The Rise of Sparta

**scubatim84** · September 15, 2010, 02:40 PM

Hey guys, thought I'd try my hand at one of these since I'm fairly happy with how my new Greek campaign turned out this morning. I tried a few times last night, but failed because they bumrushed me with 3,500+ men. This morning they attacked with half that, and while still outnumbered, coffee and tactics helped a lot. Here's the story. Note: I don’t have any battle pictures of the first battle because I forgot to take any, sorry. If you're curious about the settings, here they are: BI.exe, difficulty M/M, AI Bonuses on, land bridges off, 2 hp mode, fatigue on, faster combat on, loyalty off. Henceforth, any mention of Sparta is synonymous with the GCS faction, as I will be running this campaign not so much as the allied Greeks but specifically as the Spartans. Accordingly, the faction is, and will always be, Sparta.

It's 280 BC. Sparta, Patras and Athens are at the center of what soon will become a new hegemony in the region. A new power is forming…and the remnants of Macedonia, after the death of Alexander the Great, are concerned. If the new leaders in Sparta are allowed to grow unchecked, Macedonia’s demise will come swiftly.

Sparta knows Macedonia intends to attack, so she and her allies start recruiting troops. Winter comes, and a force of 1,500 Macedonians muster near Corinth to no doubt invade Sparta. She responds with a force of 1,000, including 100 of the elite Spartan Royal Guard and hoplites sent to her from Parthas.

The battle was bloody. The lines of hoplites marched forward, while the hundred men of the five different general cavalry units charged past the right flank of the enemy, behind their lines. Stragglers were cut to pieces, and as Sparta and her allies engaged their Macedonian counterparts along the battle line, the general’s cavalry swung around to charge into the back of the Macedonian line. Chaos ensued as many Macedonians lost their stomach for battle, turning to run and being slaughtered like cattle in the process.

Following the battle, Sparta and her allies decided to take the fight to the enemy and lay siege to Corinth.

Corinth was also cut off from reinforcements due to another night attack. Foolishly, the Macedonians marched forth from the comfort of their walls to attack the Spartan army outside.

The battle was over before it began as the Spartan and Greek hoplites crushed the Macedonians, with the Macedonian general running back towards the temporary safety of Corinth’s walls like a coward.

With less than 100 men lost, Sparta decimated the Corinthian garrison.

Since the Corinthians are Greeks themselves, Sparta chose to occupy the settlement and neither enslave nor kill her fellow Greeks.

In the summer of 279 BC, with Corinth now under Spartan control, the army of Sparta now espied another massive force from Macedonia marching forward to answer the challenge of Sparta. Two separate Macedonian armies laid siege to Corinth and Athens. The second battle of Corinth was fought in that summer.

Sparta’s army marched forward from the walls of Corinth to attack a Macedonian army of nearly 2,000 men. Archers on the parapets delivered a flaming barrage of fiery arrows which drove the Macedonians back enough to allow the Spartan army to march forward safely from the walls and muster on the open field. As the Macedonians regrouped and now faced the Spartan army uphill, the forces of Greece marched forward to meet them. Hoplites drove against hoplites, and the Spartan Royal Guard occupied the honorary right flank along with the Athenian and Greek allies on either side of the spartiates.

As battle ensued along the line, the Royal Guard decimated the left flank of the enemy and moved inward to roll up the enemy line.

Many Greeks died valiantly in combat, but as the day wore on, the valor of the Royal Guard proved true as the Spartans and Athenians struck fear into the Macedonians who turned and ran from their spears.

The Royal Guard continued to roll inward, until the last remaining Macedonians were surrounded by them and the Greeks they had been fighting. The cavalry of the generals charged in from behind as well and the morale of the Macedonians shattered.

The day was Sparta’s, yet the battle was a pyrrhic victory and heavy losses were inflicted on both sides.

Following the second battle of Corinth, in the winter of 279 BC, the general enlisted the help of two Greek mercenary phalanxes. Reinforcements also came from Patras and Sparta to resupply the depleted army. Athens had been laid under siege during the Macedonian counterattack, and now in the winter, an army of 800 veteran troops under Spartan leadership marched forward to aid Athens.

The Spartan army attacked the Macedonians by surprise from the west, and the Athenians mustered forward from their walls to reinforce the Spartans. The battle was quick and without mercy for the Macedonians.

After the battle, the Athenians stayed in their city to resupply and the Spartan army spotted a small Macedonian force near Thebes as she neared with the intent to bring that city under Spartan control. The Macedonians, being hopelessly outnumbered, were slaughtered.

After that quick battle, the veteran Spartan army laid siege to Thebes.

In between the winter of 279 BC and the summer of 278 BC, the Macedonians quailed in fear of the Spartan war machine and realized the grave mistake they had made. Macedonia attempted to correct this mistake by suing for peace.

Yet Macedonia’s request for a ceasefire included the arrogant demand to return Corinth to her dominion. Sparta laughed at this request, as Thebes lay under siege and would soon be overran in the summer if Macedonia did not capitulate, and the general of that army had no intention to back off lightly. The Spartans responded with their own demand for a large sum of treasure to justify letting the Macedonians live for a little while longer; Macedonia, having no choice, reluctantly agreed.

In the summer of 278 BC, with a vast treasure from the Macedonian cowards, the veteran Greeks returned to Sparta to replenish their numbers and enjoy a well-earned rest.

Meanwhile, further north in the Greek peninsula, the Greek diplomat Kastor negotiated an alliance with the Thracians.

Now, unbeknownst to Macedonia, the Spartan war machine now faces her in the south while the Thracians cut off any hope of retreat in the North. The two kings of Sparta, with the blessing of the ephors, decide that the ceasefire with Macedonia will be short lived. The kings now plan to assault Thebes in the winter of 278 BC after the Spartan army is resupplied. With the Thracians as allies, Sparta knows that the Macedonians will be destroyed. After the fall of Thebes, Larissa and Pella will soon follow, and from there the war machine will march onward.

**MartijnW** · September 15, 2010, 03:14 PM

Very nice

**Dog Fart** · September 15, 2010, 07:00 PM

nothing like a good greek campaign. good so far.

**Funkyrobbie** · September 19, 2010, 06:12 AM

Nice very nice you got a good way with writing aars =) i will keep tuned

i give you some rep for that but.....i hope you keep this going

**scubatim84** · September 19, 2010, 09:39 AM

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. If there's some interest, I'll definitely do another one, although this next one will probably be in several installments as I've begun my invasion of italy to take out Rome by landing in sicily and capturing Syracuse. Too bad I didn't get any screenshots of that battle...1,400 spartans against 1,900 romans. It was fun.

**scubatim84** · September 20, 2010, 05:55 PM

It is the winter of 248 BC. In the 32 years since the campaign first began against the Macedonians, now an extinct race and under Spartan rule, many events have transpired. Nations such as Thrace have betrayed Sparta and paid for it by joining the Macedonians in death. The great Rome republic now counts itself among the enemies that Sparta faces. Over the past few years, a grueling campaign has been waged on the northern borders of the Spartan empire. Many battles, few victories and many deaths have resulted in a stalemate that neither side can afford to keep up forever.

In 257 BC, a decision had been reached by one of the Kings of Sparta, Leonidas, to continue to concentrate the bulk of the empire’s forces on the northern front. However, a force of approximately 1,400 Spartans under his command would sail by ship to Sicily where they would begin their invasion of Rome.

Many Spartiates have completed the agoge in those ten years, and many warriors now stand ready to sell their lives dearly for the glory of Sparta. The king’s own personal bodyguard, the Spartan Royal Guard, depleted by years of war on the northern front but now hardened by experience from it, stands renewed at 300 men. Row upon row of Spartan soldiers stand outside the city, their shields at their side, spears held firmly pointed skyward. King Leonidas walks down the vast row of soldiers, inspecting each one and nodding his approval. The army is now prepared.

King Leonidas: “Ready the army to board the ships.”
Spartan captain: “Yes, my lord.”

With that simple command, the Spartans spent the next few days filing aboard the Athenian-made triremes that would take them across the Mediterranean Sea to Sicily. The Romans had no idea what terror was sailing to their shores.

It is now summer in the year 247 BC. The Roman garrison at Syracuse sounds the alarm at the approach of the fleet of Athenian ships. 1,900 Romans file forward along the walls and in front of the gates to ward off the defenders (Sorry guys I have no pictures of this battle…it was bloody fun and epic though). Night time approaches by the time the Spartan army have all left the ships, assembled into battle lines, and assembled their siege equipment. 1,400 men, all Spartan hoplites including the Royal Guard, stand arrayed against the Roman defenders.

King Leonidas gives the signal to attack and the siege commences. Flaming arrows fly and bounce off Spartan shield as the Spartans charge forward, their siege towers and ladders crash against the wall and Spartan after Spartan climbs up onto the enemy walls, their shield at the ready. The battle takes several hours. Due to the size of the defending garrison, moderate casualties are suffered on the Spartan side. No Roman prisoners are taken. As the smoke clears and the Spartans march into the city square, the streets and walls are littered with 1,900 bodies of those who thought they could defeat the Spartans.

The next day, Leonidas and his men regroup and make use of the armourer in the city to sharpen their spears and reinforce their shields. A Roman messenger arrives from Messana with a message for the king. As no Roman survived the battle, it is presumed that Roman scouts spotted the approach of the ships. He is quickly brought to the king, where he delivers an angry response from one of the consuls of Rome.

Messenger: “Consul Quintus Scipio demands that you leave Syracuse immediately. He warns that if you fail to take Messana, he will drive you from Syracuse and into the sea, and no Spartan shall be spared.”
King Leonidas: “If.”

Bewildered by the laconic response of the king, the messenger is led back to his horse, and jeers are thrown at him by the Spartan hoplites nearby as he rides away back to Messana to deliver Leonidas’ reply.

Several days pass as King Leonidas and the Spartans issue forth from Syracuse and march north to Messana. A token garrison of Syracuse archers is left behind to guard the city.

The siege of Messana begins and lasts until the winter at which time the Roman army stationed there musters forth and attacks the Spartan army, to their surprise. The siege equipment is cast aside, and the 1,000 Spartans left after Syracuse now form battle lines against the approaching 1,100 Romans.

Galerius Polio, the other Roman consul, and Captain Valerius, lead the Roman army. Upon their horses, the consul and captain rally their bodyguard cavalry around them and issue the order to attack

As the Romans charge forward, so do the Spartans, and their lines meet as three distinct groups of Spartans begin to fight the foremost ranks of the Romans.