[EB AAR] The Pyrrhic Dynasty : A Makedonian AAR

Chapter 68 : A New Era

While Pyrrhids prepare for an all out invasion to finally crush the Demetrids and end the civil war, the Demetrids do all they can to try and counter attack. The first attack on Ioudaia failed, and soon the second fails as well when Chrysoloras Delphikos arrives at Heirosolyma with a newly recruited mercenary army. So, the Demetrids turn north from Syria. In the hills of Kilikia, the Illyrians loyal to Pyrrhos hold an old outpost from which they spy on Syria and Assyria. Seeking to retake this outpost, the Demetrids send a large army from Syria to crush the Illyrian army:


Unlike their previous battles, the Illyrians now face an organized Hellenistic army, fighting in the Makedonike style:


The Illyrian spearmen hold their ground and await the enemy line. So, the Demetrids are forced to march forward and meet the Illyrian line, all the while oblivious to the fact that the Illyrian cavalry had already circled around their rear:


The Illyrian cavalry charges from the rear, but they do not achieve complete surprise. The Demetrids quickly send their reserve forces back to confront the cavalry while at the same time charge the static line of Illyrian spearmen. The battle begins in full force:


While the spearmen hold down the bulk of the Demetrid force, the cavalry manages to break the reserve units:


With the reserves broken, the Illyrian cavalry now have an open way. They line up and charge at the rear of the enemy phalangitai at full force:


After a series of successive charges, the enemy forces are wiped out or flee. Although though the victory is clear and the Illyrians win the day, the bulk of the Illyrian force is wiped out. The act of holding down phalangitai took too long and cost the lives of many Illyrians. Now they simply hold their outpost and await the invasion, hoping to avoid further conflict:


While Pyrrhos and his family make ready for war, there are also a great many changes in diplomacy around the known world. Tired of raids from the north and having pushed the Indians back into the Indus valley, the Seleukids turn northward and attack the tribes of the north-eastern steppes. In order to retain their alliance with the Seleukids, the rebel Baktrian dynasty also betrays their alliance of steppe tribes:


Soon after this, the alliance of steppe tribes manage to create an anti-Seleukid alliance with the Indians of Gandhara:


Already allied to Gandhara, the Arche Makedonia under Pyrrhos jumps at the oppertunity and also joins this alliance against the Seleukid dynasty:


Dispite the alliance against them, the Seleukids continue to push north, retaking territories lost to them more than a hundred years passed:


Diplomacy remains hostile in Numidia, where former citizens of the city of Kart-Hadast continue to encourage hostilities against the Arche Makedonia. The city of Ippone is attacked once more:


And once more, the local garrison manages to repel the onslaught:


In the family of Eouboulides, only the murdered Herakleon managed to have any sons. Hearkleon is murdered but his two sons continue the family as the only surviving direct descendants of Antigonos Gonatas. Herodes gathered an army and invaded Pontos to assist Pyrrhos in the war, but the younger son, Anaxagoras is sent to Pella for education. In Pella, Anaxagoras meets and befriends Laandros, the youngest son of Pyrrhos, and the two adopt vices together in the big city. Although, after the fall of Sparte the two are split up. Laandros is sent to Hellas to assist in administration at Athenai and Anaxagoras returns to Bosphoria where he grew up.

While administering Bosphoria, news reaches Anaxagoras that the city of Olbia has rebelled and cast off their Skythian overlords. Now the city is divided on whether to declare themselves independant or join the Arche Makedonia. Seeking to expand his satrapy, his glory, and his purse, Anaxagoras quickly gathers and army of many types of people and marches north into Skythian territory to "rescue" the city of Olbia:


Preparations for the invasion of Syria are well underway. In Iberia, the unconquered tribes are still hostile, but silent. In Numidia, constant defensive battles are fought. Now, another war had started in the northern steppes to rescue Hellenistic cities. All these conflicts and the Arche Makedonia is still strong. With the wealth of Iberian, Anatolia, and Kappadokia the war funds are secure and all debts have been repaid.

In the east, however, the Demetrid dynasty was in trouble, the loss of Anatolia, Kappadokia, and Armenia had cost them all of their wealthy satrapies. Aigyptos still provided a profit, but the distant members of the royal family and nobility in Aigyptos had begun to disagree with the leadership in Demetreia and at times was near rebelling against the Demetrids. Young Basileus Euktimenos and his mother Antigone were even begining to loose support in their own court. With forces gathering on their borders, the war's end is approaching and the most oppertunistic of the nobles of Syria begin turning on those who seem to be the losers.

The war's end is so evident that in the areas controlled by Pyrrhos, the Demetrids are called "the rebels" and the domain controlled by Pyrrhos has regained the name "the Arche Makedonia" as though he had already unified the fractured empire. It would seems that Pyrrhos is invincible and that nothing can stop him.

As the finally preparations come to a close, with the armies already heading east, Pyrrhos and Philippos prepare to leave Pella and head east as well. One night, during a late meal with some nobles, Pyrrhos announces that he isn't feeling well and wishes to get some sleep. With Pyrrhos' personal slave not nearby, Philippos decides to help his father stand up and helps him by taking him to his room. They speak little and Philippos leads his father to his bed. Once he is laying down, Pyrrhos looks at his son, touches him on the side of his face, and smiles. Philippos smiles back, but before anything is said Pyrrhos' personal slave rushes into the room to offer any assistance to his master. Philippos takes his leave and returns to the banquet.

Philippos is awoken abruptly in the early morning when one of his own slaves wakes him violently. Telling him that he must come quickly. The slave leads Philippos to Pyrrhos' chambers. When he enters the chambers, there he sees a collection of slaves and bodyguards along with a doctor from Athenai. On the bed, Pyrrhos lays motionless and Philippos knows what has happened.

By midday, it is announced to the city of Pella that Pyrrhos is dead:


Pyrrhos's body is taken to Aigai and burned on a great funerary pyre, then his remains are taken to the tomb of Demetrios, where they are kept until a new tomb is built for Pyrrhos, by order of Philippos. Many attend the funeral, but due to the divide of the Arche it does not reach the size or granduer of Demetrios' passing.

As soon as the time of mourning has come to an end, it is announced that Philippos will succeed his father as Basileus. Due to the fact Pyrrhos announced his successor long before his death and that Philippos is nearly the only logical choice, the transition is an easy one. Philippos is readily accepted by all, even those in the nobility. And so, Philippos, son of Pyrrhos, is crowned Basileus of the Arche Makedonia and is remember by history as Philippos V:


As Philippos becomes leader of the Arche Makedonia, it is once again clear who are the greatest people in the known world:


While Philippos gets used to his new power, events around the edges of the of the Arche continue to unfold. In Numidia, the city of Ippone is once again besieged by forces of the Numidian-Mauretanian alliance:


And in Iberia, the city of Kotais is besieged by a small army of the Demetrids:


Although, in Armenia, it is clear who is winning. The allied army of steppe cavalry continue their campaign of hit and run attacks. Having wiped out almost all forces that can oppose them, the army starts isolating small groups of Demetrid soldiers and wiping them out before they can group together. In the winter, they meet their first group in the mountains:


Quickly circling around the flanks of the enemy, they rain arrows down on them from above:


The allied steppe army easily defeats the little group and moves on to other targets:


The army of mounted archers wipe out another army and eventually move to releave the siege of Kotais:


Once the arrows start to rain down on the enemy they begin to flee:


The enemy manage to escape before many die:


The steppe cavalry, though, chases the fleeing enemy army and confronts them once again just before they can reach the city of Armavir:


The Demetrid army attempts to form two defensive lines to protect against the attacks from both sides, but the mounted archers simply fire at the rear of the far line:


As all seems lost, the enemy commander attempts to flee and escape back to Armavir, but when his horse is killed beneath him and he falls to his death:


Once again, the steppe army wipes out a small enemy army:


After almost two years of siege, the last city that holds out on Kypros falls to the Romaioi, guaranteeing a base for naval support for the invasion of Syria:


About the same time, Olbia in the north falls to Anaxagoras as well:


This region is an odd mix of Hellenic and Skythian, even more so than the Bosphoria region. With this conquest, the coastal regions from the Istros River to Bosphoria join the Arche Makedonia. The regions just north of the Istros River had been somewhat part of the Arche Makedonia for decades, but military force had never been sent to the region in order to prevent a war with the Getai Confederation. Although Anaxagoras only takes control of the coastal regions, a great deal of Skythian peoples and their culture now fall under the leadership of the Arche Makedonia:


To the south of there, in Pontos, Anaxagoras' uncle Lysippos dies. With the recent deaths of Delphikos and Pyrrhos, Lysippos marks the final death of the old generation. For every commander in the armies of the Arche Makedonia, the civil war has been a fact of their entire adult life and now it is up to them alone to bring it to an end:


Diplomacy once again becomes an issue as another year begins:


Most notably, the Medians invade lower Babylonia and attempt to capture Arab holdings:


However, all world events are trumped when Philippos arrives in Kilikia and the invasion of Syria finally begins. To the north, the steppe forces and a conscripted Armenian force under the command of a general from Sophene attacks the last of the Demetrids in Armenia who hide in Armavir:


The Thraikioi of Armenia move south, into eastern Assyria, and attack the enemy garrison at Arbela:


Herodes moves his Bosphorian army out of the hills and moves down into western Assyria to attack the large city of Edessa:


Chrysoloras Delphikos moves his mercenary army north from Ioudaia and attacks the ancient Phoenician city of Sidon:


And in Kilikia, the Galatians lead the attack, followed by Philippos and his Thorakitai army, while his brother Sotades holds down the large Kilikia garrison in Tarsos:

The known world at the end of 163BC, a year after Pyrrhos' death:

Next: Chapter 69 : The Syrian War (Part I)

Nice, as always! But where does the Arche go after the Demetrids?

Another great chapter

The Demetrids realy seem finished. After that Philippos could lead the Arche to conquer all who opposed them or supported the Demetrids in any form...

Or he could become a 2. Alexander the great and move all the way to India with his mighty armies. And even continue the plans Alexander had before his early death - take Arabia and Noth Africa.

Thanks.

My goal since the begining of this campaign has mostly been to reunite Alexandros' empire. Although, the Ptolemaioi took a long time to kill then the Romans, Carthaginians, and Iberians kept forcing me to fight in the west. If all goes well, I'll try to head east once the Arche has recovered from the civil war. Although, I try to roleplay my leaders and since Philippos was raised in Italia and fought in Iberia, with a father who had planned to conquer Numidia, I might end up roleplaying events in the west.

Chapter 69 : The Syrian War (Part I):
The Fringes

Africa

While Philippos leads a huge invasion force of Makedones and allies in an invasion of Syria, a much smaller invasion into his own territory takes place in Africa. Numidian and Mauretanian forces once again attack the city of Ippone, but this time they are lead by an exiled noble from the conquered city of Kart-Hadast:


Dispite their skilled leader, they met the same fate as every other invasion attempt of the city:


In the city of Kart-Hadast, things are much different than what the exiles chose to believe. After the initial slaughter by Neokles, Pyrrhos had managed to achieve order in the city and managed a friendly peace with its Phoenician inhabitants as well as the Lybian and Numidian locals of the region. Though the region had been conquered, with many enslaved, there is almost no current discontentment from within the Makedonike controled territories. Many were even glad that the city had been conquered. The people of Kart-Hadast had always been traders and the inclusion into the Arche Makedonia had opened new trade routes to the eastern parts of the Arche that had been previously unavailable due to the war between Kart-Hadast and the Arche Makedonia.

The exiled nobles did not care what it was like back in their city, though. They only wanted their senate reinstated and the Makedones out of Africa. Although the war with Numidia and Mauretania had been a small issue for the Arche Makedonia, it was ever the small itch needing scratching.

Assyria

As part of the invasion of the Demetrid controlled east, the descendants of the Thraikioi who had settled in Armenia had taken up arms and marched south into eastern Assyria. While besieging the Demetrid garrison at Arbela, an army of reinforcements from Babylonia attacks these Thraikioi, marking the first battle in this new Syrian War:


The Thraikioi line up to face the reinforcement army attacking from the north, but are surprised when the Demetrid men simply stall for time. The Thraikioi are surprised again when it is actually the small number of phalangitai and kataphraktoi from the city that strike first:


While the bulk of the Thraikioi force hold the line, the cavalry and elite forces move to face the enemy forces approaching from the city of Arbela:


While the cavalry tie down the kataphraktoi, the elite Thraikioi attack the phalangitai. While the bulk of the elite force charging directly at the short enemy line, a small group sneaks around the rear and charge in at them out of a grove of trees:


Meanwhile, the reinforcements from Babylonia advance and face the Thraikioi main battle line:


Soon the Demetrid general, Atrosokes Dionysopolites, falls dead and the forces from the city break and flee. Free from their battle with the enemy phalangitai, the elite Thraikioi join their brothers in battle with the larger army. Now overwhelmed, the large enemy army start to flee from the battle:


The Thraikioi cavalry chase down all those who try to escape and kill and capture nearly all of them:


Without any defenders, the city of Arbela surrenders and the Thraikioi gain a stronghold in eastern Assyria where they wait for the remaining invading forces to do their jobs as well.

Phoenicia

With a hand full of his father's klerouchoi at the core of a mercenary army, Chyrsoloras Delphikos had marched north from Ioudaia and into Phoenicia. Having secured Tyre without a fight, the army marched north to Sidon, where the regional garrison is stationed. After only a few short months, Chrysoloras Delphikos and his army is attacked by an army of the Demetrids:


The Demetrid army oddly charges forward...


...then suddenly stops a short way outside of skirmishing range:


While the bulk of the enemy force watches from their possitions, the enemy cavalry make several suicidal charges directly at the pike line, testing the will of the mercenaries:


After waiting quite some time, Chyrsoloras finally makes his move and orders his entire cavalry force to the right flank. The enemy forces counter this by making a move against the now undefended left flank. Chyrsoloras' brother-in-law leads his cavalry in a charge in front of the battle line back to reinforce the left flank, but then halts. Noticing enemey kataphraktoi from the city, Chrysoloras' brother-in-law leaves the infantry on the left flank to fend for themselves and charge at the enemy cavalry instead:


The cavalry get into a scrape and begin hacking at eachother with their swords, both sides too afraid of a charge to let the other side disengage. Soon the fight is joined by Andragoras Dikaios, from Sidon, and his heavy kataphraktoi. Seeing his cavalry falter, Chrysoloras soon joins the battle as well, charging in at an exposed enemy flank of the elite kataphraktoi:


The fight lasts some time, with the enemy infantry all breaking and fleeing in the mean time, but eventually only Andragoras Dikaios and a small force remain. They try to flee back to the city but are too weighted down from their heavy armor and are easily caught and killed:


Late to the battle and unaware of their general's death are the phalangitai from the city of Sidon. Now fully refreshed, the mercenaries of Chrysoloras line up to face the new enemy:


A short battle in the Makedonian style takes place, but after a short time the Demetrid forces are become aware that their general is dead and the cause is lost:


After a very long day, Chrysoloras Delphikos manages to hold the field:


Fully aware of the ultimate fate of the war, the garrison of Sidon disbands. Before Chrysoloras can take the city, however, another army from the north attacks:


Once again, on the plains of Phoenicia, two armies of Makedones face eachother and duel with [fields] of pikes:


Both sides deploy peltastai on the flanks who also face eachother in an attempt to outflank eachother:


Taking a long route through the woods, the full cavalry force of Chrysoloras' army manages to win the game of outflanking and charges at the rear of enemy phalangitai:


In the style of Alexandros, Chrysoloras takes the field and moves to the city of Sidon:


Syria

In the city of Demetreia, Antigone, the royal court, and the young Basileus Euktimenos Idomeneus are well aware of Philippos and the invasion. Although they order their generals to fight with everything they have, they are well aware of the fact that it is only a matter of time before Syria is lost. The effort to hold Phoenicia had been an attempt to prevent themselves from being cut off from Aigyptos. If they can flee Demetreia and get to Aigyptos, there is still a chance that they can continue their fight. The loss of Tyre and Sidon have now cut them off from the coastal route. If Demetreia is threatened, the only choice now is to take the inland route and risk going near the they city of Heirosolyma or eastward and through the desert.

In the east, the remnants of the Illyrian army move to control the borders between Assyria and Syria, but soon face a huge army from Demetreia:


Unable to offer much resistance, the Illyrians are easily defeated and retreat back into Kappadokia:


With the southeast secure, the royal family and royal court in Demetreia prepare for a trip to Damaskos and ultimately to Aigyptos. Philippos once again surprises the Demtrids, though. Risking the winter seas, the Romaioi cross from Kypros and land in southern Syria. Meanwhile the Galatians force march through the cold and approach the city from the north:


Even in the dead of winter, the Galatians are ready for combat. Cornering an army of the Demetrids to the north of Demetreia, they move in to wipe them out before they can join with the garrison inside the city:


Oddly, it is the Demetids who go on the offensive and march uphill toward the Galatians. Perhaps they truely believe in their yound Basileus or perhaps they know they are going to die and simply wish to die with glory. Either way, the light force stands no chance against the Galatian warriors:


The light Galatian infantry hold down the enemy combat line while the elites circle around the rear and crush them from behind while the cavalry wipes out the few reserves:


Without much effort, though some casualties due to carelessness, the Galatians crush their enemy and take control of the valley just north of Demetreia:


The Arche Makedonia

In Makedonia, an odd event takes place. A grandson of Neokles joins the ranks of generals in Philippos' armies. Although his father had joined Bykoli and Pefkolaos and died early in the war, young Abantes Skionaios ended up living in territories controlled by Pyrrhos and Philippos. After his education he had joined the military, where he was made a general due to his noble blood. As the descendant of Antigonos Gonatas to join side of Pyrrhos, he is welcomed but watched closely.

In Anatolia, vast numbers of kleroi are completed in order to make farming the the region much more efficient. The project to build the kleroi had been begun by Neokles in his reforms, but had stalled during the civil war. Restarted under Pyrrhos, the system of huge agricutural estates spread all across Anatolia are now complete:


As spring returns to Syria, Philippos once again begins his advance. Sotades besieges Tarsos, Herodes besieges Edessa, the Galatians move to block the borders between Syria and Assyria, the Romaioi cut of of way out of Demetreia to the southeast, and the fleet blockades the ports. With all the escapes from Demetreia removed, Antigone and Euktimenos have no choice but to remain behind the walls of the city. And soon those city walls are besieged by Basileus Philippos V of Makedonia, himself:


Around the same time, though late, Isidoros Oresteus, the self proclaimed king of Babylon, fulfills his promise to Philippos and joins in on the invasion. King Isidoros moves to besiege the city of Seleukeia, which is now deprived of most of its forces after the battle with the Thraikioi:

The known world in162BC:

Next: Chapter 70 : The Syrian War (Part II): The Allies

Chapter 71 : The Syrian War (Part III):
Reconquista

In the two years since Philippos had begun his Syrian invasion, things had turned from bleak to impossible for the Demetrid dynasty. All the garrisons in Syria, Assyria, and Babylonia had been tied down with sieges and the Galatians and Romaioi had managed to completely destroy the field armies of Syria. Without any assistance coming from Aigyptos, the only choice of the Demetrids is to wait for the inevitable.

In Tarsos, the elder brother of Philippos, Sotades, had tied down an army that had been meant to halt any Pyrrhid invasion from Anatolia. Instead of being halted by this army, Philippos simply ordered the city besieged and then bypassed by the bulk of his forces. Now, being the only large force remaining to the Demetrids, the army of Tarsos makes one last attempt to break the siege and move to rescue Demetreia:


The Demetrids inside Tarsos where determined, but outside the city awaited a large army of old veterans who had fought with Pyrrhos himself in Africa, so many years earlier:


While the army of Sotades waits for the Demetrid infantry to line up outside their city walls, the Demetrid kataphraktoi make their move. Their attempt to break around the flank of Sotades' line is quickly countered by the Illyrioi, who pull out their axes to hack through the kataphraktoi armor:


The kataphraktoi quickly break and the Illyrioi do not pursue.

Along the infantry line, the Demetrid phalangitai attack the veteran Pezhetairoi from the west:


After flanking manuevers from Thraikioi and Samnici, the Demetrid infantry begins to take heavy losses and loose morale:


Sotades allows the enemy to retreat and reforms his line. Before too long, the Demetrids reemerge from the city and attempt another attack:


[This is the part of siege battles where the enemy marches out, breaks and retreats before even getting to me, marches back out, breaks before hitting my line and retreats, etc. :wall: ]

This time, the Samnici lead the counter attack and push the Demetrids back to the walls of the city...


...and even chase them into the city streets:


The day ends in a draw, with the few remaining Demetrid soldiers still in control of the city:


However, with losses from the battle and lack of supplies within the city, the few remaining Demetrids and their disgraced general decide to surrender the city. So, once again the city of Tarsos and all of Kilikia is returned to the hands of the Basileus of Makedonia, Sotades' younger brother Basileus Philippos V:


Soon after taking the city, Sotades learns what a desperate enemy is capible of. One night an assassin comes of his life but is narrowly thwarted. Aware of the risks, Sotades learns to be ready for anything, even in the dark of night:


Soon after the fall of Tarsos, the forces of Sophene report that the Hayasdan region has surrendered and the bulk of Armenia and its resources are now back in the hands of Makedonia:


Over the next couple months, there is little activity in the civil war as besieger and besieged await the inevitable. During this time, the city of Ippone is once again threatened...


...and in Hellas, Philippos' youngest brother, the troublesome one, begins to mature and even gain knowledge of governing and of warfare:


Laandros is soon exposed to his first crisis when an earthquake hits the area. Laandros is forced to deal with a real problem, being the man in charge of administering Hellas:


Back to the east, Herodes of Bosphoria manages to negotiate the surrender and disarming of the garrison at Edessa:


With the fall of the city of Edessa, the entire region of Assyria firmly falls into the hands of Philippos. This separates Babylonia and Syria, the only two regions with Demetrid garrisons still standing.

Doing his part in the war and seeking to remove the last army loyal to the Demetrids outside of Demetreia, King Isidoros Oresteus of Babylon launches an attack on the city of Seleukeia:


With great siege towers pushed across the plains, Isidoros assaults the walls of the great city:


Once on the walls, his elite Babylonians meet with some resistance...


...but no matter the costs, the walls are taken:


And with the walls under their control, the assualt forces open the gateways of the city for the bulk of the Babylonian army to enter:


The battle at the gateway is short, with most enemies falling while attempting to retreat. The survivors retreat to the center of the city, where they reform their lines under the command of the local governor. Isidoros' men are well trained and don't give pursute to the center of the city, where rested enemy forces await. Instead, the army of Babylonians take their time to rest and slowly march on the city center. Once they are in possition on three sides of the city center, Isidoros gives the word for the archers to release their arrows:


Most of the remaining infantry of the city guard quickly fall. The governor of Seleukeia, under a rain of arrows from all sides, decides to take his chances and launches a counter attack against the southern force of Babylonians:


The spearmen absorb the charge and hold their ground against the assault by the heavy kataphraktoi:


While the kataphraktoi fight with the Babylonians to the south, the Babylonian forces to the east and west charge the city center and quickly wipe out the last of the city guards. These two forces then charge south toward the battle with the kataphraktoi and attack their enemy from the rear:


One at a time, the kataphraktoi fall dead. Soon only the governor remains:


When the Makedonian governor falls dead, the city falls into the hands of the Babylonians and thus all of Mesopotamia is once again under the control of the city of Babylon, for the first time in centuries:


King Isidoros learns much from the battle...


...but at this point in his life decides he much rather prefers governing over warfare:


King Isidoros Oresteus of Babylon takes control of the city of Seleukeia as well as all of the territories along the two great rivers, from Assyria in the north to the border of Median control near the sea. Isidoros promises Philippos that the region will return to the Arche Makedonia, but until the war is over it is to be managed by Isidoros and the Babylonians. Philippos is worried at the thought of another uncontrollable client state, but at least Isidoros is getting old and has no sons.

With the fall of Kilikia, Armenia, Assyria, and Babylonia into the hand of Philippos, the western Arche Makedonia is once again the undisputed greatest power in the known world:


With his powerful mother at his side, Euktimenos takes control from the failure of his, court, advisors, and what remains of his generals:


With failure surrounding him and his own end quickly approaching, the young Euktimenos Idomeneus of the Demetrid line finally takes complete control of the eastern Arche Makedonia. However, now the eastern Arche Makedonia consists of only that which is within the walls of the city of Demetreia. Euktimenos Idomeneus is the direct line of Antigonos I Monophthalmos, Demetrios I Poliorcetes, Antigonos II Gonatas, Demetrios II Megas, Aristotelis, Bykoli, and Pefkolaos Idomeneus. Great men preceed him in his family line, but there is little greatness in the future of Euktimenos. The only choice left to Euktimenos is whether he will die fighting of surrender to the armies of his distance cousin, Philippos V.

The known world in160BC:

Next: Chapter 72 : The Syrian War (Part IV): The Fall of the Demetrids

Truly great!

I wonder what Philippos will decide to do with this Euktimenos.:hmmm:

Thanks, HunGeneral.

I'm still writting the story for the next chapter and haven't decided on the details yet, but Euktimenos is one of the last surviving descendants of Megas Demetrios, who was beloved by the people... I'm not sure if I'll kill him... right away...

Chapter 72 : The Syrian War (Part IV):
Before the Fall

Separated from Demetreia and the royal family of the Demetrids of Syria, the land of Aigyptos had begun to opperate as a separate nation. "Requests" of military aid from Aigyptos to Demetreia had been turned down by the Makedonike nobles now ruling Aigyptos. Not only was it impossible for aid to reach Demetreia, but any attempt to do so would have been a great risk to Aigyptos itself and may have weakened the defenses of the ancient land. Not only did Aigyptos need fear Philippos, and a reprisal on the nobles who had apposed him, but Aigyptos also needed a strong army to defend itself from enemies from the lands of Nubia and their Ptolemaic king.

Aigyptos would not come to the aid of Demetreia because of the amount of Philippos-controlled lands between the two areas and due to Philippos' sea superiority. However, claiming to be coming to the aid of Syria, though in truth only seeking to expand the land controlled by the greedy nobles of Aigyptos, an army from Aigyptos marches north and attacks the city of Hierosolyma and the Ioudaioi army:


[I didn't get any screenshots of this battle.]

After a short time being besieged, and without any chance of Makedonike reinforcement from the north, the city is attacked by the siege equiptment of Aigyptos. The Ioudaioi army was conscripted under special conditions to defend the city. Had there been no Makedonike civil war, there would have been no Ioudaioi army. Now, they are put to the test defending their homeland.

The Ioudaioi defend the walls of the city, but it is only a matter of time before the superior numbers and elite status of the army of Makedones from Aigyptos gain superiority. With the defenders faltering, the battle looks bleak and the fall of the city becomes only a matter of time. Just as morale hits its lowest point, spooters report seeing another army approaching. To the east an army of Nubians approach the city and attack the part of the army of Aigyptos that still remains in reserve outside the city. Seizing this oppertunity, the king of Hierosolyma rallies his men and pushes the men from Aigyptos from his city.

Thanks to the army of Nubians, the city is saved and the Aigyptians retreat back to Alexandreia. The battle is a costly one, however. The army of Ioudaia is almost entirely wiped out and those who still stand are mostly mercenaries loyal to money and not Ioudaioi loyal to the king. With another army marching from Aigyptos, forces of Arabia surrounding the region, and Nubian "allies" just outside the city walls, the king is in a dire situation. Unable to raise an army quickly, the king is forced to accept aid from Chrysoloras Delphikos and his mercenaries. Once Chrysoloras Delphikos and the mercenaries reach the city, there is no longer any need from a Ioudaioi army and in fact Chrysoloras, under orders from his Basileus, discourages the raising of a new army.

As for the Ptolemaioi of Nubia, they declare an official war on both Syria and Aigyptos, promising to live up to their new alliance with Philippos:


A year later, a small scout force from Aigyptos tests their other border with Philippos' Arche Makedonia:


With the forces from the two adjacent forts coming to their aid, the small garrisons of the Lybian forts chase their enemy back to Aigyptos:


The forces from the fort loose no men, but manage to kill many with their javelin even though they never face their enemy with their swords:


With both borders to the Arche Makedonia tested, the forces of Aigyptos turn south and to the lands which were lost earlier in the civil war to oppertunitic Nubian forces. Their timing is poor, however, as Ptolemai VII, himself, and his huge army is passing by the region at the time:


Off to the west, the itch at is Numidia, attacks Ippone once more:


Growing ever more confident in his abiltity to lead, Zaikedenthes Echinaieus and his local garrison gallently defends the city once more:


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Philippos and his men have been sitting outside the walls for more than two years. The army has been camped in the area so long that the camp has basically become its own city. Around Demetreia Philippos' army had built a pallicade encircling the city and then another around the camp itself, with a couple of towers built on the hills above the city. The bulk of the camp is to the north of the city on the same side of the river (the east), but there are also large forces stationed to the south and in the hills to the east, which overlooked the town. Other than Philippos' army, mercenaries, Galatians, and Romaioi allies would also frequent the camp around Demetreia as various armies patrol the lands of Syria.

The trade routes had been reopened when the other armies of the Arche Makedonia had taken all the territories surrounding the region and trade once again flows through the region. Traders pass through the valley and stop in the camp instead of stopping at the city of Antiocheia / Demetreia as they once did. Some "traders" had even set up permanent residence in the camp, especially those who "goods" appeal to soldiers and their vices.

Philippos, himself, had been absent from the camp on several occasions, but had been trying to manage the vast Arche Makedonia from his residence in the camp. In the time since his father's death, Philippos hadn't fought a single proper battle but had dealt with more bureaucracy than he had ever dreamed of. Much of the managing work of the Arche Makedonia is passed off to others and taken care of by Philippos' elder brother Sotades (once Sotades took Tarsos) and his younger brother Euphrantos in Makedonia, who had continued to grow and mature from the rebellious youth he once was. A great deal of the managing work of both Philippos and Euphtantos has also been assumed by the nobles of Pella, both by order of these men and by the own initiative of the nobles.

Many times envoys from one side of the siege of Demetreia would talk with the other side, but the Demetrid family, namely Antigone, would never accept the terms of Philippos. Time had been running out for the Demetrids, though. Just a few months prior, the city of had cast out several hundred people into the regions between the city walls and the pallicades of Philippos. Had they been barbarians, Philippos would have ordered his men to kill them or simply leave them there to die, but they were Makedones, Hellenes, and Hellenized Syrians. Seeking to prove himself the greater good in the fight, Philippos took in the cast out civilians. Thankfully, the invasion of the surrounding areas had been completed and feeding, supplying, and relocating the people from the city proves an easy task.

Finally, the time comes when a choice has to be made and word was sent out from the city to the camp of Philippos that Euktimenos wished to arrange a meeting, face to face, and discuss the surrender of the city and the fate of the royal family. Philippos is cautious of a trap at first, but knows that nobody claiming such noblity would stoop so low. Philippos agreed to the meeting on the terms that he brings his royal guard.

Philippos, his most trusted lieutenant, and a group of his royal guard approached the northern gates of the city of Demetreia around midday. With the rest Philippos' army watching not too far from the city, the gates opened up.

Philippos and his men are escorted to a villa near the gate, belonging to some local noble, where the meeting is to take place. As they slowly move forward, Philippos takes time to observe his enemy. The city looks clean and strong, but in the distance there are signs of filth and an occational shift of the wind brings the smell of death, disease, and human waste. Along the sides of the road, the soldiers of the garrison and what is left of the Demetrid royal guard are lined up. Their armor and weapons are shined in order to give off an image or strength and honor, but the men themselves look as though they are struggling to simply stay standing. The bodies of the soldiers look weak and tired, but when Philippos looks into their eyes he sees something he doesn't expect, he sees nothing. There is no fire in the eyes of his enemy, not even any fear. These are the eyes of men who have already given up, accepted death. These are the eyes of a prisoner just before he is exicuted, half his spirit has already gone to Hades. Philippos thinks to himself, 'These men have already surrendered. They know their Basileus will not rule for long. Were I to give the order, my twenty guards could take this city on their own. I could even give an order to these men, they would probably follow it without a pause and turn their backs on their own side. These men have no faith in their situation or their leader.' It is at that moment that Philippos knows the war was over and that he was the sole ruler of most powerful empire in the known world.

Next: Chapter 73 : The Syrian War (Part V): The Fall of the Demetrids

I enjoy such good roleplaying.

Just one question: Where did you get the Idea of naming the Queen Antigone? As much as I know there is no way to find out something about the female FMs of another Faction so I quess you gave her that name. Not bad but I'm just curious...:hmmm:

Originally Posted by HunGeneral

I enjoy such good roleplaying.

Just one question: Where did you get the Idea of naming the Queen Antigone? As much as I know there is no way to find out something about the female FMs of another Faction so I quess you gave her that name. Not bad but I'm just curious...:hmmm:

Actually, she is part of my own family tree. Since both sides of the civil war are part of the Makedonia family tree, I could see her name. Anitgone was the only child of Bykoli, who married Pefkolaos. Since Pefkolaos was the same age as Bykoli, I roleplayed that he was Bykoli's friend that married into the family. (Kind of like Agrippa marrying into Augustus' family in real history.) I also roleplayed that Pefkolaos was rarely at home and around Antigone due to always being busy fighting wars with Bykoli...

In all actuality, there was no family members of the other faction within Demetreia when I beseiged it.

A good update! Good to see this is back.

Happy to know this AAR is still going.

A very good troop coordination (those armies must cost a fortune).
I can already hear the heads of the Demetrid queen and the heir roll down the stairs of the palace in Demetreia...

Classifying you as morbid...

@Mr. Cursed: I was just making a very "unusual" statement.(by the way how old is the Demetrid heir?:hmmm

And besides ist a historical fact that in most conflicts in the Ancient times the victors often got rid of their enemys relatives (potencial heirs)

Think on Caesarion or Alexanders mother, his five and their son (can't remember the name of the general, how wanted them out of the way but after the soldiers refused his order to kill them he simply strangeled all three...
Their were many other cases but these are the ones I can think of know. (I consider all of them inhuman and as an element of tyrany (better sad inhuman behavior) or greed for power.)

Glad to see this is still alive, Marcus!

Thanks to those who commented.

I'm actually not sure what I'm going to do with the conquered royal family. Since they are actually part of my family tree, there are many options open to me.

Next chapter:

Chapter 70 : The Syrian War (Part II):
The Allies

In the time of Antigonos, the population of Makedonia had been depleted by the oppertunity of foreign settlement and what seemed like almost constant invasions and wars. Since the beginning of the Antigonid line and the reforming of the Arche Makedonia, foreign soldiers had been a neccessity in a Makedonike army. Over the years many foreign troops had done great things for Makedonia, such as Neikolaos' Keltoi or Pyrrhos' Illyrioi. Allied armies under the command of foreign commanders had also been a great help to the Arche Makedonia. In the Makedonike civil war, however, they have reached a greater amount of service but with a greater cost. Foreign forces such as those of the Galatioi, Ioudaioi, Romaioi, and Babylonians had served Pyrrhos and Philippos greatly in the war. However, each of those groups had gained greater autonomy and leverage against Makedonia. They now pose a greater risk to the stability of the Arche Makedonia in the post-war years to come.

Lesser known allied forces, such as the steppe cavalary, originally loyal to Lysippos, had also done great deeds for the Pyrrhids. Over the years of the civil war, the steppe forces in Armenia had almost single handedly harrassed the Demetrid forces in the region and prevented any meaningful profit return from Armenia. Now, with an Sophene Armenian general and his army besieging the city of Armavir, the steppe forces take once more to wiping out small isolated Demetrid forces before they can group together and provide a challenge:


Under the rain of arrows released from the swift horsemen...


...only death remains:


The steppe horsemen strike again, quickly:


This time their enemy brings better armor...


...but it is only a matter of time before an arrow falls at a weak point:


In Syria, the Demetrids are desperate to save their Basileus and relieve their capital. Gathering their forces, the Demetrids send a great army through eastern Syria but are halted by the Galatians:


With the Euphrates river to their left, the Galatians line up to block the avance of the Demetrid army on Demetreia:


Just like in past engagements with the Galatians, the Demetrids rush forward to meet them, judging the Galatians upon their numbers alone:


As they approach, the Galatians throw their spears...


...then charge in before the enemy can form a phalanx:


Unable to form a cohesive line, the Demetrid army breaks into several groups and begins to fight the Galatians. Using their superior numbers to their advantage, each group of Demetrid soldiers attempt to encircle each individual Galatian group, but they still underestimate their enemy:


The Demetrids ignore the Galatian archers as they move around their left flanks and concentrate on encircling the infantry, but then the archers lower their spears and prove the the Demetrids that you should not turn your back on any Galatian, no matter his perceived battlefield role:


Meanwhile, the cavalry succeeds at their own flanking along the river to the right flank of the Demetrids and crush the few men holding down the elites:


Free from battle on both sides, both flanks charge toward the center and encircle those Demetrids who were attempting to encircle the Galatian center:


The center of the Galatian line, previously threatened by encirclement, falls back and allows for the flanks to completely encirlce the remaining enemy. While the encircled Demetrids are slaughtered, the cavalry chases down those who escaped and are trying to flee:


The Galatians move to protect the Euphrates crossing, but their battlefield is remembered as the sites of one of the greatest battles ever fought, both because of the odds and because of the tactics used:


Their good new is soon dwarved by bad news from their home, however. Their king, the king of Galatia, is dead:


This event posses a difficult situation to Philippos, who also gets a similar message just outside of Demetreia. Though the Galatians are allies and a client kingdom, they have used the war as an excuse to expand their power and territories, claiming part of the Pontos satrapy for themselves. It had been planned to disband their military after the war, then slowly reduce their powers until the point when Galatia could be formally added to the Arche Makedonia, removing their autonomy and the problem. However, now that the king is dead there is an oppertunity to take control of the region of Galatia. If Philippos does not seize this oppertunity and a new king is chosen it will be another generation before this chance comes again. After great thought, Philippos allows the Galatians to choose a new king. Philippos realizes there is far too much risk, with a large standing army, loyal to Galatia and not Makedonia. The first step must be to disband that army and reclaim Pontos.

One ally who had long since proven themselves loyal to the Pyrrhids are the Romaioi. Because of their fair treatment when conquered and their permitted internal autonomy, the people of Roma were friends to Pyrrhos and had proven a valuable ally. Not long after the Galatians repel one army of the Demetrids, a second attempts to break through to Demetreia. This time it is blocked by the Romaioi, under (indefinately extended) Consul Tiberius Aurelius Cotta:


Rather than face the enemy in the open field, the Romaioi take up the defensive possition at a river ford. The Romaioi assume the enemy will simply wait on the other side or try to find another way around, but he fanatical men, seeking to save their Basileus, decide to simply charge across the waters and into the waiting spears of the Romaioi Triarii:


While the Triarii take up the front line, the other ranks and Romaioi skirmishers let loose thousands of spears from behind:


With the Demetrids unable to form up their lines in the river, the advantage goes to the Romaioi who hold the line at the river bank against everything that comes across:


With fanatical drive, every last Demetrid soldier throws himself against the Romaioi line. By the end of the day, on the river banks, at the bottom of the river, and floating down it toward Demetreia are thousands of corpses intermixed with the moans of dying men:


Tiberius Aurelius Cotta looses very few men and holds his defensive possition, easily winning the battle. When word reaches Philippos of the battle, he sends his personal congratulations:


With the armies of Syria and Assyria wiped out and an army of Ioudaioi between him and Aigyptos, Chrysoloras Delphikos takes the remnants of his father's army and his own mercenaries and marches out of Phoenicia and eastward to the city of Damaskos:


Meanwhile in Makedonia, Euphratos, younger brother of Sotades and Basileus Philippos, manages to acquire a sizable wealth for himself managing the money of the Arche Makedonia:


Over the years, the finances of Makedonia had greatly improved. Once Anatolia, Pontos, and Kappadokia were conquered, the fear of debt was gone. Now, with the invasion of Syria in sight, the days of a surplus in the royal treasury are within sight once more. Governors and Generals all across the Arche Makedonia prepare for the future and plan military build-ups and building projects.

To the far west, Zaikedenthes Echinaieus once again is forced to defend the city of Ippone from agression from the Numidians and exiled nobles of Kart-Hadast:


The city is defended once again, but it is only a matter of time before the garrison is weakened and the Numidians are able to throw a large enoug force at the city to break it:

[In case you hadn't guessed, I got tired of fighting this battles and just started to use "auto_win" on them.]

As the winter months set in, the generals of the Arche Makedonia in Syria and their armies settle into their camps and wait out the sieges of the few remaining Demetrid cities and their garrisons. In southern Syria, however, Chrysoloras Delphikos is surprised when a small army attacks from the south. It would seem that the small force had managed to pass through Ioudaia undetected, but it is little concern for Chyrsoloras and his large amry of klerouchoi and mercenaries:


On the hills outside of Damaskos, the two armies of phalangitai meet and begin their sarrisa duel:


As the phalangitai fight the army, from the south, coming from the city, the enemy general and his kataphraktoi cavalry charge in at the flank:


A group a phalangitai manage to move in and attack the enemy kataphraktoi, but in order to hold them down, Chrysoloras is forced to send in the Kretan archers, who are well capible of performing the task:


The first army breaks soon after and Chrysoloras Delphikos takes the cavalry to chase it down. The army from the city rushes in to save their general, but neither the general nor any of his men manage to flee the battlefield:


The next day, Chrysoloras Delphikos and his army takes the city of Damaskos. Those in the city are neither angry nor overjoyed. For most inhabitants, nothing changes with this change of power. Though for Chrysoloras and his men it is a plus. They are now able to weather out the rest of winter in the warmth of the city barracks.

Before the winter draws to a close, once again the Galatians are attacked as well. Rather than rescue Assyria from the army of Herodes, the forces in the east all attempt to move westward to their Basileus and to their capital:


At first the two armies face off against eachother across the river, taunting eachother. It is only a matter of time before the Demetrids can take no more and make their move across the Euphrates and into Syria:


The Galatians form an arc around the landing of the bridge and wait:


Once a sizable Demetrid force is across the bridge, they charge in from all sides:


The emeny is quickly slaughtered and the Galatians reform their line. Seeing the failure of the larger force, the smaller Demetrid force falls back and leaves the field of battle:


All across Syria, Assyria, Babylonia, and Armenia the garrisons and cities of the Demetrids are running out of supplies and nearing the point of forced surrender. Demetrid envoys from Syria who manage to get passed the armies of the Pyrrhids move to Aigyptos. From Aigyptos a few armies had moved north to assist Syria, but far more of the forces of Aigyptos had remained idle. With Syria doomed to fall and the Demetrid line end, the generals and nobles of Aigyptos turn their back on Demetreia and prepare to take power for themselves, rather than fight and fall with Syria. The Demetrid envoys are forced to return to their Basileus with new of no reinforcements.

The known world in161BC:

Next: Chapter 71 : The Syrian War (Part III): Reconquista

The AAR is going wonderful.

The Idea of weakening the Allies after the war is a good one. Either scatter them among you armies or send them to teritory far from their home (where they can't expect local support should they rebel).

I see you like to use "horse archer armies" as harrassing armies

I also tried this tactic in a RTR campaign although i haven't been able to field 20 unit armies yet but they have been able to finish off seleucid armies wich greatly outnumbered them.

Thank you.

I'll generally use auto_win for battle I know I'm going to win, however since I'm making this AAR I've been fighting almost all of my battle, even those I would auto_win, so that I can get screenshots. Now I auto_win battles I don't need pics of or that simply drive me crazy. Those battles in Ippone are both. Using auto_win can actually be its own punishment. I'll loose more men with an auto_win if I were to have played out the battle.

I may end up roleplaying some war with the Galatians, it all depends on how things unfold. Some of my allies were really weakened in the war, especially the Illyrians and another will be weaken in the next chapter or two (though I don't have screenshots of the battle ).

A full horse archer army is a bit ahistoric and wouldn't have actually worked as well as they do in game. I keep trying to stop using them, but they just work so well at wiping out little groups without effort.