom of Ubar fell to the Kingdom of Sab'yn. This first kingdom to fall to the revitalized Kingdom of Sab'yn cost the Arche a powerful ally in southern Arabia.
Ainesidemos would continue the second year of the siege of Armavir for the majority of that year. Because one army was enough to besiege Armavir, Isodorianos took his army of Klerouchoi Thraikioi east, across central Armenia an into the lands north of Media. As the autumn approached, Isodorianos settled in for what he thought would be a long siege of the city of Phraaspa. As the first snows came to the lands, so did an army of Persian reinforcements.
A small army of Persians, reinforced by the city garrison, attacked the Klerouchoi Thraikioi. Since the Klerouchoi Thraikioi held the high ground and had superior archers, the Persians were at a huge disadvantage. For the majority of the day, the Klerouchoi stood in the cold and watched the Persians attempt several charges. Only a few charges even managed to reach the infantry line. Once engaged, the Thraikioi cut through their enemy quickly and easily.
After a day of complete failure, the Persians surrendered. The city of Phraaspa then fell and Isodorianos gained all the lands that controlled access between Armenia and Media. Just to the south, many Persian armies gathered, but they were prepared to fight each other and not ready to challenge Isodorianos. The city would remain a secure garrison for the Arche until the end of the war when it was returned to the Persians.
With the fall of Phraaspa, the garrison in Armavir realized they had no chance for continued survival. After holding out for two years, the garrison and the city surrendered to Ainesidemos and his army. This was the last Persian army in Armenia and its surrender brought a close to the war on this front. Neither Ainesidemos nor Isodorianos would risk leaving Armenia ungarrisoned to invade the heavily garrisoned lands of Media.
The known world during the spring of the twenty ninth year of the reign of Basileus Philippos V (136BC):
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Next: Chapter 129 : Hellenic Kings of Foreign Lands
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