The Molossian Hounds (For Europa Barbarum)
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This is an after action report for Rome: Total War, written by Mangalore. This can also be found here.
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[edit] First Chapter: The battle for Pella
In 272 BC the situation in Greece had grown volatile. The Macedon hegemony established by Philipp of Macedon and Magalos Alexandros had been shattered and one of their successors desperately tried to reestablish himself as sole power in Hellas: Antigonus.
But silently another power had reason to Macedon’s flank. Slowly building its forces and long a friend of Macedon the Epirotes had strengthen their kingdom, pacified the Illyrian tribes within their borders and established themselves as sovereigns along the northwestern coast of Greece and in south italy. The ambitious leader of this new arising power in Greece was Pyrrhos Aiakides.
By 272 BC Antigonus was deeply involved in fighting the Greek, esspcially the proud citystates of Sparta and Athens to bring these strong and rich countries back into his lap. Much of the Macedon forces was with Antigonus to the south and only a small force led by the governor Alkyoneus was left to protect Pella, capital of Macedonia.
Phyrrus had waited for such a moment…
His forces, an exotic mix of Greek and barbarian soldiers and even elephants from India, had assembled in the mountains to the west when his scouts reported to him the comparable light defenses left in Pella. Seeing his chance to decapitate the Macedonian lion before it awakened again, he quickmarched his army east and immediately attacked.
The armies were equal in size but with a distinct advantage in quality to the Epirotes. This attack hit a peacetime garrison without much of preparation
The battle plan was simple, use the elephants as sledgehammers to destroy the gates and bring havoc to the townguard to allow the infantry to take the gate area with few losses. These exotic beasts were eating up the small Epirote treasury and so there was little point in preserving their combat power.
With the enemy driven off the gate by archer fire from the elephants the charge by this mighty beasts was devastating driving the defenders back into the streets while the infantry charged in behind.
Quickfooted Illyrian tribesmen cover the rear of the elephants already within the streets while in turn the Epirote phalangites rush through the gates to come to the rescue of the Illyrians.
In the chaos that ensues Alkyoneus sees his chance to break the Epirote assault before it could consolidate its old on the gate but ultimately ends up surrounded by the Epirotes and is cut down.
The Macedonian city guard rushing to retake the gate panics and is cut down by Illyrians and Phalangites.
But Oh shock! Some detached light infantry managed to harass the elephants in the streets and the mighty beasts stampede right back through the entering Epirote troops amounting to the largest casualties of the whole battles. A unit of light Peltasts screens the beasts as the drivers desperately try to get them back under control.
The Macedonian defense is rallied for a last stand on the marketplace, citizens fighting for their home. They resist bravely but under the combined assault of Phalanx, cavalry charges and wild barbarians they are quickly cut down.
The battle ends in a wholesale massacre. The Macedons being completely obliberated.
And Phyrrus having conquered the royal palace, the Macedonian royal tombs and the homelands itself in this daring lightening strike declares himself new king of Macedon!
In the Aftermath a Macedonian army camping nearby, upon hearing of the miraculous defeat, quickly breaks camp and sends his troops to rush south to join with the Macedonian main forces at Demetrias while the general remains with a covering force to scout and observe Phyrrus' next move. The war had begun with a thunder clap but it was far from over.
In the meantime Helenos Aiakides, son of Phyrrus and governor of Taras, the greek city in southern Italy plans to mimic his fathers feats some years ago and goes on an endevour of his own to reunite Greek Italy under the banner of the Epirotes. Still in spring his army breaks tents and marches on Rhegium, the stepstone to Sicily and essential to solidify the Greek power in the South...
[edit] War in Macedonia
The army of Phyrrus was still celebrating its victory and enjoying the spoils of war that had brought the daring conquest of Pella when Phyrrus' scouts reported to him about a Macedonian army passing south through the port of Thessalonica obviously aiming to link up with the Macedonian main army waging the war against Athens and Sparta from their base around Demetrias where Antigonus - now king of Macedonia - tried to rebuild the Macedonian hegemony over Greece. Phyrrus saw the chance and the danger to destroy a detached army demoralized from having lost the territory they were meant to defend and how this army could swell the numbers at Antigonus' disposal and make his task in keeping to his conquests that much more difficult.
Phyrrus didn't hesitate any second but moved his total army out of Pella knowing that should he somehow be defeated the city would be lost anyway and should he win none would dare to keep the gates shut before him. In a quick march he managed to catch up with the Macedonians just north of Pydna. Seeing no possibility to outrun the Epirotes the Macedonians stood their ground.
Phyrrus had a distinct advantage in quality and numbers but the enemy had formidable cavalry with him capable to possibly outmaneuver him and prevent his inferior infantry from being flanked and give them far more backing by easily maintaining their line where spear against spear they could at least outlast the Epirote onslaught.
The general on the Macedonian side was a Captain named Neikarchos. A battlehardened veteran he feared the odds arrayed against him but did his best to counter them. Placing his macedonian line on top of a rolling hill he forced the Epirotes to attack uphill and gave his peltasts bigger range to hit and hopefully break their charge. The setup was classical and thoughtful with the cavalry holding the flanks in recessed positions slightly behind the infantry.
Phyrrus' army started out at a hill. Having a superior force and thus men to spare he also resorted to a rather classical style. Two divisions of Phalangites formed the line to face the opposing three on the hill backed by light Peltasts. He massed his cavalry and elephants on the right wing with the elephants right next to the phalanx and his cavalry sweeping outward along the wing. To establish an elastic support for the cavalry and prevent a breakthrough by Macedon cavalry the Illyrian tribesmen were put as support and a rear screening force behind the elephants to maintain a connection betweent the phalanx and the cavalry. On the left hand side he left it to a sole Phalanx unit to prevent the Thessalian cavalry on the Macedonian right to overrun the left side.
A classical Alexandrian battle was about to start. The Epirote center was advancing in mass with blistering spears.
On the right the cavalry led by Phyrrus himself in loose formation with only the elephants aiming directly at the enemy cavalry in front of them.
Just outside the missile range Phyrrus orders his Peltasts -which was kept behind the Phalanx so they would not be picked off by enemy cavalry - to advance ahead of the Phalanx to meet their Macedonian brethren and those lightfooted skirmishers rush through the gaps in the Phalanx to draw the fire from the Macedonian Peltasts ontop of the hill. At the same time the elephants and cavalry increase their pace to full gallop to hit and scatter the Thessalians on their side.
The Thessalians are hit by the elephants in the front and their horses panic by the smell of those unknown giants and before they can bring back order in their ranks they are hit in the side and back by the Epirote cavalry. The Thessalians are annihilated and obliberated in the first charge. The Macedonian left wing swept aside the Epirote cavalry breaks through to rollup the Macedonian rear.
At the same time the Phalanxes are about to meet.
OOC: Also note the Illyrian tribesmen in a perfect position to close the gap between infantry and cavalry or hit the enemy in the flanks by themselves.
On the left the flank guard faces its toughest time as a whole body of Thessalian cavalry throws themselves onto them and threatens to swamp their flank. At the meantime the enemy peltasts facing a cavalry charge without support turn tail and expose the Macedonian rear.
Phyrrus, smelling immediate victory spurrs his companions on.
While the cavalry sees off the Macedonian peltasts, the elephants start on a thunderous charge into the Macedonian rear.
Within seconds the Macedonian army just collapses, every man for himself they are cut down in droves by pursueing infantry, charging cavalry and stampeding elephants.
Aftermath:
The massacred Thessalians on the right who received a murderous charge from three sides and were cut down where they stood. The lefthand side with scattered fallen as the Macedonians fled the field.
Phyrrus had inflicted another stinging blow on the Macedonians with only few men lost and the enemy completely scattered. In triumph he returned to Pella awaiting further reinforcements to prepare his daring move south to challenge Antigonus himself. This battle would rock the Macedonians to their bones and make them aware of what kind of threat was looming in the north.
In the meantime Phyrrus also sent an envoy through the Macedonian lines to reach Athens and offer them an alliance in the fight against Macedonia.
[edit] The Campaign of Helenos in Bruttium
Simultaneously to the victories in the East, Helenos Aikides, following the footsteps of Phyrrus in Italy, had marched further south and reached the southern city of Rhegium. Immediately he began besieging the town and within a few weeks was ready to assault the city.
The Epirotes had a significant edge in numbers but the people of Bruttium were known as capable fighters and had some fine equipment and the will to defy another Phyrrus trying to subdue them.
With two rams Helenos planned to overcome the gate and a section of the wall to hit the defenders in two spots simultaneously. Quickly the rams, pushed by the Illyrians, advanced.
But to Helenos' astonishment the Bruttii became overeager and opened the gate in order to immflame the ram! Even before they managed to do so he ordered the Illyrians to leave the ram and attack the gate instead. A quick charge managed to meet the gate and a struggle ensued preventing the Bruttii to close their gates again. helenos smelled blood. This folly would make taking the city even easier!
Illyrians valiantly charge the gate guard and draw them into a fight keeping the gate open for the other units.
In the meantime the second ram had destroyed a section of the wall and Illyrians and Phalangites spilled in and immediately picked a fight with some peltasts guarding the area.
The assault got hectic but having troops at the gatehouse and within the city Helenos was still confident. The Bruttii threw their crack troops into the gap at the wall putting the men there under extreme pressure.
The gate now completely expose only barely hold by some leftovers Helenos charged in himself to take it and bring the rest of his troops into the city behind the Bruttii valiantly attacking the second breakthrough.
The Bruttii are quickly overcome and Helenos is among the first to enter the city through the gate. Immediately he orders his forces to rush through the gate to make victory perfect.
The Bruttii were about to be encircled. Fully comitted to the Epirotes at the lefthand side, they could do nothing to prevent the epirote buildup in their back. With the strength of desparation they kept fighting but soon all should be over.
But suddenly. Tumults! The Epirotes left hanging on the lefthand side faltered and crumbled before the right could come to relieve them. Running for the only way out they could see the bruttii managed to sent them into full flight. Helenos saw the events unfolding in disbelief but he couldn't interefere in them so he threw himself and his men into the back of the Bruttii hoping one charge would break them but hyped by the success in front of them the Bruttii just turned around and kept fighting.
Holding fast the Bruttii kept resisting and now another catastrophe rattled the Epirotes! Helenos was hit by a stray missile and disoriented he was isolated by his men, torn from his horse and killed by the Bruttii. Epirote confidence hang in the ropes.
With the general dead the Epirote cause just vanished and the soldiers fled for their lives. Chaos left and right many were slain by the now ecstatic Bruttii. What was left was pure massacre as the mighty warriors of Rhegium slaughtered the fleeing enemy who thought free men would so easily succumb.
Helenos dream of Magna Graeca and his ambition to match Phyrrus in his successes died with him and the role of Epirus as protector of Greeks in Southern Italy was in shambles. Not only had an Aikides died in battle but also the only army standing between Roman dominion of Italy and Greek freedom had been shattered. Helenos had gambled too high and now all of Southern Italy was in jeopardy while Phyrrus had bled his treasury and cities dry to prepare the deceisive war against Macedonia.
Will Tarrentum be lost to Rome? would Phyrrus succeed in turning the tables in the east to enable him to come to recue of the west? We will see. The fate of Epirus hangs in the outcome of the next battles. Would it lose Phyrrus and his kingdom will fall into oblivion, if it wins he'll become one of the Great of Alexander's successors.
[edit] Campaign in Thessaly
With the conquest of Pella and the destruction of Macedonia's army in the north the spirits in Pyrrhos' army were high and the seasoned general decided it was the right time to strike south to hit the Macedonians off guard and force a deceisive battle.
The army quickly marches south and Pyrrhos halfheartedly lays siege to Demetrias, but his true goal was to force a decision with the Macedonians and his wishes would be soon answered as Antigonos, king of Macedonia had rushed north to accept his challenge.
The armies were roughly equal with the Macedonians having superiority in heavy cavalry and light infantry and Pyrrhos having brought his seasoned Phalanx into the battle as trustworthy heavy infantry. Also his elephants were still there to turn the battle either way. Some of the advantage to the Macedons was offset by them marching up to the battle in two columns.
With Philippos and Herodes Antigonus also brought together two important members of the royal family, so did Pyrrhos after the death of Hellenos have in his son a trustworthy cavalry commander.
Pyrrhos again assembled a massive cavalry formation on the right wing while positioning his phalanx backed by skirmishers in a recessed bow towards the enemy to hold him while his cavalry attack would create the breakthrough. the Illyrians would serve as reserve and to reinforce the flanking maneuver.
The attack on the wing is again successful and the Epirote quickly turns to destroy the Macedon center as quickly as possible, but as opposed to the last battle, this time the Macedonians were numerically superior and so several units sweep around the weak Epirote left flank as the Phalanx moves forward to engage the shattered Macedonian line. This time fate is on Epirus' side as the Macedonians are cut down in weak pockets and cannot really make a dent into the Epirus line.
The Macedon first line is quickly destroyed but this time there is a second wave coming. Antigonus and his elite companions come too late to help their brothers but early enough to face a tired enemy. Pyrrhos is hardpressed to get his army back into battle order with some remnants of the Macedon first wave still disturbing the Epirote buildup.
The next fight would not go as onesided as Macedonia's finest would throw itself in the fray and it wouldn't run as easily as some poor drafts from Thessaly. Pyrrhos opened the battle with this second army like all prior ones. Elephants and a first cavalry squadron should hit the enemy in the front while a second squadron laid in the wait to hit the enemy in the flank and thus quickly depose of him.
But this time the timing was off. The cavalry met too far from the phalanx, the second squadron ended up too far away from the cavalry melee, and the Macedon companions are far less quickly to rattle than anyone else in the Hellenic world! The battle quickly dissolves into a series of seperate subbattles in which the Epirote line was stretched far more than it could be to any general's liking! The misstimed cavalry assault gets in turn enveloped, the elephants panic and flee the field, quickly the Illyrian reserve is thrown into the righthand side to assisst Pyrrhos and his cavalry in a cavalry melee they are currently losing! In the back the Phalanx has to stretch its lines thin to be in any position to guard the right wing from further Macedonian troops streaming into that battle.
While all Epirote reserves stream to the right wing, Antigonos, himself an as seasoned general as Pyrrhos, has picked his own spot to strike. With only light skirmishers to guard the Phalanx's left flank his cavalry strikes there to break the Epirote line for good. A desperate battle ensues, as vicious as the melee on the right in which Antigonos throws himself into the battle.
But in the end sheer luck decides the battle. With the help of the Illyrians manages to overcome the enemy cavalry and he throws everyone of his depleted force into the back of the Macedonians attacking Antigonos himself with his bodyguards.
And the mighty king of Macedon falls and finally a victor emerges in this vicious slaughter.
The Aftermath on the right wing. Dead horses and men scatter the field forming small artificial hills.
This day was terrible for both sides. Both sides had lost royality, the Macedonians even the selected heir while Pyrrhos lost his dearest son. It was as bloody as he expected, but though severly weakened the Macedons were not quick to give up. Under Herodes they threw another army at the severly weakened and exhausted Epirotes.
But Pyrrhos had not made Epirus great through madness, as the enemy challenged him he ordered to break camp under the guise of the night and retreat to Pella. There was enough blood on the field these days that it was enough for ten battles and he sought a new attempt would bring him better success than he could hope to achieve now. With the winter coming the weather would be his ally closing all ways into his kingdom while his men found the time to rest and rally replacements.
What also drove him that through the death of Hellenos Epirote troops and even his trusted men had spread thin. He could not allow his army to be destroyed beyond repair with no significant reserves anywhere left in the kingdom. So even Pyrrhos' recklessness and ambition was reined in,... for now.
[edit] The Year of 271 BC
In the year of 272 BC the Epirote kingdom had flexed its muscle and its ambitious and daring royal family led by Pyrrhos Aikides attempted to spread the Epirote influence east and west. While the campaign in the west ended in disaster quite similarily to how Pyrrhos himself had to reign in his ambitions several years ago the war against Antigonos and the kingdom of Macedon went well with one of Alexander's successors dieing in battle and another one taking the price.
But now in spring of 271 BC Epirus stands quite exhausted. The bridgehead in Italy is jeopardy and Pyrrhos himself withdrew under enemy pressure to Pella with a battered army. With two of his sons dead Pyrrhos was also forced to bring his court back into order. For this purpose he ordered an influental friend to his side to aid him in his affairs in Pella, the current base of operation for Pyrrhos is Greece and appointed Alexandros Aikides as his new heir.
With his forces depleted Pyrrhos ordered new drafts to replenish his forces for the new campaign season. At Taras he forged alliances with nearby Samnites mercenaries and ordered to reinforce his garrison there in hope to stave off the Roman ambitions until his affairs in Greece could be settled.
situation in Macedonia:
situation in Italy:
But while the Epirote garrison in Taras prepared for the worst Silanos Triphyliaios, a seasoned emissary sent out to bargain with Rome the rising star in Italy, brought the most fabulous news: a ceasefire had been agreed on. Even if only for some brief time Pyrrhos knew that every moment could count and with new energy he turnt his attention southward while he occupied his enemies and friends alike through the whole spring with diplomatic moves and agreements.
In the meantime the army in Pella was strengthened with more troops to be capable to bring a deceisive victory over the Macedonians who, after bloody battle, still held Demetrias and thus all of Thessaly.
The enemies of Macedon also smelled the new wind and after months of bickering and infighting finally the Greek cities of Athens, Sparte and Rhodos agreed to join forces with Epirus. The offer of Pyrrhos: Military aid and an alliance against Macedon and an assurance that he will not cross the pass of the Thermophylae into Hellas if all of the Macedonian homelands be left to his leisure and he accepted king of macedon by the Greeks and local nobility. The Greeks relucantly agreed and thus an alliance was forged against the remaining sons and allies of Antigonos.
So it came that in summer Pyrrhos once again moved south, with a replenished army behind him, the enemy in front of him and his allies behind the enemy. The spirits were high that this time the shaken Macedonian dynasty would fall. Without oppsition Pyrrhos marched south only to find Herodes, unexpected king of Macedonia, still occupied in calming his opposition and getting order back into his ranks. With ease his army was bottled up in Demetrias and Pyrrhos immediately launched his siege.
In the meantime Italy seemed to have calmed down the Roman obviously occupied with the Gauls to the north and equally happy to be capable to bare their backs as were the Epirotes. Nevertheless the garrison was increased with slingers and further fortifications were prepared.
The siege of Demtrias continued while Herodes was desperate to get his men in line and fight off Pyrrhos at the same time but finally, in spring 270 BC he was forced to come out and do battle. The battle to decide fate of Macedonia was imminent.
[edit] The battle of Demetrias
The Macedonians had an advantage in numbers but Pyrrhos fielded the more experienced troops.
Moreover Herodes was a youthful, yet unexperienced king to which his men and nobles had little to no attachments while Pyrrhos had proven his worth in dozens of battles. Still, the Macedonians were desperate and hungry for victory, no doubt they would do everything in their might to stop the Molossians.
Pyrrhos formed a Phalanx in front of his light forces and reserves, the seasoned soldiers bolstering the wings and center while the unexperienced levies were to cling to their flanks
Herodes in turn had sent out his skirmishers to screen his breakout as his forces gathered in the mainstreets. A sound plan, if he'd move fast enough...
But Pyrrhos, not one of the patient type, immediately ordered a general advance to close the space the Macedons can use to maneuver.
Again the Akontistai sprint forward to engage the enemy
and the sky is darkened by missiles...
But after a short exchange Pyrrhos orders his light troops to charge, the goal was to put as much pressure on the macedons as possible not allowing them to get themselves organized.
A violent melee ensues, however quickly decided when the Epirote cavalry appears. and the enemy skirmishers are dispatched before the rest of the Macedonian army could move up in battle order.
The total success of this dash is rounded up by an orderly withdrawal to the own phalanx line. Herodes himself with his companions in heavy pursuit.
Will the Macedon Lion prevail, or the Molossian hounds take their place, more to come...
[edit] The Year of 271 BC - Part 2
The pinnacle of the war in macedonia had arrived as Herodes Antigonus brought order into his companions and charged valiantly into the Epirote lines, deserving of a heir to the throne of Alexander!
Quickly the Epirote cavalry under Pyrrhos counterattacked and a violent melee ensued
Once the cavalry tied down in combat Pyrrhus signals his hidden reserves of Illyrian tribesmen, fierce and agile warriors, to charge into the melee. Static the Macedonian companions prove vulnerable to the combined efforts of cavalry and infantry and are cut down
Few make their escape, Herodes among them, however seriously injured by thrust into his side which would prove fatal soon thereafter
As the Macedonian infantry pours onto the field Pyrrhos quickly brings order into his ranks and now launches an allout attack against the Macedonian lines turning the battle into a massacre. Herodes falls and among the many Macedonians.
Quickly the battle concentrates on isolated pockets of fierce resistance by desperate Macedonian soldiers fighting bravely for their survival, but taken from all sides their valour cannot hold forever and so they break.
The Epirote army surges forward creating havoc among the fleeing Macedonian soldiers
Bravely they rally a last time at the gates before being slaughtered wholesale as Pyrrhos orders a general attack on the walls as well to again take these last valiant defenders from all sides and cut them down.
The battle is deceisive, within a year three leaders of the Antigonids lie dead on the battlefield, the Macedonian lands are firmly in Pyrrhos' hands and the Macedonian army scattered. The claim on Alexander's empire lay before him and Pyrrhos sets his sight on new endevours to fortify his standing among the Successors and prepare for the rise of a new Macedonian-Epirote joint power as it was under Philipp.
With the pitiful remnants of the Antigonid line he makes peace, primarily to establish a wary balance on the Greek peninsula in pitting Greeks loyal to the Antigonids against the rising star of the Hellen league of Athens and Sparta and thus buy peace for him and the ravaged northern lands.
The Romans, upon hearing of the destruction of the Macedonians forgo their hope to take Southern Italy by force and instead start negotiations with Pyrrhos. With his new center of power further to the east Pyrrhos signals his will to withdraw from Italy under an acceptable treaty.
Like Alexander Pyrrhos strives to strengthen Macedonia by retaking the Northern barbaric lands and Thrace before challenging the mighty heirs to Seleucus and Ptolomey in the East. The gods so far favoured him.
[edit] Interlude 270-267 BC
With Northern Greece secured and the war over the true Macedonian succession ending in Pyrrhos' favour he quickly began to bring his new kingdom into order. As a first step he withdrew his last forces from Italy, now seeing this backwater peninsula as a too isolated and poor region to conquer, not befitting a Macedonian king in the footsteps of Alexander. A treaty is signed with the Romans who are more than welcoming to the idea of this barbarian force finally stopping to interfer with their plans in the Italian South.
In the meantime Pyrrhos moved his residence to Demtrias and called his Italian troops there, mainly as plots come to his ear that the Greeks would rather fight him to prevent being subdued by yet another Macedon. However knowing that Pyrrhos himself and his army resided in Thessaly was enough to concentrate their forces elsewhere instead pursueing their war with the Antigonids and within a year also starting a war with the Aetolians by attempting to seize Thermon and Delphi.
The endevours of recent years had emptied Pyrrhos' coffers, esspecially his fruitless wars in Italy and the hard fighting in Macedonia, thus his priority is in establishing new sources of wealth for the treasury to start manning and equipping his army for new campaigns
HIs new kingdom with him and his main army in Demetrias, as an exotic touch he took Italians from the Samnite tribes to serve as his royal guard knowing their fierce reputation even among the Romans.
In the following years he prepares for a new campaign to secure Macedonia's northern borders, a feat that was neglected by former Macedonian kings and allowed old tributaries and allied tribes to drift of into independance and turn into a menace for the fertile lands of Macedonia itself. His plan - not unlike Philip's achievements - was therefore to pursue a northern campaign from the mountains to the Hellespont to subue the barbarian tribes there and secure Thrace for himself to establish new sources of gold and slaves and new manpower for his army.
In 267BC his preparations for the northern campaign were ready, he moved with the majority of his troops to Pella while he left a strong guard in the south to keep an eye on the reckless Greeks. With his kingdom thus secured he only waited for his son Alexandros to meet him in Pella and become regent of the kingdom while he was at war.
On his way to Pella Alexandros proved his worth when his vastly outnumbered bodyguard was ambushed by northern barbarians and he defeated their force and arrived in Pella unscathed.
With all preparation concluded Pyrrhos moved northwards in 267BC picking up a seizable contingent of mercenaries on the way, his first target: Sardika.
