[EB AAR] Sons of Ēmathia - A Makedonian AAR

[Alkibiadēs]

Khairete! My name is Alkibiadēs, and I decided to start writing this AAR. I have pondered with the idea for quite some time, and the very fact that my campaign is going well and developing interestingly only further helped to motivate me. I play with the Europa Barbarorum modification, I use the Makedonia faction and I play on H/M difficulty. Furthermore, I play with the Barbarian Invasion executable which enables me to use several executable-unique features such as hording, shadowing factions and the shieldwall formation. I also use several mini-mods including, but not limited to, Marcus Aurelius Antonius’ City Mod, Konny’s Victory Conditions, Darth Formations for EB and Force Diplomacy.

My style of writing will switch from narrative to actual dialogues and battle/event descriptions along the way to better fit the story I intend to bring over. I will not make actual references to the game itself and refrain from posting campaign pictures, but instead try to present this AAR as a story which uses the game mechanics to represent the ancient period I cover as accurately as possible. Of course, anyone interested in any further details of my campaign or the actual actions I took in-game is welcome to ask or send me a PM.

Something else that might interest you, is that I try to take things pseudo-historically. I don't conquer regions that were outside the interest of the people I control, unless it directly follows a logical roleplaying rationale that developed under special circumstances that will (possibly) be explained and justified. As you may have guessed, I’m an avid roleplayer and somewhat of a turtler, prefering to solidify my conquered regions and plan my course of action before I act. Of course, I try to take every Family Member's personality into mind in order to better represent the uniqueness of personalities.

Some of the house-rules I follow to make my game (possibly) more interesting and historically accurate, are the following:
1) Roleplay most major decisions, taking into mind the idiosyncracies of the people and the circumstances of the moment.
2) All main field armies are to be led by a general, either a Family Member, adoptee, or mercenary.
3) All Royal Armies are to have a set of a trained diplomat, spy and assassin assigned to them.
4) Factional elite troops, especially the Royal Guards, are to be assigned exclusively to a Royal Army.
5) Only two Royal Armies may exist, one for the Faction Leader and one for the formally specified Faction Heir.
6) Newly conquered regions are to be declared either Allied Free States (lvl-4 government type), or Garrisoned Allied States (lvl-3 government type).
7) In order for a region to convert from a lvl-3 to a lvl-2 type government (Makedonian Satrapy), a process of "Macedonization" must be underwent. This will be represented by necessarily having to contruct buildings such as: City Garrisons, Homes for Military Settlers, Temples, Schools. This is to roleplay the steady exposure of the region to Makedonian elements and constitutions, that enable the necessary procedures that are required to turn the region into a Satrapy with as less discontent amongst the local populance as possible. Also, a last requirement is that a Family Member has to be governor of the region for the government building to be contructed.
8) "Garrison Armies" will guard border regions.
9) No neutral faction shall be attacked without any direct reason (attack on an ally, or roleplaying event). Even a roleplaying event has to follow a logical rationale to lead to the declaration of war.
10) No map information is to be given to any non-ally.
11) Cities that have a significant Hellenic population are not to be exterminated, unless the general leading the conquering army has traits that would conduct otherwise.

I might add any rule I forgot. Note that those rules are prone to change, but the general lines will continue to be followed. Changes will come after a possible constitutional reform that, of course, will result from a logical roleplaying rationale.

Console commands will be used to represent events that game mechanics cannot allow. Some of the usages of console commands include moving populations around (which, for the case of citizens of Makedonia, will also come with the drain of a sum of money that will be "given" to the citizens to start a new life with), or expelling populations of newly conquered regions (roleplaying the massive expulsions or desertion of a region after its occupation by a foreign power). Also, large or small sums of money might be drained from my coffers to represent "gifts" to the people, investments for future reforms or other reasons that will (possibly) be specified. Other usages of console commands include the teleportation of characters to represent civil wars, the banishment of a character from the Kingdom, or to accurately represent the fact that moving from one place to the other took a lot shorter than EB turns. This will be applied for Family Members alone, meaning I will not teleport whole armies as this could be considered exploiting the game mechanics.

Another feature I will use, is the ancient Greek dating system. This system uses the first Olympiad (776 BC) as the beginning, so a simple forumla to calculate the date in our system is the following:

776-X=Y,

where X is the date AtFO (After the First Olympiad) and Y the date in BC. Note this only applies for X from 504 (272 BC, the start date) to 776 (0 AD).

I hope you are going to enjoy this AAR, and I will promise to keep this going as long as I can. Note that University will possibly drain most of my time, so updates might not be as regular as possible. I will try to update on a fixed basis, say weekly. This might, in some cases, last longer or shorter depending on RL situations. Constructive criticism is most welcome and greatly appreciated, along with any ideas and/or suggestions as to how I could make this AAR more interesting and appealing to readers.

Last, but not least, let me make it clear that English is not my native language so there will be grammar mistakes occasionally. I would appreciate it if you could point them out, so that I can make the necessary corrections and touches. Racism and/or political remarks that will possibly be presented in this AAR do not necessarily represent the personal views of the writer (me). They instead represent the viewpoints of the people that lived during the covered timeframe, or at least how I imagine them. Nationalistic remarks from either Greeks or FYROMians will not be tolerated, and any such posts I will ask to be deleted from the local Moderators.

AAR Index

Introduction
Chapter I - Decisions
Chapter II - Engagements
Chapter III - Shattered Dreams (Part 1)
Chapter III - Shattered Dreams (Part 2)
Chapter IV - Glimmers of the Past
Chapter V - Returning Home
Chapter VI - Parallel Plans

[Antiochos VII Sidetes]

An interesting concept, and one with which I tend to use as well. I'll be watching.

[Lysimachus]

Starting your first post with an AAR eh? Looking forward to this. I have my AAR but I can't be bothered to update it right now .

[Alkibiadēs]

An interesting concept, and one with which I tend to use as well. I'll be watching.

Nice to see people being interesed. I took a glimpse at your AAR as well, it looks excellent. There are times I enjoy text-based stories, and yours is written like a good book.

Starting your first post with an AAR eh? Looking forward to this. I have my AAR but I can't be bothered to update it right now .

Indeed. I'll look at your AAR as well.

BTW, I have 2 chapters ready now. I will post the introduction very soon.

[Alkibiadēs]

Introduction

It is Spring, 504th year AtFO. For many years after the death of Megas Alexandros, Hellas has been plauged by constant warfare. While mostly ignored by the major Hellenistic powers that struggle for supremacy in the vast East, the ancient land of the Hellēnes hasn't seen peace since a long time.

On the one hand, there are the successors of Megas Alexandros himself, the mighty Makedones. After their great Basileus died several years ago, Makedonia has switched rule and dynasties many times and has disintegrated into a mere shadow of her former self. While there is still potential amongst the people, constant warfare in liaison with the great migration to the Eastern Kingdoms has further depleted their once mighty armies that shook the world to its roots.

On the other hand, there is the rising power of the Ēpeirōtai. Under leadership of the mighty Pyrrhos, the once client Kingdom of Makedonia has grown powerful enough to threaten the balance of power in Hellas. After his unsuccessful campaigns in Italia and Sikelia, Pyrrhos gathered his men and elephantes, and aimed for Makedonia. Having defeated the armies of Antigonos in Makedonia proper, he named himself Basileus of Makedonia and occupied the former capital of the Maked ōnes, Aigai.

To the south of Hellas, there are the ancient poleis of the Hellēnes. The free-loving people that dwell there have formed various alliances to defend against the more powerful northern Kingdoms, including the Koinon Hellēnon⁽¹⁾, the Akhaikē Symmakhia⁽²⁾ and the Aitōlikē Symmakhia⁽³⁾.

Will Hellas find her new master and the inhabitants finally see peace? Or will the endless bloodshed reduce Hellas to a wasteland of few people that speak of past glories with nostalgia in their eyes? For everyone knows that the Hellēnes, once united, can conquer the whole world once again.

⁽¹⁾ A Hellenic anti-Macedonian alliance formed by the Athenian statesman Chremonides. The alliance consisted of the major city-states of Athens, Sparta and Rhodes.
⁽²⁾ The Achaean League, an alliance of city-states located in the region of Achaia (northern part of the Peloponnesus.
⁽³⁾ The Aetolian League, an alliance of city-states of the region of Aetolia in Greece formed to oppose Macedon and the Achaean League. They were considered semi-barbaric by the southern Greeks.

[Alkibiadēs]

Chapter I - Decisions


A picture of Cape Sounion in Attica, clearly showing the geography of the region that was and still is persistent in our days

"Sir, a messenger has arrived from Pella!"

Antigonos, Basileus⁽¹⁾ of Makedonia, looked at the man who addressed him. Antigonos had a strong physique and harsh characteristics, in his late forties, with long hair and a stout beard that indicated he had been on the march for weeks.

A coin depicting Antigonus "Gonatas"

"I will see him now," Antigonos replied. The man nodded and left with a rustle of the tent entrance. Soon enough, another man entered and formally greeted him.

"Greetings Antigonos," he said, "I bring a letter from your son Alkyoneus."

"Thank you." Antigonos said, and lay out his hand to receive the letter. After carefully inspecting the royal seal, he gestured for the man to leave.

The letter:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

My dear father, I hope you are well. As you have ordered, I asked Kalos for reinforcements from Thessalia, and he hastily sent 7,000 men that were shipped from the ports of Dēmētrias to Thessalonikē and then marched to Pella. Furthermore, our Royal Navy has been disbanded and the ships sold to help our rapidly failing economy. We are also undergoing the long procedure of taking loans from several of the wealthiest members of our society, as well as raising the commersial taxes and leasing tributes.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Penteconterus, one of the most common ships of the Royal Makedonian navy

Regarding Pyrrhos, he still has Aigai under his control. Our spies are in sonstant contact with me. The people are enraged with him, after he let the Galatai ruthlessly pillage our Royal tombs. With a bit of luck and the rumours of Pyrrhos preparing a new invasion, our Kingdom might be saved.

We had a gathering yesterday during the Ekklēsia⁽²⁾. The people are upset, and Pyrrhos to be brought to justice. Furthermore, they plead that you return to Makedonia and secure our holdings. As they say, Athēnai is a big polis and will be able to resist any siege for a long time. This, along with the fact that we have no navy to counter that of the Koinon, means our troops are better placed in our homeland than in southern Hellas.

If Pyrrhos is to attack, I assure you I will do anything in my power to keep him back until you arrive. As we speak, I’m organizing small skirmishing groups that are aimed to harass Pyrrhos' men and keep him occupied.

I pray for your well-being, and I hope I will see you again soon. May the gods from Olympos watch over your every step. All Hail Makedonia.

Your loving son,
Alkyoneus

'Great,' Antigonos thought. He had thought this might happen, but he hoped things would have turned out a little differently. He had hoped to take the Athēnaioi by surprise, and occupy the polis quickly. He would plunder the city methodically, in order to ensure the economy of his Kingdom would survive. After that, he planned to use the funds to raise a considerable army, secure Makedonia and finish the war in southern Hellas. With the poleis suppressed, he could then turn his eyes to Ēpeiros and finish Pyrrhos once and for all.

But, as all know, fate has a way of getting things done. And most of the times, things don't turn out as we would like them to be. The Athēnaioi were informed of Antigonos' plans, and quickly fortified themselves and hid behind their large walls. But Antigonos was prepared for such an occasion, so he knew what had to be done. He couldn’t ignore the Ekklēsia, that would be an open defiance of the citizen body. And he desperately needed them, for many had already abandoned him since his last humiliating defeat by the hands of Pyrrhos.

It was true, his prestige and social standing had rapidly digenerated since his defeat. So much, that even his own men turned against him. But the recent cource of action, which invloved Pyrrhos carelessly allowing his Galatian soldiers to pillage the Makedonian Royal tombs, turned things in his favour. Now it was the people who called out to Antigonos, pleading him to deliver vengance to the blasphemous Pyrrhos, whose image had changed from a second Megas Alexandros who would bring another golden age to the Hellēnes, to an egoistic tyrant who cared only for power, glory and filling his pocket.

It wasn’t long after Antigonos had already informed his officers of his plans; they were to march back to Pella. The decision was not without a general disappointment amongst the soldiers, who were promised riches in Athēnai but were now denied them. But the majority were Makedones, and the Patris was above all world riches. And so, the Makedones started marching back to Pella while the local Hellēnes cheered behind him.

(1) King
(2) The Assembly of Macedonian citizens that gathered to discuss political or military affairs

Next chapter: Engagements

[Lysimachus]

'Tis good so far!

[Lysimachus]

Excellent so far. Just curious but is Aegai somewhere in between Pella and Thessalonika?

[Alkibiadēs]

Thanks! Actually, Aegae (or Edessa) is just a few kilometres to the west of Pella. So away from both Pella, as well as Thessalonica. I just used the fact that Pyrrhus originally occupied Aegae and let a band of Galatians pillage the Royal Macedonian Tombs and added it to the story.

[ReD_OcToBeR]

Me = Subscribed..nuff said

[SonOfAlexander]

Hi just had a look at this VERY nice stuff. Like the house rules, although a few of them are a bit complex - hey, that's EB and why I prefer RS! But hey, no matter.

The writing is very nice for , I presume, a Greek? (No-one who speaks just english would put all those accents on, surely) I shouldn't sound suprised, and I hope I'm not - I'm just saying that it really is very good. Hey, I've always hated Pyrrhos so now I've a new ally, haha!

+rep

[Alkibiadēs]

Thanks everyone, it's very nice to see people liking my AAR so far. It gives me a lot of motivation to keep writing

@ SonOfAlexander: Thanks, I like to use strict houserules. They seem complex, but they really follow a simple pattern: No cheating and as much roleplaying as possible. The rest just derives from that pattern. And I am indeed Greek, so naturally I am careful about the grammar

I have some free time in my hands still, as I'm still on vacations. This means you may see regular updates for some time, but don't be surprised when they thin out - and considerably too. No worries though; I have enough material to work on. My campaign is already far ahead of the story, so I can add some complexity and hidden messages for the future in my stories. You have my word I will do anything I can as to not let this die.

PS: Sorry guys if it takes some time for me to comment on your AARs. It's just that I like to take my time and read all of it before I actually post. Know that I've been a lurker for some time, meaning I've seen some AARs here and they are trully great. All kinds of AAR styles to choose from depending on my mood!

[Alkibiadēs]

Chapter II - Engagements

Spring went by and summer finally came. The hot sun baked the rugged earth of Hellas, but the same thing applied to the 16,200 troops that were marching through Thessalia. Those were non e other, than the troops of Antigonos marching back to Makedonia.

Water was scarse, as were the army's rations. The reason being, the Lokrioi had slowed them down a lot upon trying to cross the passage known as Thermopylai. Various skirmishes had forced Antigonos to split his army and find ways around his original course, which in turn had slowed him down considerably. But all this seemed to work in his favour, after an urgent message arrived from Pella once again.

The message was clear and gave Antigonos renewed hope; Pyrrhos had retreated from Makedonia. Aigai was retaken by Alkyoneus' men, while the damaged tombs were being repaired with funds from Alkyoneus' own pocket. If this was not enough, Antigonos' spies reported an army of more than 7,000 men belonging to the Athēnaioi marching towards Aitōlia. It seemed the Koinon was preparing for war against the Aitōlioi.

Deciding to seaze this opportunity, Antigonos ordered his men to turn back. News of Pyrrhos retreating was quickly spread amongst the men, and the idea of plunder and Athenian riches returned and lit a bright flame in their souls. With renewed motivation, the army started marching back with great speed.

***

The Athenian army had camped outside the town Ambryssos, located near the banks of the river Kephiseas. Their surprise was enormous when they heard the massive Makedonian army was only a few hours away. In their certainty of the Makedonian retreat because of the direct Epirote threat, they had completely neglected to follow Antigonos with spies. As such, Antigonos had the element of surprise on his side.

At first, the Athenian army tried to retreat to the village of Mēdeon, hurrying back to Attikē. But Antigonos had predicted this move, and placed more than 3,000 of his hoplitai⁽¹⁾ to guard the narrow mountain passage that lead to Mēdeon. Panicked and blocked of his way back home, the Athenian commander by the name of Asklēpiodōros marched south-west towards Antikyra. The town surrendered to him, so he set camp near the shore. Antigonos simply camped a few stadia to the north, and sent a message to Asklēpiodōros. The message was simple; surrender his arms, or face obliteration.

Asklēpiodōros considered the message a clear insult, and send the messenger away. The next morning after the messenger arrived at Antikyra, Antigonos saw 7,300 men standing before him ready for combat. While he knew he could easily crush them by force of numbers, he decided to retreat to the roots of Mt. Kirphis to the north. He knew he shouldn't underestimate the ferociousness of his adversaries, especially since they were trapped and fighting for their lives. After several hours of marching, Antigonos picked a favourable spot that could easily be defended and waited for Asklēpiodōros. Surely enough, during late afternoon of the same day, Asklēpiodōros ordered the attack.

A map of Phocis with the important towns and location of the battle indicated by a red cross. The Macedonian hoplite detachment is represented by a purple line

Antigonos had formed a simple defensive formation, placing his phalangitai in the center, his hoplitai (which had returned from their defensive position) on the flanks, his sphendonētai⁽²⁾ in front and the akontistai⁽³⁾ and rest of his psiloi⁽⁴⁾ behind the main line. Antigonos himself along with his 760 men strong Hetairoi⁽⁵⁾ bodyguard waited behind the lines.

The Macedonians form up at the roots of Mt. Cirphis

In liaison with his main army, Antigonos had hired 1,600 toxotai⁽⁶⁾ from the famed island of Krētē, as well as 1,600 peltastai when he was campaigning in Attikē. Those he kept in reserve. He also kept a force of 1,000 hippeis⁽⁷⁾ and 2,000 Galatai hidden in a small forest located on a lower height, with the intention of pincering the Athēnaioi should the need arise.

Antigonus' hidden detachment, waiting for the attack signal

As the Athēnaioi approached in a quick pace, the Makedonian sphendonētai were the first to fire their deadly leaden bullets. The great speed gained by the help of gravity caused much damage upon the heavy armour and shields of the Athēnaioi hoplitai, who started dropping on the ground.

The slingers fire their deadly bullets

More than a few projectiles were needed to stop the men of Athēnai, for it wasn't long after the hoplitai had reached the main Makedonian line and were engaging the deadly Makedonian pikes.

The Athenian hoplites engage the Macedonian phalangites

Unfortunately for Asklēpiodoros, his men were tired from the fast pace and the Makedones had the higher ground. The Makedonian pikemen were very efficient in what they best did, which was pinning the enemy. Not wasting any time, Antigonos soon encircled the Athēnaioi and rolled up their entire line with a single thunderous charge.

Antigonus and his bodyguards join the fray

Only one unit of the Athēnaioi hoplitai refused to run away and flee. As such, Antigonos' Hetairoi were quick to surround and finish them off with their deadly kopis swords. The heavy armour of the hoplitai became a deathtrap, suffocating the men by pressing them together with violence. The cowardly Asklēpiodōros fled along with his own bodyguard.

The last of the Athenians are crushed under their own weight

Antigonos was already victorious, but he knew he would soon face the full power of the Koinon. He had to deliver a decisive victory, so he chased after many of the fleeing soldiers with his cavalry arm. In total, more than 3,000 Athēnaioi were either injured, dead, or captured, while Antigonos himself lost no more than 170 men. The remaining Athēnaioi under Asklēpiodōros fled to Antikyra, from where they later marched back to Attikē.

***

With Antigonos victorious, the Koinon had sustained their first major blow. While the defeat was not severe, it was nonetheless a clear sign that their military was still far from compareable to the Makedonian warmachine. Also, what they hoped would stop Antigonos once and for all, Pyrrhos, for some unknown reason had retreated from Makedonia. Their "shield" was now gone, and Athēnai stood as a ripe fruit ready to be picked by Antigonos.

After news of their defeat, the Athēnaioi immediately send word to their allied poleis for help. They particularly relied upon the famed Spartan military, stating the importance of the integrity of Athēnai for the well-being and continuation of the Koinon and anti-Makedonian movement as a whole. The Koinon's most important members were Athēnai, Spartē and Rhodos. Without either one of them, the Alliance would collapse.

Areus, the Spartan King, knew that all too well. But he was away in Krētē, trying to subdue the rebellious Cretan poleis that had declared independence. As such, he ordered his son Akrotatos in Spartē to raise an army and come to the aid of Athēnai. The Rhodian navy was to transport them to Peiraias⁽⁸⁾, from where they could easily defend Athēnai from within her large walls.

But Akrotatos was surprised after an army of more than 12,000 troops led by the Makedonian governor of Akrokorinthos⁽⁹⁾, Kratēros (older brother of Antigonos), invaded Lakōnia through Arkadia. Many poleis had already fallen, and the Spartiatai reacted fast by raising two armies. One led by the Stratēgos Eudadimas numbering 10,500 men, the other led by Akrotatos himself numbering 5,300 men. While in a clear numerical disadvantage, Kratēros wasn't intending to engage the Spartiatai in combat. His plan, according to the message he got from Antigonos, was to keep them occupied while his brother would deal with Athēnai. He was to simply fight a defensive war until Antigonos would join him and crush the Spartiatai together.

The plan was working as expacted; the Spartiatai raised more than 17,000 troops and marched to meet Kratēros. Instead of engaging them, Kratēros ordered a tactical retreat and lured the Spartiatai into following them. He occupied the narrow passage between Mt. Taygetos and the ends of the river Eurotas, near Belemina. From there he remained idle, while Eudadimas and his men camped near Pellana to the south.

A map of Laconia. The red square represents Craterus' camp, the blue square represents Eudadimas'

⁽¹⁾ Plural form of Hoplitēs, meaning hoplite.
⁽²⁾ Plural form of Sphendonētēs, meaning slinger.
⁽³⁾ Plural form of Akontistēs, meaning javelineer.
⁽⁴⁾ Plural form of Psilos, meaning light. It was used to denote lightly-armed units, mostly skirmishers.
⁽⁵⁾ Plural form of Hetairos, meaning Companion.
⁽⁶⁾ Plural form of Toxotēs, meaning archer.
⁽⁷⁾ Plural form of Hippeus, meaning horseman.
⁽⁸⁾ The port of Pereaus.
⁽⁹⁾ Acrocorinth, the Acropolis of Corinth.

Next Chapter: Shattered Dreams (Part 1)

[Alkibiadēs]

Chapter III - Shattered Dreams
(Part 1)

Several months passed, and Antigonos was still in Phokis. His camp was set outside of Ambryssos, its favourable position near the river Kephiseas providing his army with precious water. Supplies were also brought on a constant basis from Thessalia and some local villages, with his own soldiers protecting the carriages along the way to ensure their safety.

A photo of the valley of Phocis at Delphi

The Athēnaioi were cornered like a wounded beast. Their strongest allies, the Spartiatai, were kept in check by Kratēros in their own homeland, which meant they were unable to help them should Antigonos decide to attack. The result created a state of great unrest and fear amongst the local populance, which broke into small riots all over the polis. Many pro-Makedonian parties within Athēnai were demanding surrender to Antigonos under favourable terms, but the majority were too stubborn to even send an embassy to negotiate with him. Other powers, including the Aitōlioi, refused to help and retained a neutral stance.

Antigonos had hoped for this, and was waiting for the time his adversaries would make a mistake. For he was very good at exploiting mistakes, having proven that many times in the past. Through phsychological warfare, he pressed the Athēnaioi as much as he could until they would crack. And that time did not take long to come…

***

"Sire, Sire!"

It was a cool winter evening, the sunlight dim due to the clouds that covered the sky. It hadn't rained for only a few days, but the ground cracked under Antigonos' sandals as dry as ever. The shouts echoed in his head like a far-away call in a dreamy state, the sound increasing in intensity as the source approached him.

"Sire, one of our agents brings urgent news from Attikē!"

The soldier shouting was only a couple of meters away from Antigonos when he stopped, and that last sentence snaped the King from his deep thoughts back to reality. He turned around and faced the man, his arms clasped behind his back and his face still thoughtful.

"Thank you soldier. You may return to your post."

"But Sir, I didn’t…"

Antigonos raised his right hand, gesturing for the man to silence.

"I know, they’re coming. Tell the agent I will meet him in my tent to discuss the details."

The soldier's mouth was a gaping "O", his unfinished sentence still lingering on his lips. Antigonos was already heading for his tent, while the soldier remained frozen for a while. He then shruged and set out to find the spy. It didn't take long, as he was surrounded by a bunch of phalangitai who questioned him about this new intelligence. The spy seemed relieved when he saw the soldier, recognising him from the time he came and urged him to inform Antigonos. He broke out of the circle of phalangitai that surrounded him, and grabbed the soldier by the arm.

"So, what did he say?"

"He said he'll meet you in his tent right now."

"Okay, thank you." the spy said and left for the aforementioned place.

***

The news were certain; the Athēnaioi were sending two more armies against him. Numbers were approximated to be over 10,000. Antigonos had predicted this movement, although he was slightly dissapointed that Chremōnidēs himself was not leading the attack. If he could take down Chremōnidēs, the Koinon would shatter like a fine sheet of glass. The man was the glue and political mastermind behind the whole Alliance.

But Antigonos knew how Chremōnidēs and the rest of the Athēnaioi thought; they had a bunch of unhappy citizens who screamed for surrender, while even more angry politicians urging for the local Stratēgoi to take matters into their own hands. Even if they lost against Antigonos, they believed the Spartiatai would be able to penetrate the defensive positions of Kratēros and help them. Some even falsely believed they would come to their rescue, even after their polis would fall.

Whatever the case may have been, the political events in Athēnai demanded for action. And so a total of 10,900 men were gathered to counter Antigonos. The force was split into two smaller armies, one numbering 6,900 led by a man named Thērōn, while the rest were given for Asklēpiodōros to command. The same Asklēpiodōros that had lost to Antigonos sometime ago.

The Athēnaioi were certainly not foolish. They had lost to Antigonos once, and would not make the same mistakes twice. This time, they brought a considerable cavalry force (1,000 hippakontistai⁽¹⁾ and 1,000 of the famed Thessalikoi⁽²⁾) with them, as well as a force of 6,400 hoplitai and many psiloi. They hoped they would be able to use the uneven terrain in their favour by careful manoeuvering, relying on their more flexible infantry to outflank the slow and cumbersome Makedonian phalangitai.

But neither was Antigonos a fool. He also knew he couldn’t use the same tactics again, so he instead decided to use a different approach as a whole. In an act of pure strategical brilliance, he utilized hit-and-run guerilla tactics. He had a considerable force of missile throwers, including 1,200 sphendonetai, 2,400 akontistai, 1,600 peltastai and 1,600 toxotai from the island of Krētē. This, along with his excellent knowledge of the surrounding region and all small mountain passages, would prove to be the key factors in his success.

The skirmishes begun around the Kithairon Mts. that marked the borders between Attikē and Boiōtia, with the small detachments falling back and harassing the Athēnaioi as they advanced. The effectiveness of the Makedonian psiloi was so great, that the Athenian army suffered severe casualties and was forced to retreat before they even reached Antigonos' camp. A total of 8,300 Athēnaioi were either killed or captured, while Makedonian deaths numbered about 270 men. Antigonos had proven his worth yet again.

The Athenian light hoplites are harassed by the Macedonian skirmishers


The Athenian slingers are surprised by a hail of javelins


Athenian hoplites killed during an ambush near a small forest in Phocis

One of the captives during the raids was Asklēpiodōros himself, who was caught by a band of Krētikoi near the village of Marathos.

Cretans bombarding the Athenians just before the raid of Marathus

The other captain, Thērōn, was killed by a crazed Galatēs who severed his head and brought it back to Antigonos' camp triumphantly. Antigonos became enraged, and instead of rewarding the Galatēs he had him publicly hanged; for he had explicitly asked for his soldiers to bring him the two captains alive.

With the Athenian military completely obliterated and Antigonos emerging almost unscathed, Chremōnidēs was forced to send an embassy to Antigonos. The silver-tounged Athenian diplomats tried to deduce as favourable terms as possible, but the only thing they accomplished was to get their prisoners back including Asklēpiodōros (who was later hanged by his own kinsmen upon returning home with the stigma of two defeats). Antigonos was far too determined to subdue southern Hellas as quickly as possible, with the constant fear of Pyrrhos' return being ever present. The only term Antigonos offered, was surrender of Athēnai and her surrounding poleis and the establishment of a Makedonian garrison in the Akropolis. That, of course, Chremōnidēs could not accept. Rhodos seemed too busy with securing her trading posts, so the last hope of Athēnai resided, ironically enough, in her life-long nemesis; the ancient polis of Spartē…

⁽¹⁾ Plural form of Hippakontistēs, meaning mounted javelineer.
⁽²⁾ Plural form of Thessalikos, meaning Thessalian. In this particular case, it refers to the famed (in antiquity) Thessalian cavalry.

Next Chapter: Shattered Dreams (Part 2)

[Alkibiadēs]

Chapter III - Shattered Dreams
(Part 2)

Antigonos wasted no time. He had to make srike before his adversaries could recover. Before leaving, Antigonos sacrificed to the gods and promised a magnificent gift that would be transported to Delphoi. The signs were favourable, so the army started marching as soon as possible.

Attikē within sight after crossing the Kithairon Mts. Winter had not passed yet, so Antigonos had his men clothed warmly as they crossed the mountain passage.

A picture of the Cithaerum Mts. that mark the border between Attica and Boeotia

No resistance was met, and every polis or village along their way surrendered to Antigonos. Eleutherai, Oinoē, Oiē and Thria were found deserted and were looted on a minor scale to ensure an abundance of supplies.

On their way to Athēnai, Antigonos made a stop at the Temple of Aphroditē on the Hagia Hodos⁽¹⁾. His offerings were very generous, in order to ensure the gods were on his side. For he truly believed he would be the man to re-unite Hellas, and that could only be done with the willing of the gods.

A map showing Antigonus' path through Attica

The first sight of the ancient polis of Athēnai was awe-inspiring to most of the soldiers. Even Antigonos himself, who had visited the polis several times, still felt deeply moved everytime he gazed upon the pinnacle of Hellenic culture.

A painting of the Athenian Acropolis during the Classical period

Preperations for the siege begun immediately. Siege engines and battering rams were being built, while a large ditch was dug around the polis to ensure nobody would decide to escape without being noticed first. A last messenger offering peace in return of surrender was sent by Antigonos, but he was stoned even before he reached the gates. So the siege begun, a siege that lasted for 3.5 months.

Time passed and help never came for the Athēnaioi. No Spartan banner was to be seen anywhere in the vicinity, something that further demoralized the already depressed citizens. Chremōnidēs had lost hope as well, seeing his allies would not make it in time. Antigonos had already built a considerable amount of siege engines, which meant the assault could start anytime. The defenders numbered a mere 5,200 at most, along with many other volunteers and slave workers. Against all odds, Chremōnidēs patiently awaited for his doom to come. He could already feel the icy grip of Hadēs, and it had nothing to do with the chilly days of spring.

Surely enough, Antigonos assaulted Athēnai during an early spring morning. The air was still damp, the morning dew lingering on the surrounding flora. Trumpets and battle drums blasted signalling the beginning of the assault, piercing the morning silence and waking the Athenians from their uneasy sleeps.

The first to attack were the Galatai, their battle cries and warchants instilling the hearts of their adversaries with fear. They carried several a heavy siege towers, and soon enough they reached the great walls.

One of the Galatian groups approaching the walls with a siege tower

As they climbed the great machines, they soon poured out like ants and were met with the first wave of defenders. Being mere peasants with knives, they were made wiped out by the Galatai who hacked and slashed their way in a bloodied frenzy.

The Galatians make short work of the defending Athenians

After the walls were secured, Antigonos entered triumphantly with his soldiers. The feeble defense they met was crushed, and they marched their way to the Agora without any difficulty. There, the most valiant of the Athenian citizens, the Epilektoi⁽²⁾, locked shields with the Makedonian light hoplitai.

Hoplites lock shields near the Agora

Through force of numbers, the Makedones pushed their adversaries back, albeit with a great cost. No other force was there to defend the Agora, so a detachment of phalangitai encircled the Epilektoi and pincered them. Chremōnidēs was present, dressed in full panoply and fighting with nails and teeth sending man after man to Hadēs.

The last Athenians are surrounded

Most of the spearpoints and swords of the Athēnaioi were already borken, their shields heavily battered or useless. They nonetheless kept fighting with such viciousness never before seen amongst the Makedones; they grabbed their adversaries by their shields, killed them with their hands and continued to fight even after their were speared or slashed several times until they droped down from severe bloodloss or mutilation.

Chremōnidēs himself was wounded several times; his plume was cut off, his spear battered and his magnificent cape torn and bloodstained along with his fine armour. Many of his compatriots used their own bodies to protect him, and when he was knocked down they fought viciously until he sat up again. Antigonos knew he had to join the fray, so he and his Hetairoi charged in and hacked away with their kopis swords.

Antigonus is forced to join the fray. Chremonides can be seen defending against an incoming blow by one of the Companions

Slowly but surely, fatigure got the best out of them. One by one, they fell either by the sword or spear, or by sheer exhaustion. When it came down to 2 men and Chremōnidēs, Antigonos got off his horse and shouted for his men to stop. He then approached Chrēmōnidēs, and extended his hand to him.

"Come, Chremōnidēs, this doesn’t have to end like this. Join me, and we will unite Hellas together. Aknowledge me as your King, and I will spare your life."

Chremōnidēs simply looked up, having fallen on all fours to catch his breath along with his remaining 2 bodyguards, blood still pouring on the hard pavement from his gashing wounds. He then looked around, seeing the piles of bodies that littered the once lively Agora. Lastly, he turned at the sky where the afternoon sun glared at him and blurred his eyesight.

"Chremōnidēs," Antigonos repeated, his arm still extended.

Time seemed to slow, moments went by and seemed like ages. His life flashed by him with great speed, pictures and emotions filling his eyes with tears. How had it come to this? He felt weak; his numerous injuries had caused him to loose too much blood already. He was dying, and he knew it. He tried to stand up, but fell in the process. Antigonos drew his arm back, and watched him along with the rest f his soldiers.

He tried to stand up again, and this time he succeeded. He took a few steps towards Antigonos, almost tripping over in the process. He then reached him, and grasped him by the shoulders.

"Promise me," he said. "Promise that you will spare the people."

Antigonos was supporting Chremōnidēs by his breastplate, preventing his weak body from falling. He was looking straight into his eyes, the eyes of a man that looked very old. His hazel eyes were fading, the liveliness of his soul becoming fainter by the moment. Antigonos realised he was dying.

"I promise." Antigonos said in a most serious tone, his own eyes indicating he was speaking nothing but the truth. Chremōnidēs uttered a faint smile, and then his body went limp. Antigonos had to support his whole weight to prevent him from falling, and slowly placed him on the pavement. He looked into his eyes one last time, but they were glassy and empty. The spark was away from them, his soul had already drifted to the afterlife. Antigonos closed his eyelids.

His men then burst into thunderous cheers; Athēnai had fallen. The Koinon had just shattered along with the dreams of its members.

⁽¹⁾ Via Sacres, or "Holy Road".
⁽²⁾ Plural form of Epilektos, meaning "Chosen".

Next Chapter: Glimmers of the Past

[Lysimachus]

Very good. Especially Chremōnidēs' surrender.

[SonOfAlexander]

Really nice stuff. Good battles, pics and all well described.

[Antiochos VII Sidetes]

This AAR is a worthy rival to the greatest of the greats, my friend. If you haven't already, I'd enter your AAR in the competition.

[Alkibiadēs]

Really nice stuff. Good battles, pics and all well described.

Thank you!

This AAR is a worthy rival to the greatest of the greats, my friend. If you haven't already, I'd enter your AAR in the competition.

Wow, you're making me blush Thank you for your kind words, I'll enter the competition then. Alexander Severus already encouraged me to do, even though I admit I don't really know how

[Alkibiadēs]

Chapter IV - Glimmers of the Past

Athēnai had finally fallen. It had cost Antigonos the lives of more than 2,600 men, but the prise was small compared to the accomplishment. News of the fall of Athēnai spread throughout the Hellenistic world with lightning speed, levelling tiny Makedonia from an unimporant battered Kingdom to a potential power that could unbalance the situation in Hellas. Even neutral powers, such as the Aitōlioi, immediately sent embassies to congratulate and praise Antigonos of his astounding victory.

The polis itself was spared for the most part, as only specific social groups were attacked. Those were none other than the rich Athenian citizens that had openly opposed Antigonos, many of whom were banished and deprived of their properties which were quickly gathered in the famous Akropolis. From there, Antigonos and his closest men governed Athēnai and saved the large sums of talents that were collected.

Some of the things Antigonos had to do immediately, was to pay his soldiers. They were even allowed to keep part of the spoils during minor pillages around Attikē, which kept them happy and content. Antigonos himself was confined to his mansion overlooking the Akropolis, where he planned his next movements.

The polis itself had a considerable population; more than 200,000 people called Athēnai their home. They were treated respectfully, and most of them continued their lives as usual. The Makedonian army took control of the region, with Antigonos planting various outposts and minor fortifications to ensure public order. Taxes were kept relatively low, especially during the first days of the occupation. There were tensions at the beginning, but the strict governship of Antigonos made those slowly subside. The ports of Peiraias were also re-opened, the added trading income further boosting the coffers of the Kingdom.

The Koinon Hellēnon, as expected, had shattered with the fall of Athēnai. With Chremōnidēs dead, the Rhodioi were quick to declare independence while the Spartiatai seemed to try and keep the resistance alive. One of the major thorns in Antigonos' side was no more.

Alkyoneus from Makedonia, Kalos from Thessalia and Kratēros who was still camped on Lakōnia were quick congratulate Antigonos on his success. Alkyoneus even held a small festival in honour of his father. With no word of Pyrrhos whatsoever, Antigonos felt safe enough to continue with his plan of subjugating southern Hellas. Spartē was his next target.

From within Spartē, Akrotatos knew he had to act as fast as possible. His father had met more problems that he had expected in Krētē, which meant he could not return just yet. He did agree that action had to be taken now. As such, Akrotatos ordered Eudadimas to attack Kratēros. The latter had no intention of trying to act heroically and face Eudadimas on his own. So he slowly retreated, tricking the Spartiatai by making them think he would attack only to fall back again. Trying to save as much time as possible, Kratēros retreated to Megalopolis and stayed behind the walls.

Kratēros had won enough time, as Antigonos who was in constant contact with him had already made his preperations. Surely enough, during the summer of the 505^th year AtFO, Eudadimas lay siege to Megalopolis. Antigonos was swift, taking with him 11,500 men (leaving the rest behind in Attikē) and marching from Athēnai to Megalopolis.

He marched swiftly until he reached Argos (a neutral polis that allowed Antigonos to march through Argolis), after which he crossed through Mt. Artemisios and Mt. Mainalos and along the banks of the river Helisson straight to Megalopolis. Eudadimas was prepared, retreating and setting up camp to the south.

Antigonus' path through the Peloponnesus

Antigonos took the initiative and engaged Eudadimas quickly before he could retreat to a favourable and easily defendable area. His plan was to keep him in check until Kratēros would arrive with his 13,000 men strong reinforcements.

Eudadimas had about 2,400 Spartiatai under his command, many of them being the product of a constitutional reform that had taken place in Spartē sometime ago in order to bulk up the numbers of the Homioi⁽²⁾.

The average Spartan warrior under Eudadimas' command

Other forces included 2,400 mercenaries armed in the Makedonian fashion as pikemen, 3,200 Helot hoplitai, 1,600 Perioikoi hoplitai and 4,800 peltastai from the region of Arkadia. The rest were Helot skirmishers.

Antigonos formed up in the standard Makedonian fashion, slowly marching towards the Spartan lines.

The Macedonians slowly march towards the Spartan army

Eudadimas made the first move, using a beforested area to launch a surprise attack and neutralise the effectiveness of the deadly Makedonian heavy cavalry. Antigonos’ phalangitai watched as the Spartiatai emerged from the trees, shouting their paians and warcries as they charged into their pikewall.

The Spartans emerge from the woods

Antigonos realized very quickly that his line would falter if Kratēros wouldn’t make it in time. The more numerous Spartiatai were inflicting heavy casualties upon his army, while his pikemen were loosing the fight against the famed Homioi who were penetrating the pikewall through pure muscle power.

Meanwhile, a small portion of the Spartan army under a captain Deiphobos commanding the Arkadioi peltastai was engaging Kratēros in order to prevent him from joining the battle. By clever manoeuvering and calm thinking, Kratēros wiped out this opposition and killed Deiphobos in the process. By ordering his army to march at double speed, he soon had Eudadimas pincered.

When the Heilōtai realized what was happening, they broke lines and fled. The Spartiatai, true to their legendary reputation, were the last to flee. Even though the majority did throw their shields and run for their lives at some point, Eudadimas and his picked bodyguards fought to the man.

The Spartan phalanx breaks, and Eudadimas' men fight to the end

With the Spartan general dead and his army routing, it was simply a matter of mopping the field of the fleeing soldiers. Antigonos, with the help of Kratēros, had won yet another great victory. The casualties on the Spartan side were great; more than 16,000 men were either killed or captured. The Makedones themselves lost about 5,400 men, while a large number (especially on Antigonos' side) were wounded.

Antigonos and Kratēros regrouped in Megalopolis, where the two brothers greeted each other and held a great festival in commemoration of this victory. A marble lion was also raised on the spot where Eudadimas fell, in respect of the Spartiatai who fought to the death. The roaring lion statue, which faced directly towards Pella with uncanny geometric precision, bore the following inscription:
"Let it be known, that Eudadimas and his brave Spartiatai fought on this land and died for the freedom of their state."

The marble lion erected next to the place where the brave Spartans under Eudadimas fought to the death

Practically, the state of Lakedaimōn was borken. It too was forced to its knees by the military might of Makedonia. Even though several minor raids were conducted by Akrotatos, they were highly unsuccessful and were crushed by the Makedonian army. Spartē had officially fallen, her gates completely defenseless against Antigonos.

With Areus still away in Krētē and unable to assist his countrymen, the region was given "autonomy" and Antigonos cleared the polis of every opposition. Several rebellious characters were assassinated, including Akrotatos himself who tried to escape with a ship from the ports of Gythion to Krētē.

A puppet ruler by the name of Synlekteinos was given governship of Spartē and the region of Lakōnia, while the traditional system of the Spartiatai was abolished. Many Heilōtai were given land and freedom, others were transported as slaves to various regions of the Kingdom. The Homioi were reduced to a mere handful of carefully controlled individuals, while the Agōgē still functioned as a school of war for picked Makedonians and only a few trusted Spartiatai. The training itself became even less demanding, while Antigonos forbade the Spartiatai to raise any army in the future.

With the rebellious southern Hellas finally under firm Makedonian control, there was only one target left. That was none other, than the Ēpeirōtai that were threatening the integrity of the Makedonian state. As long as Pyrrhos was alive, Makedonia would never be safe.

Next Chapter: Returning Home