The Bottomless Pit (Chap. 65 - Fin.)

[Alavaria]

Spoiler for Chapter 55: 

Chapter 55: Worth A Shot

One of the changes in the Spartans' approach to warfare was massed missile attack for a simple reason. Many soldiers could engage the enemy at once if they were capable of doing so from range, rather than from a spear's length.

After experimenting with archery, and having first spent much on raising the new phalangite forces, expensive Cretan mercenaries were both unfeasible and ineffective.

So they turned to a famous weapon said to have an amazing "one headshot one kill" legend... well the reality wasn't nearly as glamorous, but the sling was a functional weapon. Ammo was cheap as well, or so we thought at the time...

The decisive battle against the forces of Pergamon showcased the two-pronged use of slingers in the Spartan forces. First the invisible "support" slinger...

The Romans adore their pila, various Barbaroi have their soliferrum and gaesum. Many Greeks have also taken up javelins and small spears (like the Romans with their little swords, bah). However pikemen can hardly use any of these weapons.

In order to provide support from the safety of a wall of pikes, a long-range slinger is quite capable. For various reasons, a hail of shot coming from far behind Spartan lines and raining down onto the enemy reserves and such (these are hardly aimed) is incredibly demoralizing.

During a siege proper, ammunition tends to run out as every stone around is soon sent over the walls, giving the enemy enough material to make themselves a defensive wall of pebbles and such. Furthermore good stones can be hard to find.

Sadly, attempts at baking clay shot have had mixed results... sometimes it breaks apart too easily on impact, reducing the effect on the target. Well besides for morale perhaps.

The Romans (and others, perhaps) have this odd fear of a sling shot from across the battlefield striking them in the head, penetrating heavy shields or even metal armor like breastplates or their linked-ring shirts.

Certainly it explains why they cower so much when a, frankly pretty harmless, cloud of missiles descends on them. But then where did this fear come from?

Some prominent people have died very prominently to slingers.

King Agesipolis invested in a small company of Rhodian slingers in order to see if they lived up to (their own) tales. They did.

The secret lies, again, in the ammunition. Lead bullet technology. And an accuracy factor that is only beaten by the Balerics, perhaps.

Spoiler for Details: 

They say the Balerics shoot their bread off wooden stands or something like that.

Well the hardest loaf of bread won't stop a lead bullet from going straight through it like a spear through a toga.

Admittedly, actually shooting through a scutum or metal armor isn't nearly as possible as people think. However, the momentum of a lead bullet can be staggering.

Accuracy is what brings down the big game; a general on his horse or perhaps an elite hoplite officer in the ranks.

One bullet to the back of the head (better yet, if you can hit the neck just below the rim of the helmet can lay a man out if not outright kill them from the shock.

Many deadly (for the enemy) routs have started in such a way.

Of course, getting even a few crack shots to the side or rear of the enemy battle line is probably not enough... and indeed how would we get there anyway?

Next time: Hoplites!

[Alavaria]

Spoiler for Chapter 56: 

Chapter 56: Tip of the Spear

As the Romans retreat, we search and destroy!

A Roman legion, caught in a fort like Romans in a fort. Their destiny is to be buried there. Like Romans in a fort.

The hoplite is the most general and flexible infantry designation, with a large fraction of the army being hoplites. While the pikemen are the most obvious component facing the enemy, hoplites have to carry out all other close quarters roles.

From light hoplites who provide screening to heavier ones who are relied on to shore up flagging parts of the line, pikemen rely a lot on these comrades.

The most important group of hoplites, however are the Guards units (short for 'flank guards'). While of course elite units used to be placed on the right-side of the phalanx, the use of phalangites requires units to cover each end of the pike line.

The Spartan approach which employed pikes in the usual way now shifted away from the passive flanks of the Successor states and back to the aggressive maneuver and flank actions of the past.

Charged with a number of important roles, as well as being hoplites (a tradition Spartans knew well) it was not surprising that they soon developed as-standard hoplite tactics which terrified opponents expecting a slow-moving infantry melee.

An otherwise complicated double-envelopment tactic was made automatic thanks to the capability of Spartan officers in the Guards units. Enemies learned to fear the sight of hoplites wearing metal armor on their flanks.

However, interestingly enough, Agesipolis' triple line of hoplites did not materialize. At least, not as an integrated unit.

Spoiler for Details: 

Tarentum was taken early on, however the Romans pushing north from Sicily reclaimed it without a fight.

Now it will actually be fought over seriously.

Unfortunately there were never really enough hoplites fitting the initial designation of "heavy hoplite" (which in Spartan terms meant elite). As a result the best hoplites were frequently in the general's "bodyguard" as an assignment prerequisite to becoming a command officer (as opposed to the line officer).

As a result, rather than separate "medium" and "heavy" hoplites, these terms are used interchangeably. It really means "not light hoplite". Their equipment and training make them formidable opponents.

A heavy hoplite is equipped with:

• Heavy spear (Dory), rated as being able to receive cavalry charges
• Close-quarter weapon. The kopis is very favored, though the xipos/gladius are also used
• Reinforced (Bronze) shield, which is "full-sized"
• Metal helmet
• Some form of metal armor. Roman mail is fairly common post-Italy.

Heavy hoplites are very capable in a melee, however their big advantage over lighter hoplites is their ability to form a very close and heavy formation with spears that is nearly unbreakable.

Furthermore, they can perform a very devastating "spear-charge", in which they attack in close order with spears, but immediately switch to shorter weapons. This is in contract to the light hoplites, which we will see later...

As a side note, the looting of so many Roman helmets and mail caused an interesting dislocation in iron extraction and processing. There were some worries back at Sparta that such items would be melted down by blacksmiths...

As a result, the Coalition arranged to purchase helmets and mail at a small fraction above the price of their iron. When the price of iron fell, so did this purchase price, allowing the Coalition to stock the armories with metal equipment efficiently. The price of wood, however rose, particularly for types and sizes/shapes suitable for making shields and spears.

Spoiler for Details: 

[Alavaria]

Spoiler for Chapter 57: 

Chapter 57: Knife-Fighting

There was a surprising uprising in Ariminum. Apparently a large group of people aspiring to be bodyguards decided to try and raise a legion of heavy bodyguard cavalry.

It seems the Romans have some interesting cavalry capabilities... Heavy fighting was expected, so King Agesipolis and his generals took to the field with their own bodyguard hoplites for a spear-to-spear fight!

More frequently however, the light hoplites find their place on the battlefield, in the close melee. Take for example the cleansing of Italy, carried out by General Pelops.

The light hoplite changed from the initial plans which focused on a heavy shield and spear to deliver a blow cost-effectively.

The fights in Italy had shown that the shield was relatively unwieldy and the spear not of great use in a melee without much more training. Thus these equipment choices were reversed.

The current hoplite would have been good friends with the old Roman hastati. Minimal armor (a helmet), a round or oval shield, flat and leather-covered, a light spear and a short sword. It helped that a great deal of Roman swords were available...

Experimentation into the use of boss-held shields showed they were more useful in combat. Also, the oval shape was adopted as a more efficient way to protect the soldier.

There would be no lack of tests for the equipment and ability. Besides being able to fight in very close quarters, light hoplites could form a defensive shield wall. However this was very passive in nature as they could not move in a cohesive formation on a chaotic battlefield.

For tying up the enemy, however, having a spear was useful. It also made fighting cavalry possible.

As gains were made in the east and west of Greece, it became obvious that the Roman way was headed to a quick and violent death.

With the war effort distributed all over the Coalition's many cities, towns and other settlements, the burden was minimal, even for a military capable of fighting on two opposite fronts at once.

There was no lack of resources for building efforts, which were redoubled in Italy after the removal of various offending Roman structures. In an ironic twist, after Roma had been burned to the ground, Neo Roma which was so close nearby that initial construction was overshadowed by the smoke was poised to become a major coalition staging point due to the strategic position on the west coast of Italy.

Speaking of Italy, the massacre of the Roman senate during the sack of Roma left half or more of Italy unowned after just half an hour! Land allotments were leased on generous terms to the native Greeks and other non-Romans inhabiting Italy. However there was still plenty left for settlers from Greece, Macedonia, and then... even more left to settle new helots.

A large number of new small farms were springing up all over Italy, generating for the first time in a while a surplus of food. Despite all the newcomers, the population of Italy was still the lowest it had been in generations, after the removal of its former masters, the Romans.

Although the Roman counterattack at Tarentum had been squashed, Gnaeus Servilius Germinus still held hope that he might be able to reclaim his massive estates there.

However, he had hardly been able to start raising a replacement legion when Pelops arrived with many men fresh from Greece (who had made landfall near the ports of Tarentum).

The Romans refused to be pushed out of Italy. Gaius Terentius Varro, the garrison leader, was one of those to fall near the beginning of the battle, during the initial assaults.

He had been leading several cohorts trying to defend the breach, however on his horse was spotted by the Rhodians and taken out from range.

Gnaeus Servilius Germinus on the other hand met his end during a volley of artillery fire into the settlement. He, along with the Roman buildings his men were barricading themselves in, all burned.

Spoiler for Details: 

We had wiped the Romans clean off the major Italian mainland. Despite their best resistance they were driven into the sea, though some escaped to Sicily. With the majority of Romans either pushed every northward (by Agesipolis) or southward (by Pelops), any effective resistance on the strategic level was highly unlikely.

The assignment of troops to this western front showed how seriously the Coalition took the Roman threat, though. For one, Lost Legions in the north of Italy were unaccounted for, and a successful Roman pushback in the south could create problems for a region still needing pacification.

As the Conqueror of Rome (and Italy), Agesipolis certainly did not want to see any more rebellions of Roman bodyguard cavalry wannabes.

He scoured the wild northern areas of Italy, but despite his prowess at scouting (the first of many to be called Hierax), the Lost Legions were not to be found.'

Indeed, they had fled far into the forests of Germania, but that is for another time...

Instead he did remove the Romans he could find.

Pelops wasted no time in pressing the attack on Sicily, rather than allow the Romans time to dig in and prepare defenses. This time there would be no where for the enemy to run.

Messana was taken with only minimal resistance. The Romans had not even begun the works of reinforcing their walls with the usual assortment of ballistae and so on. Pelops paused for a few months in order to shore up the defenses of this critical settlement. While still circled with a wall of wood, defensive pits, spikes and other obstacles were prepared.

During this time, diplomats met with King Hiero of Syracuse, who laid out his kingdom's position of neutrality.

The small town of Akragas was also taken with minimal resistance. For some reason it had been listed as a high priority strategic objective...

Akragas was leveled, though the reasons for this order were not recorded. The important question was: were were all the Roman defenders?

They had tried to flee north to rejoin the legions still there (which had already departed). However, they joined all the other Romans off the coast of Italy in the water.

By now Agesipolis was unsure if the legions ever existed at all. Certainly if they did, it wasn't much threat since they did nothing to stop the purging of Roman settlements.

These regions had a number of Gallic barbarians. Though they did not speak Greek any more than the Romans did, they were still allowed to stay.

Agesipolis looked up at the Alps and wondered if the Romans had fled north through them, in the opposite direction as the ill-fated Hannibal had come not that long ago...


Agesipolis: One day it will be necessary to clear the forests up north, won't it?
______Aa: With a great deal of purging flame, doubtless...
Agesipolis: Could I call for lumberjacks instead?

[Alavaria]

At this point the tallies look like:

Total Kills__: 68,445
Total Losses:_ 7,967

__Agesipolis: 17 Settlements taken
Machinaidas: 11 Settlements taken
____Pelops:_ 5 Settlements taken
__Polydoros:_ 1 Settlement taken

[Alavaria]

Spoiler for Chapter 58: 

Chapter 58: Anti-Router Specialists

Machinaidas was running out of many things, with the mainland sending over stories about fierce battles with the Roman forces on Italy. As long as they kept winning, his men remained in high spirits, however their general knew that a great deal of development had taken place in Sparta.

Developments that they were not seeing on the field in the western front. Although Greeks were certainly not unfamiliar with infantry-heavy force compositions, it was still a potential worry...

The lack of cavalry was not a major issue in sieges or assaults on fortifications. In these scenarios, the team of engineers and their inspiring Stone-Throwing Siege Ballistas made themselves amply useful.

In the battle for Halikarnassos, the routed enemy fled for the settlement, however doing so meant running into the pikes that had routed them in the first place. One of the disadvantages of working on instinct, I suppose.

Pikemen are amazing, this particular use of very long spear technology is unmatched. However, Machinaidas lacked fresh pikemen units, as they were all being sent to Italy to suppress Romans.

However, he did find ample recruits to keep his light hoplite units filled. Matched with his exceptional battlefield skills, this sufficed. But still, there was a desire for some anti-router units.

The Hoplites of Cyrpus had also adopted pike technology. But we were better; we also had slinger technology.

Wonder what is behind this bricked up wall? Who knows...

We had to finish off some last resistance, but there was no real issue.

Spoiler for Details: 

Patara soon followed.

In the west, Agesipolis found some of the Romans! They ambushed us!

This was their great ambush...

[Alavaria]

Spoiler for Chapter 59: 

Chapter 59: Defeat Means Friendship

Our reach extended far across the map, even to the blank spaces on some of the older maps. However, let it not be said that we did not make time for our friends.

As elsewhere stated, the Rhodians have been great friends. Though our relationship started off as employer and mercenary, their insights into slinging and lead bullet technology greatly advanced the Spartan capabilities in missile warfare.

We owe a lot to them, as to the people who invented the argive shield or the sarissa. The Spartan Trio of weapons which have contributed to an effective army.

It was thus that we were spurred into action by the tearful pleas of some of our friend Rhodians. A tyrant, Suratalis, had risen to power. As part of an ongoing attempt to consolidate power he had estranged the various Rhodian mercenaries who had worked with us, and especially any Rhodians who had taken up offers of land in the areas around nearby Pergamon and especially Halicarnasses, Ephesus.

Even for a known xenophobe, this was too much! We were all Greeks, and should unite against the easterner-addled "Successors" or the westerner "Romans" (though the Romans were certainly on their way out).

While his idea of an insular Rhodes did not resonate with the citizens, he nevertheless was working to prevent young Rhodians from joining our armies, or leaving to live on the open lands nearby (let alone Italy!). This was too much...

We had to teach Suratalis two things. First, that Rhodes had powerful friends. Second, that he wasn't a friend. By a mistake on the battlefield, he did not survive to face trial.

Although the Rhodians were disappointed, it was an honest mistake. You see, the man did not have ostentatious armor, and in a touch of irony, one of the slingers he had effectively exiled shot him in the head, thinking he was one of the bodyguards.

Machinaidas was welcomed warmly by the citizens of Rhodes. After some investigations, those who had property confiscated by the late tyrant received their possessions back.

Rhodes was again offered a place in our Coalition. While Suratalis had blocked this in the past, this time it was accepted without reservations.

[Alavaria]

Spoiler for Chap 60: 

Chapter 60: Strategic Launch

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

The Romans attempted a bold, if desperate, counter-attack. For some reason Akragas was as important for them to hold as it had been for us (to destroy, that is).

Rumor had it that the Romans had some sort of secret weapon planned.

Our sally forth was under the cover fire of our superior secret weapons.

Their "pila" were as usual ineffective against the sarissa-pelte combination.

The usual. There would be no salvation for Romans by Roman arms today.

Spoiler for Details: 

Romans out! Sicily is not for you, Romans!

Later on, it was revealed that the Romans had planned on a series of military reforms.

According to secret documents found after the purge, they had intended to modernize their infantry according a Legionary Phalangite model, and improve their missile capability with Velite Slingers.

They had also been in discussions with Syracuse about the possibility of obtaining weapons like our own Stone Throwing Siege Ballista. It is fortunate that they were eliminated before this threat could materialize.

There was nothing left for the remaining Roman legions. Besides the Lost Legions (who had run away into the north), all who could walk were headed to final Roman land holdings, to the west.

Look at how depressed these Romans are.

Italy was no longer theirs to live in.

[Alavaria]

Spoiler for Chap 61: 

Chapter 61: Sacred Band

Not long after his historic victory Pelops and his men embarked on a sizeable fleet which set sail westwards from Sicily to Africa. There was one score to settle which they had not been aware of.

The Carthaginians were riotously celebrating the defeat of their Roman enemy, sending up many sacrifices to their phoenician gods. But neither the Cartheginians nor their gods had done anything to bring about this victory.

Our forces, who had driven the Romans into the sea, arrived and made a smooth landing on the coast of Africa. Not accustomed to having to fight for themselves, the slave- and mercenary-armied citizens were taken aback by the massive size and sophistication of our army.

They were to recieve a greater shock than just that, however! Pelops marched the army directly towards Carthage with all our siege equipment in tow. Although the enemy attempted to use their skirmishing high horse to slow us down, javelins have less range than slingers.

And it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

The various warriors of their Carthaginan god were mustered together in an attempt to make a last defense. Afterwards, Pelops would comment: "If they had taken those arms and fought the Romans... eh they would have lost probably. Since they had not modernized to pikemen and slingers."

It was a very dissappointing display. Having lost Sicily and nearby islands to the devouring Romans, it's a wonder the whole faction had not just collapsed.

Rather than a defense, or even a "fight," it would be fairer to say that the remaining defenders were executed. They had about that much chance of surviving the day.

We now turned our thoughts to looting, however the remaining inhabitants of the city had other ideas...

Rioters, or some sort of grassroots resistance began to form after Pelop's elite units went into their temples to remove the (remaining) white shields and such which had not been used in the defense earlier.

We of course also looted the ones that had been used. Off the corpses of the users. These were very well made hoplite shields of the older style preferred by the heavy hoplites (full-sized with a thick bronze covering).

Despite our best efforts, there was little way to contain the rioters, who took to trying to stab people around corners or drop things from windows overhead. While the soldiers promptly killed anyone who attacked them, there were some casualties.

His patience began to wear out when the Cartheginians began aggressively barricading every door and alleyway to impede progress.

Spoiler for Details: 

After about a week of this, Our Lady returned to the camp (apparently she had left to the eastern frontiers which were commanded by Machinaidas, not sure what was going on there) and was not pleased when briefed on the situation.

Pelops: I recommend we pull back. The city is being torn apart by its own people at this point.
___Aa: Hannibal wasn't enough, these people are a disappointment as a whole.
___Aa: The land is wasted on them. I'm going to cash them out.
Pelops: It's dangerous to enter the city.
___Aa: You're thinking along the wrong lines.
___Aa: I give you five days.

The plan was as follows:
Enter in an organized manner and clear out the treasuries and palaces. Temples as well (these were rather aggressively protected after we tried looting a couple).
Also, grab any worthwile people, but women and children only.
Anyone not with us was to be killed on sight if not taken.

After the five days were up (this time apparently Our Lady had taken a trip to north Italy to check on Agesipolis) she returned and ordered all our captives to be gathered together. Some of those who had been present at the sack of Roma were quite upset about this... but they had guessed wrong**.


The engineers were called up and began shooting firepots into the city.

Pelops: I don't think that will do much to such a large city.
___Aa: It's just a final warning. Those who leave now might still save their lives.
___Aa: But those who desire to save their city will suffer its fate.
Pelops: (keeping quiet)

Along with the officers present, she had dinner there with the flames as a backdrop. The sun set and they began to drink (lightly). Finally, Pelops had one of his officers' wife speak up (they were both Spartans, by the way).

Wife: Will the fire need more fuel?
_Aa: Let the living wood be saved, as though a fire.

As the sun rose, the glow from the city had begun to die down slightly, compared to the rising sun at our backs.

___Aa: Ah yes, Pelops, you should know your force has been designated as the Third Army of the coalition.
___Aa: Congratulations.
Pelops: I will do my best to not disappoint.
___Aa: Yes, you would do well to avoid that.

She stood up, and all the officers followed suit immediately.

Aa: Don't do that. Sit down - also, take care not to look directly at the city.
Aa: I will try to protect you, but the eye is rather delicate.
Aa: Look to the side or at the ground.

Taking a few steps forward, she took off her hat and began to sing (or maybe chant) something, but not in a language any of us knew. This went on for about a minute or two.

The sky lit up as though we had gone from dusk to noon. The new second sun began to descend on the city...

You could hear the high pitched sound of the stones of the city's wall all breaking apart. The intense heat was not unlike standing in front of a blacksmith's furnace. Though we were so far away.

Turning around she addressed the people we had taken (dragged) out of the city in the past five days.

___Aa: You wouldn't want me to move from disappointed to angered.
___Aa: Pelops?
Pelops: Ah, yes?

___Aa: Stand here and take a look at the city with me.
Pelops: Ah... though it's fine for you, I will be blinded.
___Aa: Don't worry. I will protect you. Come, take a look at it.

Aa: Those of you here are witnesses that this day I take for myself your commander, Pelops of Sparta, to lead this Third Army.
Aa: Anyone who cares to protest, look up and if you retain your sight I will consider you.

There was a brief moment of silence.

Aa: Do not forget, when you go up against these or those gods, or their servants, or their servants' slaves, what you have seen this day.
Aa: And consider which of these has saved themselves or another out of my hand, or the hand of my servants, or the hand of my servants' slaves.

Thus ended Pelops' inauguration.

From that day, Pelops began to call his chosen bodyguard "Sacred Band".

**They were expecting a Sack of Roma event.

[Alavaria]

Spoiler for Chapter 62: 

Chapter 62: Breaking the Pharaoh's Wrist

At first, there were only a few "replacement and rotation" reinforcements, but all of a sudden it turned into a "surge" of additional combat troops. Machanidas commented to his second in command, Isodemos, "clearly the eyes in Sparte are turned eastward now." Against this growing force the Pharaoh's lackeys and minions were fighting continuously. Although Alexandria was far away, his arm was long and reached out to trouble us.

Machanaidas and Isodemos had prepared carefully for a sharp turning of this battle. First Isodemos set out to siege Side, trapping Achaeus of Scalon within its walls. The enemy sent out an urgent call for help and the would-be-hero of the day, Borus of Heliopolis rushed to the rescue with the Pharaoh's soldiers at top speed.

However, it was a trap! Instead of finding a small Spartan force caught between two armies, instead Borus' men were suddenly attacked by a fully prepared and rested Spartan army!

Machinaidas had chosen the location of his camp and the future battleground carefully so that an attempted retreat would lead to heavy losses to his fresh anti-router cavalry corps. There was only one way out, battle.

As expected, the Ptolemics sent their pikemen straight through the center in a massive line formation bristling with sarissas. The intent was clear, smashing through with the force of their phalanx.

But of course Machanidas was not intended for a brute upfront confrontation like that.

As the supporting infantry on the flanks of their phalanx began to fall apart, Borus saw the Spartan center beginning to give way and thus was not particularly worried about the battle's development.

Seeing only some skirmishers and light infantry on the flank, and no Spartan cavalry, Borus' own cavalry were put into action!

Unexpectedly, the infantry charged the horsemen opposing them, pinning the otherwise mobile threat in a mass of shields and spears.

When the enemy tried to disengage, the new Spartan heavy cavalry appeared with their inspiring metal armor and large two-handed lances.

Back in the infantry lines, Borus' hoplites were trying to exploit some growing gaps in the Spartan center. Blind to the threat on his flanks, Borus pressed his illusionary advantage like chasing a mirage in the deserts.

However, the "skirmishers" he had seen, written off, and forgotten had him in their sights. And they were a lot more proactive.

Borus' mounted bodyguard went down in a sudden volley of lead bullets. Machinaidas' fresh Rhodian Slingers knew what they were looking at and immediately opened with their lead rounds.

While some of his men tried to bring their general to safety, Borus died somewhere on the field just outside Side.

The remaining infantry found themselves unable to press through the Spartan pike line and, in the end, were surrounded as the returning Spartan hoplites and slingers began to cut into them from behind.

Some of the veteran phalangites tried to form a circle or square to hold ground, but it wasn't enough. Most of the men tried to flee to Side and were cut down or captured by the anti-router cavalry corps.

After a brief shower of firebombs, Side surrendered to the Coalition.

Spoiler for Details: 

Machanidas would later say, "We enticed the Pharaoh to reach out and slap us. And then we broke his wrist."

[Alavaria]

Spoiler for Chapter 63: 

Chapter 63: Cretans

Fighting continued on the ground in various sectors. Be it cleaning up of the Ptolemic forces in the east, or the Carthaginian holdouts in the west, we continued steadily.

However, on the sea our Western Fleet was unopposed. With the loss of the Carthaginian docks there were only a few brief skirmishes on the water before we had uncontested control of the sea.

Having this lane open for our reinforcements and supplies from Sicily was very welcome to the troops.

By the way, the coast east of Side has been carefully guarded. Word is that the Seleucids allowed the retreating Ptolemics save passage back to their Pharaoh...

Though most of them did die to our anti-router heavy cavalry corps, so it was probably not that many.

The "Greek" city of Massalia was invited to join the Italian (Sub)Coalition, but refused. As a result, King Agesipolis was forced to use a little more forceful persuasion. With our siege engines moved into prepared artillery ramps and reinforcements and the supply train ready, we settled in for the siege.

Word has it that the Romans are still trying to regroup further to the west. We shall see.

Kritodemos was just about to march into Kudonia when suddenly he realized that a massed levy army of the (not particularly famed) Cretan Hoplites was approaching from his rear!

Turning around his formation (and sending some men to forestall a sally from Byzas), he was about to face his first major battle!

The Cretan general Diophantus felt optimistic when he saw the "small" Spartan force. It couldn't possibly have been as small as he had thought, being after all just a short trip from Sparte.

It was likely that our deep "boulder" formation confused the general, who deployed his hoplite-heavy force in a long line.

While we prepared for the usual swing-wing flanking action, Diophantus somehow ran into the pikemen and was throughly piked.

And then, well the battle just...

Even before we could begin any movements, the levied hoplites just began throwing themselves into the pikes. Because they were routing instead of charging, this was mostly deadly to them despite all their heavy armor and shields.

It is surprising how tightly soldiers can pack themselves if the are routing into a wall of spearpoints.

In a few areas the pike line actually gave way under the sudden "pressure". However, those Cretans who actually made it through could see all the Spartan troops behind the line, who of course promptly began cutting into them as well.

Obviously not everyone routed, however the battle was pretty much already a Spartan win.

Some of the more steady Cretans took the opportunity to attack the confused pikemen. They were making some progress for a bit, it is true. Pikemen aren't good when their formation breaks.

Once our slingers had finished shooting routers in the back, they moved around and began to take apart the standing hoplites. It didn't take long.

Byzas fought hard, his heavy cavalry bodyguard actually killed a lot more hoplites and pikemen than the massive levied army had.

But in the end, it was of course not enough.

Spoiler for Details: 

It is worth noting that due to the amazing range of the Cretan-type archers, they were used in Coalition cities as garrison troops.

But the Rhodians were our elite skirmish troops on the field, as well as our anti-armor contingents.

[Alavaria]

Chapter 64: Successive States

Machanidas was resting in the Spartan fort-settlement established on the west of Side when he received a sudden message, which had been relayed from one of the informants in the Seleucid Empire. Upon reading this bit of intelligence, he immediately sent scouts out northwards and began organizing the men.

Although not allied or even friendly with the Ptolemics, the Seleucids nevertheless had begin massing forces along a more open part of the border. It could mean anything, but a lot of those possible meanings were not good.

Machinaidas sent an envoy up to Apameia to the Seleucid general Damasos, asking him to withdraw his forces from the border. Damasos sent back a short reply, "Come up here yourself."

So we did. While the settlement was indeed excellently positioned, the Seleucids had neither serious ranged units, walls, or even towers as part of the defense.

Earlier, we had rested near the base of the slope (hoping to lure them down into an attack) but they had not responded. So we began slowly to make our way up, carefully taking our time to ensure that we would not be caught off guard if they attacked from the heights. But hey did not.

When our artillery began shooting into the settlement, the Seleucids finally roused themselves and came forth to meet us.

Unfortunately for them, having to deal with the buildings meant they were not able to coordinate their various units, which were destroyed peacemeal by our infantry with (of course) slinger backup.

By the time we saw the last of their heavier units, it was probably too late for them to salvage the situation. We now began to sweep through the settlement, facing minimal opposition.

Well they did try to turn us back with heavy cavalry, but it wasn't really effective. Perhaps they thought to engage Machinaidas, however if so they miscalculated as his elite hoplites took apart even their iron-armored horsemen.

They did tear up a unit of pikemen and their attached light hoplites before that, though. And even the elite hoplites took a bit of time (if not many losses) to finally finish the job.

But that was Damasos' last real resistance. We got in among the remaining defenders from various sides and brought an end to the battle.

Spoiler for Details: 

[Alavaria]

Chapter 65: Mission Accomplished (Imperator)

Leaving the siege in the capable hands of his second in command, Agesipolis returned quickly to Sparte, the Italian Coastal Fleet was escorted by the massive Western Fleet. A major celebration was beginning, which was quite a change after the careful ordered planning of his First Army campaign group.

A critical point had been reached in the Coalition's growth, though perhaps it was not entirely obvious to the festival's many bystanders. The markets were bustling, a great deal of food was being cooked, and casks and kegs of various alcohols were being taken out of storage.

Agesipolis: So what's the occasion? Massalia is of course still under siege.
______Aa: We have reached an important point, fifty population centers (+Roma)
Agesipolis: And that means?
______Aa: The first victory.

Agesipolis: So, what's the next victory to be?
______Aa: Ah, well that will be interesting won't it....