Table of Contents


Prologue: Heroes of the Kingdom

‘Dionysos and Rhescuporis,’ the aging Herakles addressed the noblemen arranged before him. ‘my sons, good men, great men. They died fighting the Seleucids, fighting for Pontus, for what we believe in. Don’t let us forget their sacrafice.’ At this he poured a small libation from his cup, and the others followed his lead.

‘All my life,’ he continued after a brief pause, ‘I have been fighting against the Seleucids. We fought them in my father’s time, and we fought them in my grandfather’s time.’ The nobles nodded remembering Pharanaces and Mithradates, both great kings, many gains they had made against the Seleucids. Mithradates, starting with a kingdom created in the turmoil of Alexander’s death, had managed to carve a stable and strong state in the hard, harsh north of Anatolia. From a few small cities dating from the period of Greek colonisation, the melting pot of a kingdom, ruled by satraps appointed by the Persians over a coastal area of Greeks, with inland tribes of native Armenians and Pontids, it now, after the rule of only three kings, ruled over a large area of Anatolia, stretching nearly to the Aegean.

‘Both died in mighty victories for their king and kingdom. Overwhelmed by those Southern Greeks they gave their lives for their victory. They are the type who will lead this nation to ultimate glory over the Seleucids. We have the chance to drive them out of Anatolia, to make this a Pontic land. By their courage and sacrafice, we have been given the chance. Now, let us not squander it.’

Herakles had given his rousing preamble. Now it was down to the nitty gritty, the details of what was going to be a long and hard campaign. It was just over sixty years since the death of Alexander. Now it would be time to witness the rise of a new power in the East. They would start with Nicomedia.





Pontus & Anatolia in 250 B.C.


Chapter 1:The Battle for Nicomedia

Akas was Herakles’s right hand man. Made governor of the Western provinces of the growing Pontic Kingdom, he had command over the cities of Ancyra, Pessinus and Prusa, with a mandate to go further west. This was where some of the heaviest fighting between Pontus and the Seleucids was seen. Both Dionysus and Rhescuporis fought and died near the city of Pessinus. Still, they were in Pontid hands. Far away from the recruiting grounds of the Black Sea, where the Pontic armies were drawn from, too often Akas had had to rely on native troops and mercenaries. Ancyra at least provided strong barbarian soldiers, heavy infantry capable of standing toe to toe against the Seleucids many hoplites. It was, however, the Pezoi, the Pontic phalanx, which was the backbone of any major army, and they won many victories for Pontus. With the victories in the field, Akas finally felt that the Seleucids were weak enough in their cities to send an expedition against them. Led by Asander, Akas’s son, it was a small army, numbering only 1,000 strong, but it should be enough to capture Nicomedia, and open up the Aegean coast.




Asander and his army's route to Nicomedia & the Seleucid reaction


Asander was a young commaner, not yet twenty, yet he was trusted by his lieutenants, and more importantly, his father. He did not have a lot of troops, all that the defenses of Pessinus, Prusa and Ancyra could spare. Yet, there were nearly five hundred Pezoi in his army, with the rest been made up of archers, Cyrtian Spearmen and the rightfully feared Galatian swordsmen. Asander’s own retinue brought the final number of troops to one thousand and twelve. His spies had discovered that only five hundred men garrisoned Nicomeida, led by Amythaon of Azotus, from Palestine. Confident that that number could be overcome, Asander settled in for the long siege. Disaster came in the summer, not three months after the town had been surrounded. Coming from a northern campaign, twelve hundred Seleucids came to the relief of Nicomedia. With his army hopelessly outnumbered, Asander retreated, trying to head to Prusa. The route south was cut off, so they were forced to march even further west, into a peninsula, meaning they have to fight their way out. The large Seleucid army closed in, and engaged in battle. It was victory or death for the Pontids.


Asander's troops line up for battle

There was a gradual rise from the sea up to the mountains. Asander positioned his infantry on this slope, near the sea, where the foest broke up and became a small plain.


The cavalry in the forest

The Pezoi were the key for Asander’s battle; if they could hold he could charge the Seleucid hoplites from the flank or rear. To enable this, Asander anad his cavalry took up position in a forest, to the south of the main battlefield.


The two lines of infantry engage

The Seleucids, mainly hoplites, but with some peltasts, and no cavalry, marched straight down to the waiting Pontids. They were harassed as they did this by the archers which Asander had positioned well in front of the main battle line. They would have ample time to scamper behind the protective spears of the Pezoi. The hoplites engaged the line at the break of the two unit of Pezoi, trying to drive them apart.


The cavalry charge devastates the Seleucid hoplites

However, they hold, allowing time for Asander and his cavalry to launch a devastating charge into the unprotected rear of the hoplites. The horsemen withdrew in preparation for another charge, which finally broke one of the Seleucid units, and their captain, Seleucos, was killed in the rout. The free Pontic unit now turned their attention to the other Seleucid soldiers still fighting.


The first Seleucid army breaks

Overwhelmed now, they fled, and it appeared that the Seleucid army had been beaten back. News came, from one of Asander’s scouts, that the Nicomedian garrison had marched to the battle, too late to support the first army, but they were still looking like engaging.

‘We can win Nicomedia today, lads, we only have to beat that small army. We have destroyed a Seleucid army once already today, another, smaller and weaker, shouldn’t pose any threat to you, strong Pontids.’ Asander reformed the line, and made ready for the second fight of the day. The first battle had been tiring, but a small rest period allowed the men to recover. Not so for the Nicomedians, who were force marched all the way from their city. When they emerged from the forest they were exhausted, but it still wouldn’t be an easy fight.


The second Seleucid army emerges from the forest

The Pezoi and Galatians engaged the Seleucids, while the cavalry of Asander fought it out with that of Amythaon. Soon the right flank of the Seleucids broke, worn out by their long march and now facing the strong spears of the Pezoi. This allowed more troops to be sent to the aid of the left flank and to Asander, who was outnumbered by the Seleucid cavalry. With their help Amythaon was soon killed, as were any hopes of a Seleucid victory.


The two generals fight it out with each other

The one remaining unit of the Seleucids fought on bravely, until the were nearly surrounded by the Pontics. One last cavalry charge left them scattered, and they were run down by the hooves of Asander’s horsemen.


Casualties

It was a great victory, with many casualties on both sides. Asander was left with only four hundred and fifty men, but the forces of the Seleucids had been totally destroyed, some eightteen hundred men. Nicomedia was open for capture, and Asander marched into the city unopposed. Now Pontus had access to the rich Aegean, and nearly the whole of north Anatolia was in their hands. Yet, it was not secure. There were still many Seleucid cities and armies in the area, and one large army was marching from the Seleucid heartland in Asia to try and turn their fortunes in this war around. Pontus had another hero, and another heroic victory, but would that be enough to defeat the huge might and strength of the Seleucid Empire?