It is 359 B.C.E. The small tribal kingdom of Macedon has been invaded and upper Macedon is under the yoke of barbarians hailing from remote Illyria. In response the basileus of Macedon - Perdiccas III - marches north to reconquer the large number of Macedonian settlements which had fallen to the vile Bardyllis only for his expedition to end in disaster. Perdiccas and over 4,000 of his men are slain leaving the throne to his infant son Amyntas. With things so dire a strong regent is needed. A man who could command respect. A man who could reunite the Macedonian people. A man who could defeat Bardyllis. A man named Philip. Philip begins his journey with little more than a small group of dedicated horsemen and the former seat of Macedonian power - Aegeae. Sitting on the south bank of the Haliacmon river Aegeae is a good point from which to establish control over central Macedonia. Located near the only crossing point and with strong walls designed to withstand a lengthy siege Aegeae is a formidable bastion and one which Philip leaves almost immediately. Without delay Phlip and his cavalry strike north into the rich plains of central Macedon. The nearest settlement is Emathia, famous for its gardens and a connection to the legend of King Midas. Outside we spot a small group of Illyrian raiders living rich off the land until Philip scatters them taking a goodly number of slaves in the process. Philip pauses in Emathia only long enough to reestablish communication with Aegeae before once again moving north towards the besieged town of Edessa. Like Aegeae, Edessa is geographically vital. It holds command over the main route into northern Macedon where unconfirmed reports place Bardyllis and the majority of his barbarian armies. When Philip arrives he finds the town besieged by another small group of enemy peltasts (light troops fit for skirmishing and reconnaissance). With one solid charge they break and attempt to flee through the pass until the survivors are brought to heel and enslaved like the last. With Edessa retaken and both passes leading to upper Macedonia now guarded Philip can now move to retake the largest Macedonian town and his capitol - Pella. A terrible scene greets Philip as he arrives. Instead of attempting to take the town yet more peltast raiders have instead burned the valuable crop land around the town (I'll take time to talk about how important food is in subsequent entries). Once again the Illyrian raiders are quickly brushed aside and while roughly half my crops have been burned the fact that it is still only late spring means that some recovery may be in order. More important is the entrance of Philip into capitol at the head of his victorious cavalry. While the vital heart of Macedon has been restored in only a short period of time Philip must now look to consolidate everything that he has earned. While only four settlements are under his control their links have only just been reestablished. For now Pella and its citizens are short of food and near starvation as it awaits transfers from the granaries at Edessa and Emathia. Moreover more bands of Illyrians have been spotted coming from Almopia and most worryingly from upper Macedonia.
Phalangites in battle With Pella retaken and Philip restored to the seat of Macedonian power we can look towards rebuilding our forces. Key among them will be the Macedonian phalangites who form a critical counterpoint to the previously dominant hoplites. What gives Philip and the Macedonian phalanx such advantages is the addition of a more armor (including breastplates and full helmets) as well as the sarissa, a four to seven meter spear. Well trained and well armored our phalangites give Philip a decided infantry advantage. Macedon, early summer 359 BCE Immediately these units of heavy infantry are raised in both Aegeae and Pella. While Philip moves to secure Almopia and the vital mines around Mount Barnous our men move to Edessa to forestall an Illyrian raid from upper Macedon. By the time my men arrive in Edessa we learn that the barbarians have instead remained west of Edessa, instead remaining in the ruined fort of Bora. With the enemy at bay we spend the rest of spring building our defenses - Pella's city walls are rebuild and those at Edessa are torn down to remove their maintenance fees. Around Almopia the mines are brought fully under our control and what slaves we control are moved in to work them. Macedonian phalangites resist Argaeus By now word has reached Philip that the Athenians have decided to take advantage of our current troubles in the form of a pretender known as Argaeus. A son of one of the former kings of Macedon he has abandoned his country after being unable to take the throne from Perdiccas III and has now reentered the area with Athenian support. Even now he gathers strength near Aegeae. The slain around Aegeae Despite being outnumbered our phalangites manage to overwhelm and eventually kill the pretender Argaeus. Even with our own unit of peltasts we are unable to track down and kill the fleeing Athenians, or even take any of them slaves. Instead we retreat back into Aegeae and begin preparing for a movement into upper Macedon.
Philip reconquers Edomene While I'd love to move into upper Macedon immediately, further issues exist. In particular the town of Edomene located north of Pella. Located astride the left bank of the Lower Axios river the Paeonians have taken the town and look to use it as a base to install Arrhideus (Philip's half-brother) as a barbarian puppet in nearby Pella. While he and his barbarian allies in Edomene are a real threat they have only a single unit of ill trained phalangites and some cavalry to hold the city. The enemy cavalry is quickly shoved aside and remarkably Arrhideus remains inside the city with his heavy infantry until defeat becomes inevitable. With Edomene reconquered Philip has secured the northern border and now holds the second ford over the Lower Axios River. North of Edomene is a narrow pass known as the Iron Gates with a ruined fort. So long as we can garrison and possibly rebuild the fortifications we've secured our borders in this area. The Paeonians have been cowed - for now. Upper Macedonia, currently held by the vile Bardyllis Having further secured Pella we can now authoritatively turn our attention to upper Macedonia. Thanks to a unit of scout cavalry from Emathia we know that both Elimea and Eordaea are held by Bardyllis. While less settled than the central Macedonian plain the valley holds vast grazing areas for herds of sheep as well as the allied town of Elimea which has generally supported Macedon for decades. For now our assembled forces will move to retake Eordaea before moving south to besiege Elimea and it's Illyrian defenders.
Before upper Macedonia can be invaded we need to think about our food situation. Every unit needs food - without it they have reduced morale and are otherwise close to useless - any time I move troops the food situation needs to be consulted. In Hegemony a full year takes place over an hour with each season lasting fifteen minutes. In each of these four seasons the food situation changes drastically. In winter my farms are predictably producing next to nothing and consequently my food stocks plummet as they are progressively eaten up by troops or otherwise spoil. In spring my crops begin to grow and while some weekly food production occurs it is nowhere enough for units larger than peltasts or cavalry to subsist off. Sheep though appear over designated grazing areas on the map. While flocks do not spawn every year when they do anyone can capture them using them to add to city stocks or having them as mobile food piles. In summer food production doubles again before finally tripling. Production of food in the autumn allow multiple units to subsist off the land for every farm at hand. Most of the time just subsisting off the land just won't do. Units can automatically replenish their supply of food in range of friendly towns - drawing from their reserves. Thanks to my road network (which can be upgraded for a price) I'm able to ship food stocks from town to town in order to build stockpiles or route surpluses onto a planned line of advance. As a result when I plan to move towards Eordaea I'm also making sure food stockpiles from surplus cities like Pella and Almopia are moved to my staging area. The battle for Eordaea While Philip makes west past Eordaea and its valuable farmland to secure the valley passes the rest of his forces attack the large Illyrian garrison. Alarmingly news reaches me that the Athenians have already noticed our weakness and have decided to large a small raid from the Thermaic Gulf. The city guard of Pella and my lone group of phalangites left behind are going to have to push that threat back. Philip needn't be worried for my militia and small force of heavy infantry are able to defeat the Athenians after a short fight. At the same time Eordaea is captured when the Illyrians pursue Philip east, splitting their forces and resulting in another large group of slaves for the mines. With the recapture of yet another Macedonian town we've got enough recruits in Edessa to recruit a third brigade of heavy infantry. They'll proceed into upper Macedon in order to help with my first siege - that of Elimea. Located south of Eordaea and nearby the pass towards Emathia it is the first walled town I've had to deal with. Already I've seen the power of it's Illyrian garrison after they rudely brushed aside my first cavalry reconnaissance. Without siege engines (which I cannot yet construct) the siege will be lengthy and while require at least two brigades of heavy infantry. Siege of Elimea While my elite hypaspists (the heavy infantry royal guard) and some light troops remain to the north Philip and the rest of his heavy infantry move south in order to retake Elimea. My first move is to take over the nearby farms so that when the Illyrians reinforce their garrison by impressing the loyal population all it serves is to deplete their food reserves quicker. When my forces eventually coalesce outside the town the enemies food stocks are decidedly dwindling, moreso after Philip cuts the last remaining link to Illyria, the pass east towards Illyria itself. Philip himself enters the siege soon after it begins and while my two brigades of infantry lose upwards of a third of their strength taking the town I'm fortunate enough to find an old group of siege engines which force the Illyrians to try a desperate sally which only results in the town falling quicker. Philip's reward When Elimea is liberated from the barbarians Philip is able to restore ties with the Elimeotae who are longtime allies of the kingdom and considered good friends of Macedon. To once again secure this friendship Philip is set to marry the princess of the Elimeotae. Phila will make her way to Pella to await her husband to be, but for now he moves north towards Heraklea Lyncestis and a final confrontation with Bardyllis.
Confrontation on the plains of Lyncus Autumn arrives as Philip moves north into the region of Lyncus. Traditionally the target of Illyrian raids before the monarchy was laid low in the last two decades it now serves as the staging point for Bardyllis and his vast army. Marching into the plain my brigades are rapidly brought to battle as unit after unit of Illyrian hoplites move forward to engage my phalangites and hypaspists. Philip himself lurks to the southwest waiting for a chance to flank the enemy at the decisive moment. Bardyllis positions his reserves Instead of rushing my line with the full weight of his infantry the Illyrian king only throws in half of his forces. Using them to weaken my line Bardyllis himself, along with his best lieutenant Idmon (one of a number of Greek mercenaries used to leaven the barbarian formations), remain far in the rear with two brigades of heavy infantry where they can be put into the battle or used to keep Philip from descending on the rear of his other forces. In the middle another group of hoplites are clearly preparing for Philip as they form a square so as to better defend against any potential cavalry charge. The Illyrian line breaks Forestalled from making an early cavalry charge Philip instead has to trust in his infantry. They don't take long to justify their cost. With few losses the ill trained hoplites fielded by Bardyllis are forced back towards the rich fields of Heraklea Lyncestis. In the resulting confusion Philip descends on the reserves which are thrown against my hypaspists. Threatened from the rear the enemy phalanx rapidly crumbles before Bardyllis and his main body of reserves can come up by which time the phalangites from my left flank have advanced to screen Philip who continues to butcher what few men are still fighting in the center. Bardyllis lies dead Keeping his main body of reserves so far back is what leads to the death of Bardyllis. When he attempts to restore his broken line my infantry is able to advance and meet them. In the process Philip is given enough time to wheel back out onto the flank and thereafter swoop into the enemy rear for a second time. Now outnumbered and hedged in against the hilly backdrop of upper Macedonia Bardyllis and his remaining men are put into the grinder. Despite their heavy losses a large number of the Illyrians survive, only to be taken into bondage. Some are sent to Titarion Mons, a newly opened mine near Elimea, while the rest are marched back to await further projects. Heraklea Lyncestis Soon after my victory Philip takes the greater part of his strength straight to Heraklea Lyncestis. When he arrives the few Illyrian survivors of the battle have been joined by a large group of skirmishers and other light infantry who were presumably held in reserve to hold the vast grain fields that surround the settlement. Without their own force of heavy infantry the fight is settled quickly. The Kingdom of Macedon in the fall of 359 B.C.E. With the strategically vital farmland of Lyncus returned to Macedon the game now opens up to a whole realm of possibilities. For now Philip and some of his heavy infantry remain in Heraklea Lyncestis in order to bring the nearby farmland under our control. A strong presence will need to be retained in the area in order to keep an Illyrian offensive at bay and to watch for raids from the Paeonians and the Thracians of the Western Odrysian Kingdom. South of this exposed position I need to now take care to expand my watch over the passes which lead to the west as well as the vital Volustana pass which leads to Olooson and the Thessalian League. While the Thessalians are nominally friendly pushing south to Olooson will allow me to construct siege engines as well as protect the mines at Titarion Mons. In Lower Macedonia things are also ripe for potential expansion. Philip has ample reason to push south from Aegeae for one. This region is the original home of the Macedonian people and lies in the shadow of Mount Olympus itself. Along the coast are two city-states, that while properly Macedonian, are currently under the control of petty tyrants allied to Athens. As a result they act as a staging ground for the occassional Athenian raids along the Thermaic Gulf. Pushing the Athenians out of the region should help secure the crops of lower Macedon from further raids. The greatest threat might be across the Lower Axios River though. Pella has the walls and large garrison needed to keep the Chalcidian League from contemplating an offensive from the coastal town of Borboros. In contrast the Thracians are actively raiding from another town of subjugated Macedonians - Amphaxis. Philip and his still nascent military force must choose what course of action to undertake carefully. With his heavy infantry necessarily spread out at Heraklea Lyncestis, Eordaea, Aegeae, and Edomene only one objective can be pursued at a time. The question is - which objective?
Having defeated his principal foe Philip now restored most of the ancestral heartland of Macedonia. The notable exception is the region of Pieria which lies in the shadow of Mount Olympus. The numerous small city-states that occupy this coastal region have allied themselves with the hated Athenians. Those effete Grecians have used guile and the base instinct of greed to appropriate the region from Philip. The first real step in his right to greatness lies on a days march to the east of Aegeae. Strong raiding forces, like these Illyrians, will plague me until I can set up watchtowers That said Philip needs to secure his existing borders first and this means a slow steady expansion of military power. Heavy infantry must be raised. Cavalry units need to be formed. Peltasts need to be half trained and thrown away. While my immediate movements are to capture the farmland around Heraklea Lyncestis the autumn is also filled with the construction of watchtowers all along our border. Additional mines around Mount Barnous are also opened so that I can pay all my new soldiers. The cost of not having an adequate number of troops positioned along the border is made clear to Philip early on. While he remains near his latest acquisition raiding parties descend upon Elimea and towards Edomene on the Lower Axios River. In both cases the enemy is fought off. At Edomene this is easy enough but the Illyrian force is strong enough to compel Philip to race south with his hypaspists. The Illyrians don't see my reinforcements until it is too late. Trapped between my hypaspists and the walls of the city most of the force is cut down or taken prisoner. Triumphantly Philip returns to Pella to marry his Elimeotae bride. Macedonian cavalry scout out the allied city-states of Methone (north) and Pydna (south) Philip remains with his bride in Pella for the rest of the harvest season. Though troubled by a second raid into upper Macedonia by the Illyrians the able Antigonus is at hand to push the barbarians back yet again. In order to keep his northern frontier quiet enough money is also raised to offer a yearly tribute to the powerful Paeonians. Our border with them is highly defensible through the Iron Gates. Less so leading towards Heraklea Lyncestis where wide plains allow the skill Paeonian cavalry to run roughshod over any force that can be summoned to protect the colony. A tribute of 75 gold (about as much as I'd need to raise and maintain a brigade of phalangites) allows me to forget about that potential enemy for the time being - though I've hedged my bets by constructing a fort to guard the Iron Gates. Philip is only stirred from marital bliss when news reaches him that the Athenians have made a brazen raid across the Haliacmon river. Parmenion and his small group of infantry are able to hold the crossing long enough to allow Philip to arrive. Pushing back the Athenians he lets loose his scouts and calls for his hypaspists to return to Aegeae at once. Thanks to my forward units I'm able to find out that a squadron of triremes are in fact based at Pydna. Philip engages in the opening pellmell battle for Dion Knowing all this Philip decides to an extraordinarily ambitious plan. Instead of moving directly towards Methone or Pydna he instead looks south to the town of Dion. Small by comparison to other Macedonian towns it has important religious significance to the kingdom. Decades ago Archelaus I, in between moving the capitol to Pella, declared the town to be the religious center of the kingdom in part due to the prominent shrines to Zeus. Seeking to give his soldiers heart he orders his hypaspists to approach it alone. Predictably the local tyrants of Methone and Pydna, eager to encircle my exposed infantry advance out along the coast. Philip with his large force of cavalry (his companions and two groups of scouts) and the heavy infantry under Parmenion swoop down on the enemy as the hypaspists make a skillful retreat. It's a long pellmell battle in which Philip is genuinely in danger of being surrounded several times. Cleitus the Black, who has just recently been given command of the hypaspists, has an even tougher time after he finds a stronger than expected force in Dion. Chased back the elite guard stops to make several heroic stands before Philip can rectify the situation.
Dion is reclaimed Unable to corner by hypaspists the Greeks are slowly cut asunder by my superior cavalry. Strung out along the main road down the coast the enemy hoplites are unable to form a stable battle line - subjecting them to fatal charges from the flanks. The hostile coastal city-states have been fatally weakened due to this battle. Scouts report that Pydna is now largely devoid of garrison troops - though the tyrant of Methone wisely kept a strong reserve behind his much weaker walls. Almost as an afterthought Dion is captured though for now it cannot be linked to my road system and will need to subsist off its local crops. The campaign is now stretching into winter and while other rulers might be expected to pack up and return home for the winter Philip doesn't. He knows that help from Athens is less likely due to risk sending relief during the dangerous winter months. Parmenion nonetheless urges caution until the siege equipment from Elimea arrives. Cleitus the Black leads the assault on Pydna Pydna is the main port for the region. Resounding rich as a result the city maintains a city-wall nearly as strong Pella. The strongest infantry force left are the hypaspists under Cleitus. Backed by the old siege engines that have been dragged all the way from Elimea they assault the walls. Outnumbered by five or six to one the only recourse available to the defenders is to wait for a potential relief force to appear from Methone. Keeping well back Philip keeps that from happening until just before Pydna falls. A short battle results before each side retires to lick their wounds. Philip enters Pydna to the joy of its largely Macedonian population. Effectively independent since before the reign of Archelaus it is once and for all integrated into the kingdom. Newly captured Methone Methone now stands alone and it does so for a very short period of time. The local tyrant, knowing full well how I would treat him for supporting the pretender Argaeus the previous year opted instead to flee to Athens. Without enough triremes to attempt the rough journey by sea the remaining members of the garrison were slowly besieged. The fall of Methone is the first time that Philip conquers a non-Macedonian settlement. Established by the Athenians roughly fifty years previously Methone will be much harder to control than loyal Macedonian towns - meaning I need to tear down the walls to prevent riots. This is done quickly. The other more crucial fact (generally) is that without a Macedonian population I'm unable to recruit phalangites and instead must hire mercenaries if I want to use the local population to expand my forces. They'll cost roughly double in some cases. The Kingdom of Macedon at the start of 358 B.C.E. After a brilliant lightning campaign Philip has liberated the region of Pieria. The twin coastal threats of Methone and Pydna have been removed and the important religious center of Dion is once again held by Macedon. Observing a traditional sacrifice to Zeus Philip crossing back over the Haliacmon river as 358 begins, leaving behind the majority of his forces under Parmenion whose orders are to campaign at his leisure down the coast towards the last Macedonian settlement - Heracleum. Philip himself now has yet more decisions awaiting him. With the Athenian threat removed for the time being there are three principle threats confronting Macedon. Most substantial is the one posed by the Illyrians. Having weakened my border with them in order to take Pieria they've taken to raiding frequently having hit all three of my towns in the region. Should Philip decide to move back into the region he'll need to reconnoiter the numerous passes that head west - something which will require large groups of skirmishers and scout cavalry. North of Heraklea Lyncestis though is one final settlement of Macedonians at Pelagonia. Like Heraklea Lyncestis it is surrounded by rich farmland but would also increase the amount of area I'd need to defend until Philip can agree to a payment of tribute to the still powerful Illyrians. The Chalcidian League (in light blue) My second option is to campaign near Pella. Just east of the Lower Axios river there are numerous settlements of Macedonians under the control of both barbarians and the Greek Chalcidian League which has grown strong in during the recent troubles. Due to some initial scouting I've got some information on the area. The settlements at Amphaxis and Borboros are largely undefended and have no city-walls and should be easily taken in any advance. Further along the coast the former border town of Therme is likewise undefended; as is Mygdonia further inland. An easy march to retake these is unlikely though as the Greeks have installed a powerful garrison at Crestonia and as we march so far forward we'll be near the leading power of the Chalcidian League - Olynthus. The third and most conservative plan is to simply chip away at the border regions in an effort to strengthen my borders - taking Olooson to protect Elimea for instance. That said - what say you noble councilors?
“It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win.”
Illyrians need to be stopped from raiding. And maybe you will get to bring home a new wife from the campaign.
Macedonian diplomatic relations in 358 B.C.E. With the death of Bardyllis it was hoped that the Illyrians would be cowed for a time, but this was not to be. Instead of retreating beyond their own borders for a time they took time to launch three strong raids throughout the remainder of the year. With Philip away the last of these resulted in the near expulsion of the Macedonian garrison from Heraklea Lyncestis. Now that Athenian influence has been removed from the Pieria region Philip is free to move west for a second time. His plan is to inflict a series of defeats against the Illyrians in order to give the existing Macedonian settlements breathing room before securing a favorable peace treaty. (Note: For gameplay reasons the following campaign is aimed to reduce the amount of tribute I need to pay to sign a treaty with the Illyrians) Macedonian cavalry scout the western frontier Leaving Aegeae before the end of winter Philip proceeds west with his hypaspists and a veteran brigade of phalangites. Joining them are the two units of scout cavalry which have proved so useful lately against the Athenians. Within a few weeks they have scouted the vital border region of Tymphaia and have begun construction of watchtowers along the borders. Not well held Philip hopes to secure this vital region without much delay - possibly since it reduces the pressure on Elimea and Eordaea significantly. Thanks to the raids of my scout cavalry the Illyrian garrison at Tymphaia moves to prevent my takeover of the east Pindus mines. The Tymphaia garrison is drawn out Greed prevents Grabos - Bardyllis' successor - from adequately securing Tymphaia. With the Pindus mines threatened he has sent the majority of his garrison out to stop my small cavalry unit just as Philip and the rest of his forces move into the valley. Detaching himself briefly is enough to break the small garrison of cavalry and peltasts. With the city nearly defenseless the heavy infantry under Parmenion and Cleitus walk into Tymphaia will little losses. Satisfied for now Philip remains in the region until spring. Illyria proper While Philip rests on his laurels his scout cavalry moves into Illyria during the dead of winter of find out what awaits. The news is mostly grim. Since the death of Bardyllis the Illyrians, under Grabos, have only three proper border towns - Pelion, Lychnidos, and Penestae. All three are fortified and well back from the border. Without siege engines any movement against these cities will be long and costly. That said there are several ways in which we can forestall a bloody campaign. Potentially the most important is the region of Prespa - between Wolf Pass and Lychnidos - where a ruined fort guards the entrance to upper Macedonia. Should it be reconstructed Heraklea Lyncestis will be absent one of the three remaining routes of advance from Illyria. Taking the region should also potentially open up mines at Lyke and Kaletron - though they would not be secure until Pelion falls. Conservative as always Parmenion urges to only move north towards Pelagonia.
Conquered by Philip II in 359 B.C.E. Pydna was ultimately abandoned after the defeat of the Antigonid dynasty in 168 Philip finds that Pelion is ill defended during the spring of 358. Goaded on by his more uninformed lieutenants Philip is only brought into line by the calm reasoning of Parmenion. Though still at Tymphaia he urges Philip to move north to liberate the colony of Pelagonia. Over the rest of winter this is done but when spring comes a multitude of crises hit. Worst is the fact that the Athenians have dispatched a relief mission to Pydna and while it is now firmly in my grasp the Grecians seem bent on confirming the fact. A short and sharp fight is enough to convince the Athenian triremes to remove themselves from the conflict and as a result the region is once again mine. Cleitus moves north to Pelagonia Absent a strong force all Philip can do is to take the mines of Lyke. Concerned about money only it isn't until nearly too late that the monarch is informed that the Thessalian League is moving north in force to annex the colony of Tymphaia. With all haste Philip moves back south while at the same time ordering Cleitus the Black to take Pelagonia. Cleitus is left in a terrible situation. Having no support from the Wolf Pass he needs to move north with almost all of his heavy infantry and with little scout support. Though slightly outnumbered Cleitus would order an assault. At the same time things were looking grim for Philip. Racing south he knew that the Thessalian League was assaulting his position at Tymphaia - less to take the area than to simply reconfirm their dominance. Though reputed to be the best Greek cavalry in the land the Thessalians soon broke after confronting their first brigade of phalangites. Backed by peltasts, scout cavalry, and eventually Philip himself it wasn't a hard decision to retreat. The outcome was not the same when the Thessalian hoplites came up - though outnumbered Philip was ultimately able to prevail. Thankfully the same could be said of Pelagonia. Though outnumbered Cleitus the Black assaulted the town without any sort of delay. He thereafter found himself surrounded and nearly cutoff by the vast number of Illyrians that had been assembled beforehand. Cleitus himself was thrown back, along with his hypaspists. In the end it fell to a brigade from noble Edessa to retake the town. Macedonia in early 358 B.C.E. Philip would have been confirmed as one of the best kings early in his reign. Upper and Lower Maceondia have been restored. The Illyrians have now been pushed back past the important settlements of Tymphaia and Pelagonia and a peace settlement is very close. The question is - what next?
The Illyrian barbarians are endless. Take their cities, certainly, if they are rich or easily defensible but a prolonged campaign in the hills of Illyria is a massive undertaking and Phillips destiny does not lie in taking barbarian hill forts. No, he needs to go east, to Persia, or south to Athens. But first, he should go north past the Iron Gates and secure the rich mines there.
The Fort at Pylon While Philip pondered his next campaign he was nonetheless occupied by a number of smaller projects. Besides a new round of scouting - including up past the Iron Gates - orders were given to several of his lieutenants to expand and further secure the border with Illyria. Antigonus was to receive the most important of these orders. Departing early in the year from Heraklea Lyncestis he would march west with a brigade of heavy infantry and two attached units of peltasts with the stated goal of taking the fort at Pylon and the surrounding farmland. This would further solidify our hold on the mines of Lyke as well as giving us an eye on the central Illyrian border town of Lychnidos. Sitting astride the only direct route between Lychnidos and Heraklea Lyncestis taking the fortifications would allow Philip to shift some of his valuable forces out of upper Macedonia to take part in whatever campaign he saw fit to conduct. Within only a few weeks the objective was secured without much loss of life whatsoever owing to the fact that the Illyrians instead used what forces they had left in the region to instead raid against Pelagonia. The raid can only be described as reckless folly and it was soon defeated. At the same time as Antigonus was marching through Wolf Pass the redoubtable Parmenion was assembling his own forces at Elimea. While Philip had given him orders to keep the Thessalians south of the Volustana Pass his subordinate expanded upon them. Calling on reinforcements from Aegeae and Eordaea he assembled a strong force with an eye towards besieging Olooson. Before Parmenion could cross the pass into the south the Thessalians launched a spoiling attack, though without knowledge of how powerful a force they would be running into. Crushed after just emerging from the pass Parmenion moved south without waiting for the catapults which were still making their way across the passes from Aegeae. Olooson was to be stoutly defended Hubris was to almost be the undoing of Parmenion and his troops. Advancing with two brigades of phalangites and an equal number of peltasts he arrived north of Olooson, also called the White City, only to find a garrison as large as his own force. It was soon backed up by reinforcements from the nearby city-state of Pharcadon. Outnumbered all Parmenion and his Macedonians could do was stand fast and fight.
The bloody battle for Olooson Commanding on the left Parmenion is subjected to the lesser body of enemy hoplies. Antipater and his less experienced men from Pella were to have to handle the majority of the enemy attack. With Philip far away to the north there was to be no cavalry support. Though vastly outnumbered Parmenion and his brave phalangites were able to smash through the Thessalian line following a tactical mistake by the enemy in which he was opposed by only one brigade of hoplites. Thereafter the enemy line was rolled up but not before Antipater - himself gravely outnumbered - suffered horrendous losses against a force more than double his size. Unwilling to retreat and face the wrath of Philip for taking such heavy losses Parmenion instead pressed on with the arrival of his siege equipment. The Macedonian border with Thessaly, summer 358 B.C.E. With the Olooson garrison shattered and the reinforcements from Pharcadon smashed beyond repair Parmenion settles in for a quick and rather uneventful siege of the town. Though its walls are strong and well maintained the lack of men to defend the town proves to be its downfall. Antipater and his near shattered group of phalangites remains in the city, along with some peltasts. Parmenion in the meantime moves north to Elimea - it no longer has any need for expensive city-walls owing to its well defended situation now. For now the way into Thessaly is generally well guarded besides one last route - the coastal road past Heracleum. Heracleum and the coastal road Much like the fort at Pylon the town of Heracleum commands a small, but strategically significant, strip of land along the coast. Located just south of Dion it is the last settlement of Macedonians before Thessaly. For now it is controlled by the Tyrant of Pherae who in recent years have become the dominant power in Thessaly. In response to the threat posed by Pherae the remaining independent city-states in Thessaly have formed the Amphictyonic Council, an allied league whose purpose is to defend their independence. While Parmenion has just taken one of their remaining towns Philip is still their best chance at retaining their independence and possibly defeating the power of Pherae. While taking Heracleum should give the Amphictyonic Council some heart Philip has no intention of striking south so early. Instead he must now turn towards the Chalcidice where a number of Macedonian towns and settlements still remain under foreign bondage.
Macedonian Phalangites in battle While Philip turned east to deal with the Chalcidice the rest of the Macedonian army continued its campaign against Illyria. The first target would be the fortified town of Pelion. With only the smallest of garrison it fell easily to a small army under the command of Attalus. With the town taken the entire Illyrian frontier was laid open to an assault following some ill-advised assault. At the same time the garrison of Edomene moved across the Lower Axious River to assault the town of Amphaxis. By now the Thracians have invested the town with a heavy contingent of cavalry and peltasts. At the same time a very small force of heavy infantry under Antigonus moves past the fort at Pylon to assault the Illyrian at Lychindos. Despite being outnumbered he and his force are ultimately successful due to a number of unsuccessful and ultimately fruitless assaults against my own towns in the previous year. With Pelion already taken the town of Diabolis was the last frontier town ready to give assistance to Lychindos. Unfortunately for the Illyrians the small hoplite brigade which moved north was unable to keep Antigonus from taking the city and its strategically important location.
The Kingdom of Macedon in 358 B.C.E. (Greece, Western Turkey, and the southern Balkans shown) The small campaign to take Amphaxis has failed. Despite my advantage in heavy infantry the Western Odrysian Kingdom has obtained victory due to an excellent usage of peltasts and regular nearly untrained spearmen. News of the defeat spurs Philip back to Pella in order to take over personal command of the invasion. It wasn't until Philip had arrived with reinforcements from Pella and Edessa that the town was eventually taken. With a first secure footing across the river Philip now turned towards the powerful Chalcidian League who had recently expanded into traditionally Macedonian lands. Immediately before Philip were three Macedonian towns under the control of Olynthus - Borboros, Therme, and Crestonia. Both of the coastal towns - Borboros and Therme - were small unwalled coastal settlements but taking Crestonia would prove a challenge. With Amphaxis only reluctantly taken Philip would conduct a deliberate strategy of siege warfare. The first target was Borboros, the nearest settlement to Pella. Unfortunately with Philip pulled away again and not enough forces marshaled to take on a determined garrison the assault was once again a failure. The Illyrian campaign continues While Philip is faced with a series of setbacks just across the Lower Axios River the remained military forces along the Illyrian frontier continue to advance. By the fall of 358 the border region had largely been stripped of any appreciable Illyrian garrison and so Attalus was able to advance on the last nearby Illyrian town - Diabolis - with only a small force. Meanwhile by late Autumn Philip had managed to recover and resumed his advance against Borboros. This time he did not underestimate the garrison - bringing together his hypaspists and several brigades of phalangites to defeat the Chalcidian defenders. Followed by a length siege train the majority of Philips army moved out of Borboros almost immediately. They were destined to convene outside of Crestonia - the lone fortified town on the vast Chalcidian plain between the fingers and the northern hills. Philip was adamant that to take the town was to offer up an excellent route to take both Therme and Mygdonia from the north. The battle for Crestonia By the time Philip assembled his forces to take Crestonia the Chalcidian League had placed a large garrison in the city. When the first siege-lines were placed the Greeks attacked. For awhile it was a stiff fight but in time Philip was able to position his cavalry for a flanking charge. With the principal resistance broken the town was easily captured though as the siege ended a strong relief force was spotted moving north in a effort to catch my siege train unawares. Philip was able to deal with the vanguard of this latest Greek threat, but in the end it was my phalangites that dealt a critical blow towards the Chalcidians. Philip campaigns into the Chalcidice, late 358 B.C.E. With men exhausted and brigades badly in need of reinforcement Philip decides to move forward once again after a late fall raid by the Chalcidians gives us an advantage locally. The enemy, having sent the bulk of their light infantry north, has left Therme largely devoid of its garrison. When enough forces are brought together the assault is made in the dead of winter. Despite some late resistance the assault was a success. What forces the Greeks had put into the city were now shorn of their light infantry and suffered for it. Though a small column of relief was sent to help Therme it was brushed aside by Philip's Thessalian cavalry. Cutoff the rest of the Chalcidian garrison retired from the field to cede Therme to the Macedonians. Heracleum under siege At this point we should turn back toward the subsidiary campaign to take Heracleum. With winter approaching and the threat of another Athenian landing temporarily removed the local rulers of Pydna and Dion have moved to strike south to retake Heracleum for Philip. Together a small siege force has been assembled to evict the Tyrant of Pherae from rightful Macedonian land. Taken under siege the Thessalians eventually moved towards a stand up battle outside their walls. Vastly outnumber they were quickly defeated. The town now taken newly appointed general Polyperchon is given only one goal - take the fort at Philae. As it guards the Vale of Tempe - the sole road link between Thessaly and the coastal region of Heracleum and Dion - the fort is needed in order to keep the Tyrant of Pherae out of Macedon for good. Polyperchon moves as quickly as he is able but it is still too late. While the fort is occupied the Thessalians have already guarded their farms with a full brigade of infantry. When they see the size of my force they largely abandon the Vale however. Thanks to the continuing presence of a siege train the fort is taken after a short, but stiff, fight. The fort, now taken, is strongly garrisoned as we fortify out second border region with the Tyrants.
Central Macedonia in the spring of 357 B.C.E. With the recapture of three towns from the Chalcidian League and the advance down the coast to Heracleum the security of Pella, Aegeae, and Pydna is finally secured - besides the occasional Athenian raid. That said my forward movement into the Vale of Tempe has put me directly opposite a strong enemy fort and the nearby city-state of Larissa. The area is connected to Pherae by means of a short road and the region is rich in profitable farmland. Already my forces under Polyperchon are outnumbered. The Chalcidian campaign continues As spring turned into summer Philip had amassed a fairly large army to continue his attacks on the Chalcidian League and in particular the leading city-state of the peninsula - Olynthus. In the previous year the towns of Borboros, Crestonia, and Therme were recaptured but this year our forces will need to conquer a number of independent Greek city-states. From his position at Therme Philip had two potential routes of advance. First, take a small forces from Crestonia to fall on Mygdonia which lies just south of the gap between Lake Koromeia and Lake Bolbe. A small cavalry force informs me that this plan would likely fail as Mygdonia lies directly north of powerful Olynthus. Instead the capture of the fort at Mount Kissos allows me to guard the road towards Mygdonia with a minimum of forces. The city-states of Krousis (near) and Bottike (far) are the goal for the coming campaign Instead of a risky movement Philip will instead move against the port city of Krousis. Pelias, a rather average Greek commander, currently holds the town with a substantial garrison - though heavily composed of peltasts - and has the protection of some firm walls. In the towns hinterland there is a vast coastal plain between Krousis and the next city-state of Bottike. Near that town the plain narrows and it here where Philip will attempt to block any relief from Olynthus. Plans would be stymied for several weeks however after the Athenians launched the first of their yearly raids. The first landed near Pydna and was defeated handily by Polyperchon. The second landing was made further up the Thermaic Gulf between Pella and Edessa. Due to the importance of the region phalangites from the Chalcidian campaign along with our Thessalian cavalry were dispatched to keep the raid in check. The help was hardly needed for as soon as the Athenians landed it was realized this was nothing more than a glorified cavalry raid to disrupt my supply network in support of Olynthus. Philip splits his army A small scouting party kicks off the summer campaign. The men move down past Mygdonia and thereafter around the heartland of the Chalcidian League as far as Piloros, Arethusa, and Galepsos. While several towns have large garrisons Olynthus itself is weak possibly due to their large losses in last years campaign. With the Chalcidians chasing shadows around Mygdonia Philip sets off with his assembled army. Three brigades of phalangites, the crutial hypaspists, and three smaller units of peltasts form the core of the Macedonian force. The enemy gets word of the advance as soon as Philip enters the coastal plain. Unable to get between Krousis and Bottike quickly Philip watches as the garrison at Krousis is substantially enlarged. Rather than engaging in a costly siege against Krousis Philip instead takes a substantial risk and splits his army. Reliable Parmenion is given two brigades of infantry and told to bottle up the coastal garrison. Philip with the rest of the army would attempt to take Bottike by storm before substantial reinforcements could arrive from Olynthus and the rest of the Greek city-states.
Parmenion holds firm outside Krousis Outnumbered by almost twice his numbers firm Parmenion stands fast outside Krousis. With the road to Bottike blockaded and little food arriving in the city under the autumn harvest begins a far ranging blockade may be able to affect some drop in morale in the large garrison. At the same time the siege of Bottike turns bloody quickly. Though initially outnumbering the garrison - which has chosen to fight a delaying battle outside the walls - an eventual relief force of hoplites from Olynthus arrives. By the time the reinforcements are routed the garrison has been largely destroyed and the siege ends shortly thereafter. While the nearby farms are easily taken a probe towards Olynthus reveals that the fight with continue - the city has drafted all of its male population into three new units of hoplites and has been joined by allied Galepsos. Parmenion meanwhile still does not have enough men to assault Krousis even though much of the garrison are from Bottike and therefore of uncertain morale fibre now. Raising another brigade of infantry at Therme should give Parmenion enough forces to undertake the needed offensive. Macedonian finances By now my financial situation is becoming strained. While Philip has over a dozen mines and several of his cities such as Pydna have brought riches into the kingdom it still isn't enough to support an army large enough to crush Olynthus - much less the Tyrant of Pherae. Needless garrisons are being trimmed in certain quarters to free up money and a vigorous campaign to tear down unneeded walls has resulted in enough money to recruit two more brigades of phalangites. In the long term we simply need more mines and while the Chalcidice has some mineral wealth it amounts to only three mines. The two routes to riches open to Philip right now are north past the strategically important Strymon River gap or east of the Athenian allied city-state of Amphiopolis which guards the wealth of Mount Pangaeus. Both though are goals that cannot be taken in the short term. The only potential relief is another small campaign against the Illyrians. If Antigonus can take the fortified town of Penestae it will open up a small but rich area. Philip defends Bottike Shortly after taking Bottike things came to a head. Olynthus had by now gotten five brigades of hoplites and immediately advanced against the three under-strength units of infantry that now held the town. At the same time Parmenion was now engaged with the defenders of Krousis. Unable to shift any of his forces Philip was caught in a vise. A thin line of infantry was all that stood between Parmenion and the vast relief force coming from Olynthus itself. Soon after the Greeks were engaged the line began to falter so much so that when Parmenion was able to flank and defeat the garrison from Krousis he sent most of his forces with all haste back towards Bottike. The line bends but does not break In contrast to his normal position in battle with the cavalry Philip takes the field with his infantry. Anchoring the line against the city-walls his men are engaged the longest. Long after the hypaspists under Cleitus had broken their opposite number Philip was still fighting and was still doing so when Parmenion's peltasts arrived on the field tired but still capable of fighting. The enemy still fought on until its morale broke with their flanks broken and the enemy advancing into their rear. Philip was at the head of a broken force. Only thanks to his guidance were the 7 survivors (out of 61) able to retreat back into Bottike. Having lost so many men Philip was barely even cheered when word reached him that Parmenion had manage to take Krousis - his brigade having lost few if any men in the short but violent siege. The Chalcidice, summer 357 B.C.E. With the immediate threat to Bottike gone and Krousis taken by Parmenion Philip is able to take some time to reorganize his force and bring reinforcements in to replace my lost soldiers. With the taking of the port city a supply line is now opened connecting Bottike - still tenously - with the supply base at Therme. Until this is in full effect a flock of sheep is enough to keep my forces fed. The next move is to advance on Olynthus but they are still in a powerful position. Scouts tell me that reinforcements from Mende, Piloros, and Mygdonia have arrived to help defend the city from the coming assault. Most worrying is the fact that the Chalcidians have managed to recruit a band of mercenary phalangites giving them a level playing field when it comes to heavy infantry. Instead of just marching against the city where the limited amount of space will once again keep Philip from using his cavalry effectively he is ordering Parmenion to once again lead a diversionary attack - this time to take Mygdonia. With the northern garrisons weakened its hoped that we can cut off and destroy another part of the enemy force.
If money is becoming an issue then a campaign against the tribes of Paeonia to the north is surely easier than testing your strength against the Athenians in their stronghold at Olynthus. The Paeonian cavalry can't stand up to phalangites and the region is nearly as rich as Mount Pangaeous to the far east.
Parmenion successfully draws out the Chalcidians Parmenion is successful in his goal almost immediately, but he is also too successful as most of the Olynthus garrison marches to defend Mygdonia. Still weak in Bottike Philip is unable to do anything but initiate a series of small raids against the local farms. Or so he believes until news reaches Philip that Parmenion continues to lead the vast force from Olynthus back towards Mount Kissos. Caught far away from their base of operation they turn back hastily in order to deal with Philip and the siege train he rapidly begins to bring up. Mygdonia burns as the Greeks dither The siege that begins will be long as Olynthus has the strongest walls Philip has yet faced. For him to succeed Parmenion needs to continually put pressure on the army fielded around Mygdonia. While outnumbered Parmenion has an advantage in cavalry which he keeps north of the Lake Bolbe. Though he pressures he also keeps his distance so as to not get drawn into a pitched battle. As the siege drags on Parmenion is able to draw out only a portion of the remaining Chalcidian force - a unit of hoplites with attending peltasts - and utterly crushes it between the lakes while his Thessalian cavalry makes short work of another group of peltasts. Control of Mygdonia by the Chalcidians is now tenuous at best. The town is altogether out of food and the remaining enemy forces led by the inept generals wavers between heading south and confronting Parmenion. Olynthus is taken and the rewards are plentiful In the end Parmenion accomplishes his goals in a superb manner. Indecisive until the end the Chalcidians are unable or unwilling to march in any direction. The result is the fall of Olynthus whose role in an earlier sack of Pella during Philip's childhood is now amply repaid. Control over the city helps ease our finances as does our new ability to hopefully tear down Bottike's walls soon. More important Callistratus the Scholar has arrived and together with Agathon, who already resides in Pella, we'll soon be able to construct triremes. Though I do not as of yet have enough gold to afford anything but a tiny fleet it should be enough to keep Athenian raids out of the Thermaic Gulf. As 357 B.C.E. draws to a close Olynthus and Mygdonia have fallen Parmenion was now given the task of taking Mygdonia. Given most of the remaining infantry and peltasts it was to be the knockout blow which would hopefully end strong resistance by the Chalcidians. Though it was by now harvest time the enemy still bottled up in Mygdonia was out of food. Once a strong capable force the Greek commanders had seen their force largely melt away in the days leading up to the short attack which would take the town. While Philip looks to plan out his next grand campaign he leaves the rest of the work to his best lieutenant - Parmenion - who is ordered to conduct a small campaign to extend Macedonian control towards Amphipolis and the Strymon River valley. While this goes on Antigonus has finally struck camp and moved north from Lychindos to take the valuable mining region around Penestae. With the Illyrians still reeling from several years of near constant warfare this latest town proves unable to resist my advance. Parmenion out generals the Greeks yet again Another triumph in the hills of Illyria would have been enough for lesser men but by now Parmenion was reaching altogether virgin heights when it came to victories. Advancing to take Arethusa he goads the now severely weakened Chalcidian League into dispatching what might be their last remaining batch of heavy infantry. Moving along the road from Piloros the Greeks are given ample time as Parmenion calls for reinforcements which Philip at Olynthus eagerly grants. Just as the enemy is about to enter Arethusa so as to prepare that town for a lengthy siege Parmenion falls on them and surrounds the city. Longer and tougher than his battle for Mygdonia it is still a great victory for the Macedonians. Almost immediately troops that are still fresh move on to besiege Stageria where Aristotle - an old friend of Philip - is begin held.
Stageira after its capture by Parmenion The rest of autumn and early winter is taken up with a last campaign under the command of Parmenion - aided by Craterus and Cleitus the Black. Having taken Arethusa and thus securing the vital river crossing which connects Lake Bolbe to the Strymon Gulf. A small barely usable coastal track leads towards Amphipolis from where Parmenion starts his campaign. Only a tiny garrison is left in the town when Parmenion campaigns to take the three remaining towns that I need - Stageira, Acanthus, and Piloros. As already noted Stageira is the home of the currently arrested Aristotle. When the city is taken after a short siege and Philip is reunited with his old friend I'm rewarded with a small sum of gold (about enough to hire a group of peltasts) and the recruitment of another general named Hipponicus. The other benefit from taking the town are the small mines at Kapros, one of the few mining sites in the peninsula. South of Stageira are the last two powerful Chalcidian city-states - Piloros (left) and Acanthus (right) Movement from Stageira south towards the vital town of Acanthus is made hard by the fact that only the smallest of passes leads over the local range of hills. The result is a long brutal battle as Cleitus and his hypaspists attempt to move south. Only after Parmenion moves to support him from Arethusa via the considerably more spacious inland route are the Chalcidians forced back into Acanthus. To keep Piloros from sending relief - it now being the strongest city-state in the league - a siege force is sent from Olynthus with the occasional support from Philip himself. In spite of food problems cropping up in my rear both assaults are ultimately successful. With one broad stroke the remaining leadership of the Chalcidian League is removed and more importantly the Canal of Xerxes which allows triremes to avoid the otherwise long and potentially dangerous journey around the Athos peninsula. Now thoroughly cowed the remaining members of the depleted Chalcidian League sue for peace agreeing to pay Philip a large yearly tribute. (Effectively this gives me 175 gold to work with) The Kingdom of Macedon at the start of 356 B.C.E. With peace restored and Philip reunited with Aristotle the campaign for 357 can be considered a wild success. Not only has Olynthus fallen but the secrets of triremes have been learned - this should allow us to keep the Athenians from further raiding into the Thermaic Gulf and possibly allow us to pressure Amphipolis from the sea in the future. Unlike land forces the Greek city-states that I control by force can raise triremes at no extra cost and so the core of my new navy is being raised at Methone and Krousis on the Thermaic Gulf and at newly taken Acanthus. In total seven triremes are raised with the most powerful fleet assembling at Krousis. Potidea lies just south of Olynthus along a narrow isthmus The closest threat to my newly established navy is an Athenian enclave which remains in the Chalcidice - Potidea. Initially founded as a colony by the Corinthians by after the conflicts of the Delian League power over the town has shifted repeatedly. In 356 B.C.E. the Athenians are once again in control and have based a powerful naval force in the area. Taking the town should further ensure the security of central Macedonia as well as giving Philip a better position from which to base his small navy. For the coming months this is my immediate goal. Macedonia still surrounded by threats While Potidea is an admirable local goal the real decision is where to make my next sustained offensive. For now the Illyrians are broken with the capture of the border towns and the mines around Penestae. Occasional raids are still being launched in order to test my strength, especially in the north, but by now my prime concern in the area is food. Over the past few months the garrison has been ill fed and this has led to local rioting. To keep this from going further a substantial sum of money (60 gold) is spent to upgrade the single road leading south to the regional supply base at Lychnidos where food from upper Macedonia flows in. South of Illyria is the Kingdom of Epirus. Philip is on friendly terms with this group and no action is planned against them for the foreseeable future. Nor with Philip turn south against Thessaly. Previous scouting reports tell me that the Tyrants are still too strong to attack from either Olooson or Heracleum. Parorbelia and the long pass towards the Strymon valley This leaves only two choices - the northern frontier or a wider campaign into the Strymon valley. Conservatively it would be wise to simply further secure our border against the Paeonians - despite our currently friendly relations - especially since they can continue to threaten the valley in which Pelagonia and Heraklea Lyncestis are located. Moreover the Paeonians control a Macedonian settlement - Parorbelia - which controls one of the two direct routes east into the Strymon valley. Parorbelia is disconnected from the main body of barbarian territory which rests north of the Iron Gates in Paeonia proper. There Philip should find ample space to use his cavalry among the vast grazing land. Four fortified towns control the region which can offer an eventual shortcut past the dangerous Strymon Gap. The Strymon river valley As much as war with the Paeonians may make sense it also would remove one of my most steadfast relations. Since early in his reign Philip has paid a small tribute to the Paeonians and over time this has allowed the relatively easy campaign into Illyria. Nor is moving through Paeonia required for moving into the Strymon valley. From my position in the Chalcidice there is a potentially easy way of moving into the valley. Bisaltia, perhaps the last settlement of native Macedons, can be approached from both Arethusa and Crestonia. Without walls Bisaltia should be captured easily and thereafter a simple march up the valley will lead Philip to Heraklea Sintike and the gap at Mount Orbelus. Continuing north is a large valley suitable only for grazing which narrows into a gap passable by only a few men at a time. If Philip can pass this last geographical test he will emerge to find the town of Maidoi and its rich mining country. The whole time Amphipolis and its strong Athenian garrison will be left mostly alone. Both plans are ultimately risky and unlike the Chalcidice Philip will be forced to move far past his existing supply lines. Depending on the stiffness of resistance in either Paeonia or around the Strymon river food may become a critical issue, not to mention the length of time it will take to bring up reinforcements if needed. Philip now asks for the assistance of his noble advisers.
Olynthus was initially sacked by Philip's forces; in time it would be torn down While Philip and his councilors hash out their strategy for the coming year orders are brought to Polyperchon. Leaving from the Heracleum frontier region he brings another brigade of heavy infantry across the Thermaic Gulf in the last few weeks of winter. Though the crossing is dangerous it is ultimately successful. Polyperchon advances on Potidea With Polyperchon now in Olynthus there is enough force available to initiate a siege of Potidea. Sadly the availability of food is only high enough as spring begins and a new royal road directly from Pella is designated. With all of that accomplished Polyperchon marches out of the city with a small force. Due to the width of the isthmus only one brigade of infantry is brought, though a siege train is also brought. The Athenians didn't sit inside the city - instead moving to keep Polyperchon as far away from the walls as possible. Among the garrison which emerged was a veteran hoplite unit. Polyperchon was not expecting a fight he got and consequently was routed when the Athenians capitalized on his lack of ranged support. Disabused of any notion that the fight to take Potidea would be in any way easy Philip himself took notice and began to recall some of his heavy infantry from around the Chalcidice. Cleitus the Black advances on Potidea Briefly pushed back to Olynthus and with spring now in full stride the campaign to take Potidea was turning into a small disaster. Cleitus the Black was rapidly returning south from his new position at Crestonia and much of the light infantry in the region was rushed to help. Several weeks after the first assault Philip sent Cleitus the Black and Hipponicus out to attack Potidea for a second time. By now the Athenians had managed to reinforce the garrison only slightly, but two groups of veteran hoplites will make any fight costly. Cleitus was to advance with his hypaspists in the vanguard and a strong group of peltasts in support. Hipponicus with the reserve infantry was to follow in case a fresh brigade were needed. Cleitus engages the garrison of Potidae Once again the Athenian garrison marched out of the thick walls of Potidea to contest my advance. This time a mass group of peltasts was able to support the heavy infantry. Pandion and Mantias, the local commanders at the head of the hoplites were unable to hold back this second assault. Reeling from a marked increase of javelins and the best infantry in the Macedonian army both hoplite groups broke after a short fight. The Macedonian navy gets into its first fight Potidea, now surrounded was already lost. The Athenians were not content to just let the matter go however and sent a small force of triremes north to inflict some parting shot. They didn't apparently know of the new navy that Macedon had constructed. Out of Krousis came my five vessels but instead of keeping the ships together they formed into two divisions. The more experienced Athenians turned on the smaller group but their luck ended when only one of their ships managed to deliver a proper ramming which almost instantly sunk one of my triremes. With some experienced officers and rowers from both Methone and Krousis our second vessel was able to ram the other Athenian vessel though the angle was not right to render the blow fatal. With the three ships now locked together fighting continued with boarding actions. Had the situation remained like for long Philip would have lost a second ship but the other division had by now recovered and initially a highly effective ramming maneuver against the closest Athenian ship. Two triremes sink while the rest are locked in battle Numbers now against them the remaining Athenian vessel is sunk without much further issue and the remaining four vessels limp back towards Krousis. With the triremes back in port news reaches Philip that Potidea has fallen after a lengthy, but much less bloody, siege. Unfortunately a land route straight to Olynthus is out of the question and the town will need to be connected to the rest of my small empire via the Thermaic Gulf. Trade routes are swiftly established with Pydna, Krousis, and Acanthus in order to ensure some incoming food supplies until the autumn harvest. Since the city will be hard to feed in the winter months only a very small garrison can be accommodated though this shouldn't be an issue so close to Olynthus. Surprise at Stageira What Philip thought was going to be the final pique by the Athenians was shortly proved false. In preparing for his coming campaign into the north or towards the Strymon he had failed to accurately gauge the strength needed to hold his coastal regions - specifically Stageira. Almost as soon as Potidea fell a strong landing of Athenian allies from the island of Thasos landed just to the north of a nearly undefended Stageira. Shore of its defenders in the campaign to take the last Chalcidian settlements in the last campaign it was easy picking for an enemy landing force. The town now shorn of its walls was lost almost immediately, even before nearby Parmenion could march with all speed south. Philip not wanting this outrage to grow any more dangerous assembled as large a force as possible and began marching towards Piloros while Parmenion held the Athenians from fortifying the town and raising the Chalcidians. Orders were also sent to the squadron at Krousis to sail around the Chalcidice to meet up with the second squadron in Acanthus. Athenian cavalry scout the coast road to Arethusa from Amphipolis While Parmenion was able to keep the Athenians from marching north his phalangites paid a heavy price, losing over half their number in the effort. Though the enemy hoplites eventually routed Parmenion was able to retreat himself thanks to the arrival of the first reinforcements from Olynthus. It was well that the reinforcements arrived when they did for just as soon as Parmenion moved back to Arethusa that news reached him and his now attached Thessalian cavalry that scouts from Amphipolis were moving down the coastal road to their north. It now appeared that Philip was going to be drawn into a full blown campaign not (primarily) of his making.
Athens control of the sea would be tested by Philip in his coming campaign Goaded into a fight after the capture of Potidea a full blown campaign is beginning after Philip ordered his triremes out of Krousis towards the eastern side of the Chalcidice. From there Philip was going to develop his plan gradually - starting with a show of force into the Strymon gulf. But already Philip knew his finances were in dire need of strengthening. In order to rectify the situation in the short term only one potential option was really available - open a secondary campaign into Paeonia. With the Illyrians pacified in the short term forces could be marshaled around Pelagonia for a campaign towards the nearest settlement. That town, Stobi, holds control over the three mines in the region. Furthermore a smaller force from Amphaxis is tasked with taking the settlement of Parorbelia and its nearby mine. Athenian possessions immediately east of the Strymon river Having gotten his triremes to Acanthus Philip ordered a hasty sail towards the island of Thasos so that he could know the detailed strength of his enemy and their placements. From what was told besides Amphipolis several other city-states are formally allied with Athens and will resist our expansion with force. Most important of these are Neapolis and Thasos which several as regional commercial centers for the local Odrysian hinterland around Mount Pangeus. Amphipolis is the only town with its own dedicated hinterland which extends down the coast to Eion and Galepsus. With my triremes showing off its clear that the Athenians are now preparing for a large naval clash - reports reach me that at least ten triremes are being built at Galepsus and Alyke on the island of Thasos. More potentially lurk up the coast. Now aware that any campaign won't be launched from the sea - for awhile Philip thought of a daring a landing on Thasos. Antigonus campaigns into Paeonia Instead of making a bold move Philip only moved north to Arethusa to prepare a land invasion of Amphipolis and its hinterland. Until Paeonia is subdued this will still be a risk - at least until enough money is raised to afford the offensive. For several months Antigonus and his attendant field officers - Orestes and Attalus - had been assembling their forces from the now mostly safe Illyrian frontier. When called upon they marched towards Stobi with only the minimum of cavalry support. Just as they were approaching the town and its regional mines a strong force of cavalry and light infantry came out to meet the much stronger Macedonians. The brief battle outside the town is over soon and Antigonus begins to attack the significant walls of Stobi. Phalangites defend Pelagonia from an overwhelming assault The Paeonian counterattack is immense and immediate. A giant group of cavalry are spotted moving directly towards Pelagonia and the only thing to stop them is a single group of phalangites. Emergency reinforcements are coming from Lychindos and from near Stobi but they won't arrive in time. The men from Pelagonia resist with everything they have but in the end the crush of barbarian cavalry is too much for them and they rout back into the settlement. For the time being the enemy wavers on the cusp of victory and the capture of Pelagonia when news arrives that Stobi has fallen. Philip moves into upper Macedonia to personally see to the Paeonian problems Stunned briefly the Paeonians rapidly react to the new situation. Bypassing Pelagonia entirely they begin raiding north into my outer mining regions putting a dent in an already tenuous financial situation. By now Philip has realized how out of control Antigonus has let the situation become and has moved with all haste to join the assembled counterattack forming at Heraklea Lyncestis. Soon after he arrives the Paeonians expertly move off northwards once again - all Philip can do is take his rage off the small group of archers that couldn't get away. They, like the rest of the Paeonians unlucky enough to be captured, are going to be put into the new mines straightaway. Paeonia proper Pelagonia now firmly back in Macedonian hands and a suitable garrison established in the region Philip moves into Paeonia to take command of Antigonus' forces. The next target is the central town of Bylazora where the last raid originated from and where the current Paeonian King resides. Three brigades of infantry will move forward in an effort to draw the garrison out. By now it is early summer and all thoughts of campaigning towards the Athenian positions across the Strymon are totally out of the question. Bylazora under attack Command of the infantry devolved to Orestes after the failure of Antigonus to take Stobi without heavy losses. Two brigades of phalangites were heavily injured and remain in the city waiting for reinforcements that are slow in coming. Ordered out of Stobi the infantry under Orestes formed a long line outside of Bylazora to protect the catapults that followed the force. Ranging wide around plains Philip kept the remaining Paeonian towns unsure of his motives before looping around back north of Orestes. As the battle opened and the barbarian archers left the town Philip fell on their rear, routing them easily. The vast force of Paeonian cavalry compounded their early mistake by charging straight into Orestes' phalangites. Vast numbers of slaves were taken in the aftermath and the walls fell soon after. King Agis is taken and made to pay a stiff indemnity even as we plan to continue our march. Stopsko and Dardania Philip feels his forces have enough left in them despite some food supply issues in Bylazora and so a march north to Stropsko - the leading city of Paeonia. Surrounded by grazing land and some small farms the town borders the Illyrian region of Dardania and passes that look to set us on a road towards the Danube. Advancing on the town is Orestes with the foot and Philip on the wing with his cavalry. Once again Philip was able to fall on the enemy archers as the Paeonians charged headlong into Orestes' sarissas. The was over before the enemy even left their walls. Having cut off their critical grain supplies and grazing lands around Bylazora the Macedonian invasion had already produced famine in the region. Half-starved the Paeonians broke as soon as their first charge failed.
Excavations of Bylazora in the modern Republic of Macedon Movements were made east by newly arrived Antiochus while Philip continued to besiege Stropsko. With two brigades of infantry and a solid group of attending javelin troops it was thought an advance towards Bargala could be managed without much trouble. Antiochus was rudely surprised just like Antigonus was at the strength of Paeonian cavalry. Set upon, Antiochus allowed his ranged forces to be run down even before his phalangites could get into the battle. The rump Chalcidian League gets uppity More alarming than this setback is the news that the city-state of Torone, now nominal head of the Chalcidian League is calling for a revision of the tribute terms that were agreed upon not yet one year before. They have given Philip a fair amount of time to consider his response and with the time - possibly several months - more than a few units will be moved into Olynthus and Piloros to ratchet up my threat level in the region. That way even if they break our truce we'll have enough local power to potentially enforce the tribute. Raiders from Amphipolis land outside Acanthus The local Athenian allies were perhaps behind this movement to decrease the amount of tribute paid. My suspicions are reinforced as during the negotiations a force from Thasos lands near the Canal of Xerxes. Ignoring my triremes they are able to land but while beached are attacked from the rear by my pursuing vessels. Though the enemy navy is sunk entirely while beached the men from Thasos are able to overpower our local response. Shorn of one of our two units of phalangites in the south Chalcidice demands to change the tribute increase further. Unable to come to terms the Chalcidians once again declare war on Philip. Having defeated the Paeonians the Kingdom of Macedon grows larger yet; late 356 B.C.E. The second Chalcidian campaign lasted far shorter than the first. Almost immediately after declaring war the small Athenian landing force is utterly destroyed with the arrival of Cleitus. Without the powerful city of Olynthus to protect the mass of small maritime city-states on the fingers the remaining free states could only raise militia instead of full fledged hoplites. Within days of their treachery the towns of Dium and Mende had been brought under siege while another body of phalangites dealt with the advances of coalition forces from Torone and Galepsos. With two cities about to fall and dozens of slaves taken the Chalcidians once again agree to a stiff tribute and Philip gives orders to keep a strong presence in the region. By now the King is leaving Paeonia. With Stopsko and Bylazora taken the only source of resistance to Macedonian rule is at Bargala which can be taken in due time.
Philip, absent an eye, being fucking awesome Having dealt with the Paeonians through a devastating campaign Philip was eager to expand his borders year further. Taking Stropsko had left the Macedonians bordering the Illyrian province of Dardania and as a result kept Orestes near the border fort at Palaemon. Since it controlled northern access not only to Stropsko, but also Bylazora and even Penestae, taking the fort would do much to increase the security of the new northern frontier - as well as granting control over a nearby mine. Movement into the region was done by a small group of cavalry along with some Paeonian mercenaries and a lone group of phalangites. With my scouts fully looking over the Illyrians it doesn't take long for the fort to fall into Philip's hands. Having taken Paeonia and the border fort at Palaemon the question was - what next? Certainly thoughts turned to Amphipolis and the Strymon valley but these were obvious. Quite outside of normal concerns it was known that Philip wished to see the great northern river which was thought to mark the end of the world and is now known as the Danube. At the same time several Macedonian traders told great tales of the Adriatic coast. What settled the matter was yet another Athenian raid. The Strymon river, focus of the next campaign Overwhelmingly the problem with Athens was its frequent raids from the island of Thasos into the Chalcidice. To take Thasos would require an extremely large navy and to afford this meant taking the mines around Mount Pangeus. Only one real route to Mount Pangeus was available - through Amphipolis. Already there was a staging ground around the border city of Arethusa but this wasn't adequate. With only a small coastal route to the strongly defended city-state it was agreed that a movement east of the Strymon river was needed and this meant war with the Western Odrysian Kingdom. While Bargala was still independent it was thought that the Paeonians would resist any Thracian movement. In the short term Philip's goal was to secure the lower Strymon river with an ultimate objective of taking Heraklea Sintike. A proper assault of Amphipolis can only come from east of the Strymon river and as a result vast amounts of new territory will need to be conquered. As 356 B.C.E. draws to a close Parmenion gathers troops around Arethusa and Crestonia in order to retake Bisaltia. Further north, the otherwise quiet border town of Edomene has been told to dispatch a force to take the Thracian settlement of Sintike. Border between Macedon and the Western Odrysian Kingdom The first Odrysian campaign is dangerous. Outside of the Strymon is the town of Sintike which lies in a forested region with several mines. Only two passes from the west exist - one near Edomene and another north along the large Paeonian plain - but both of these are controlled by Philip. Having declared war the town of Sintike came under siege first. With only a limited garrison and a small regional farm there was nothing the Thracians could do to hold it.
Wise man, Thasos is annoying to hold and keep supplied but unless you take it the Athenians will keep raiding up the entire coastline east of Chalcedony. And it just goes to show how one small objective (take out the raiders) becomes the seed of a massive campaign where you'll conquer vast swathes of territory.
The Thracians counterattack Having taken Sintike the Thracians were in a vengeful mood. The local commander in Bisaltia, Tereus, immediately sent out a strong force of raiders which penetrated Macedonian territory from the northern pass aimed squarely at Crestonia. Before they could reach the settlement a strong force exited the town, fixing the raiders until Philip and his cavalry descended upon them leading to a quick victory. The battle for Bisaltia Forcing the Thracians back towards the Strymon Philip ordered an immediate advance early in the spring. Two full brigades of infantry along with attending light infantry crossed into Thracian territory soon after. Despite the presence of some enemy phalangites and rapid reinforcement over the river from the walled town of Odomantes Philip was able to take the city with little fuss - absent any sort of heavy infantry (besides mercenaries) the Thracians were unable to hold the town. Having taken my first foothold near the Strymon the next movement was to be northwards in order to take Heraklea Sintike. Taking that settlement would give us a commanding position over the river and allow Philip to move on Odomantes without having to assault the town after a dangerous river crossing. Macedonian forces march on Heraklea Sintike Since Bisaltia had numerous local farms the offensive was at this point self sustaining. Only a small portion of the army was detached to hold the town while the rest of the force moved north to link up with another group of Macedonians marching east through the pass connecting to Parorbelia. Led by Antigonus, lately of disrepute in Paeonia, the large Macedonian army approached Heraklea Sintike from the west. Though the walls were to keep Antigonus busy for several weeks the garrison inside was relatively small - bolstered only by some peltasts sent from Odomantes. Late Spring 355 B.C.E., Philip campaigns around the Strymon river Even before Heraklea Sintike fell most of the army had marched over the river towards Odomantes. Leaving Antigonus to deal with the siege Philip moved onto the next Thracian settlement. Riding out far past his infantry Philip even managed to get the local garrison to come out to challenge him. Composed entirely of peltasts they were ridden down until the advanced infantry moved into the region. Putting the town to siege Philip sent some of his cavalry up north and through the eastern pass near Heraklea Sintike. Doing so forewarned Philip of a large force of spearmen moving south towards the Macedonian forces. A further forway towards Edones, further east from Odomantes, told take at least another two groups of spearmen held that town. It was odd for a newly conquered settlement to have a nearly full granary and flocks of sheep While locally outnumbered around Odomantes Philip still had a large force around the Strymon river. Heraklea Sintike was held by Antigonus and his phalangites, supported by some hastily recruited mercenaries. Parmenion, Philip's best commander, was now at Bisaltia with a force to keep the Amphipolis garrison from marching. Macedonian hold over the land was growing strong because the Thracians had kept flocks of sheep in their towns. Philip could march at will with such a strong supply chain.
Thracian counterattack Summer begins with Philip around newly captured Odomantes. While dispersing his infantry to deal with a gigantic Thracian counterattack he also sent his light troops to take the nearby watchtowers and fields. In doing so Philip gained his first look at the garrison of Amphipolis. Shockingly the city-state had a small garrison of just a group of hoplites and some light cavalry. Still the town had thick walls, larger and more imposing than Olynthus, Pydna, or Pella. Though he wanted to march on Amphipolis immediately events near Heraklea Sintike forced him onto the defensive. At least six groups of spearmen had been marching towards Heraklea Sintike since Philip had moved onto Odomantes but when they arrived two brigades of heavy infantry met them. Along with some mercenary javelin wielding light infantry the enemy was rapidly pushed back into the passes. Humiliated at sea by Athens The reason for this whole campaign has been because of the naval situation and this is again shown when the Athenians launch the first of their summer raids into the Thermaic Gulf. With the majority of the Macedonian fleet away near the Strymon what is left is a small force at Pydna. When word reaches that the Athenian allied city-states of the Sporades archipelago are raiding two ships are sent to attack. The first of my vessels is lost when it attempts to board the trailing Athenian trireme, only to be overpowered by the enemy veterans. The second Macedonian trireme is soon after given a glancing blow that sheers off half the oars and results in another quick boarding. Having sunk my fleet the Athenians continued, landing troops near Krousis. Parmenion and Antigonus approach Amphipolis With summer reaching its height Philip was finally ready to make an attempt on Amphipolis. At Odomantes, Bisaltia, and Arethusa he had collected five brigades of phalangites, an equal number of peltasts, and some light troops from the region. Parmenion would march on the city from the western side of the Strymon with a large number of catapults. At the same time Antigonus would cross onto the eastern side of the river, marching to assault the walls directly. Philip, at Odomantes, would remain behind in order to move wherever he ended up being needed most. Amphipolis is invested Spotted marching the garrison at Amphipolis was trebled in size overnight. Just before the walls were invested the remaining triremes left the city in order to seek shelter further into the gulf. Also, as was by now usual, the garrison moved out of the city to defend it instead of meekly submitting to a protracted siege. Both Antigonus and Parmenion though were of tough stock and were thoroughly better commanders than Phrynon, the local Athenian commander. With light infantry support now entrenched in Macedonian warfare the hoplite attacks were soon defeated and Antigonus was sent forward to begin the siege in earnest. Having lost most of its garrison to the disciplined Macedonian phalangites the garrison gave up after only a short siege and this was a good thing for in that short amount of time the Thracians had counterattacked for a second this - this time catching Philip unawares in Odomantes. He was forced to flee, his cavalry shattered and the town taken. Forced back to the western bank of the Strymon it seemed like taking Amphipolis was a hollow victory.
Macedonian advances along the Strymon river Though Odomantes has been lost the bigger prize of Amphipolis has been taken. With the strongest walls yet encountered it was a surprisingly easy victory thanks to our superior infantry and a strong siege train. Yet because of the loss of Philip's only foothold over the Strymon it is felt that the Thracians have managed to recover from their early defeats west of the river. So far though the advance has brought precious little in the way of new mine sites - which only two around Sintike. Both are in range of Paeonian raids from Bargala and as such cannot be currently built. To reach the next primary goal on the road to Thasos and to otherwise supplant Athenian allies a push along the coast is now needed. Thanks to powerful Macedonian forces along the Strymon it is thought that Parmenion and newly arrived Coenus, with sizable garrisons, can deter further Thracian aggression. Philip orders an assault on Eion It isn't until early in autumn that Philip has brought up a suitable number of men to push down the coast. Besides additional light troops the ever reliable hypaspists under Cleitus the Black have arrived just as Amphipolis is declared as "spear-won" land. The city-state has been forcibly colonized by Macedon and now won't revolt and can recruit native Macedonian units. Soon after arriving the men are sent out and down the coast to besiege the nearest city-state still allied to Athens. Eion had had been a strategic site during the Peloponnesian War and had been part of the Delian League. For a city-state with such a strong history it was odd that the walls weren't better manned or maintained. What was left of the naval forces from Amphipolis sheltered in the harbor, but there was little in the way of a garrison. Bringing up a strong siege train Cleitus took the town before the Athenians could reinforce the city while Philip was already moving further east. Initially ignoring Galepsus the army fortifies the pass to Crenides Instead of proceeding directly to Galepsus - which was found to have an almost non-existent garrison - Philip ordered the critical fort at Symbolon taken. Located on the southern slope of Mount Pangeus it would secure the most direct route towards the Thracian settlement at Crenides. It would also allow Philip to continue his advance down the coast with some sort of security guarantee. The fort is quickly taken and hastily filled with two groups of peltasts until further reinforcements can arrive. Phalangites then descend upon the ill held Galepsus. The local militia under a local commander named Apollodorus move out to make a stand. After a short battle the hoplite militia retreats back into the town along with the strong naval force the town had hoped would save them. Once again no help would be coming from Athens or the rest of her allied city-states such as Neapolis or the settlements on nearby Thasos. Left to their own strength Galepsus surrendered quickly. The south slope of Mount Pangeus was under Macedonian control.
The Thracian citadel of Osyme Capturing Eion and Galepsus had turned out to be easy. With Amphipolis conquered the nearby Greek states were left without much protection and with their small populations were unable to raise effective garrisons. Philip is bound to keep up his advance along the coast for as long as the season enables him. The next target along the coast is the citadel of Osyme. The settlement is small, perching at the end of a protective harbor, but the Thracians know the value of the place. The walls are as thick as those in Pydna - a much larger and wealthier town - and the garrison is truly massive. Located along the narrow coastal plain only a single group of phalangites can approach at a time. Taking the town would be hard going. Philip campaigns to take Osyme and Crenides With only enough room to approach the citadel with a single brigade it was decided to put Antigonus and his veterans in the van. Catapults would attack from the rear, drawing out the garrison into the waiting wall of Macedonian spears. At this time reinforcements from the north were spotted leading to the local reserve being sent into the pass towards Crenides. Philip himself would march further to the north, around Mount Pangeus, in order to come upon the Thracians from the rear. The plan was a good one and surprisingly effective. While Antigonus ultimately crushed the garrison - the Thracians lacking discipline and staying power - it cost him most of his brigade. The cavalry and infantry held by Philip found Crenides with a relatively weak garrison. Since the town commanded the richest mines of Mount Pangeus and fertile surroundings it was decided to invest the town - it was taken without much fuss. The Kingdom of Macedon, late 355 B.C.E. Capturing the wealth of Mount Pangeus was easier than otherwise expected. Thracian resistance was strong around Osyme but when the garrison was broken by Antigonus the entire region fell into the waiting hands of the audacious Philip. To further cement his reputation for bravery and skill with cavalry Philip set out ever further east and north as soon as Crenides were taken. Only briefly did he linger and only to declare the Thracian settlements to be new spear-won land. Philip, now expanding Macedonian control further east than it had ever been, was now settling vast numbers of his veterans and other families in what was considered vital and resource rich areas. Philip would scout the river Nestus and our new frontier with the Central Odrysian Kingdom Philip and his mass of cavalry left new rechristened Crenides - now Philippi - and headed north past Neapolis and towards the Nestus river. This gives Philip the best chance to secure a firm eastern frontier as the river cuts a jagged path south out of the Rhodopes and down towards the sea. Precious few areas are available to cross the river and those that exist are the sites of potential forts. At the mouth of the river is Apollonia Nestus, a Thracian city that marks the border between the Western and Central Odrysian Kingdoms. Though it is now deep into winter Philip can see that with some preparation a short spring campaign can prepare the way for a strike at Thasos.
With Thasos in reach there's the question of Philip's future plans. Pacify the remainder of the Western Odrysian kingdom and move north into barbarian lands? Move against the Central and East Odrysian kingdoms and keep pushing east? Return to Greece in triumph?
Thasos won't be invaded until the middle of 354 from what I can see. After that there are some options - conquer more territory until I hit the Nestus; move further up the Strymon to take the mines at Maidoi; mop up the Paeonians; launch an amphibious campaign to take Athenian allies past the Nestus; or try to become Archon of the Thessalian League (and maybe get a second wife!) At the same time I think its time to make a careful examination of the entire military in order to get rid of units that aren't needed or making central reserves.
The ruins of Philippi, drawn by H. Daumet in 1861 Camped around Philippi the Macedonians now had several options open to them with regards to exploiting their success. Most alluring is a simple advance towards Neapolis to remove the next Athenian allied city-state. Perhaps wiser is a slower movement inland through a chain forts at Platanea, Sapaike, and across the river at Oraion. This should let Philip take the remaining coastal settlements with ease. Another choice is to move directly north in order to clean out the Thracians in the rear. Taking the large Thracian town of Odrysia Nestus should break what remains of the Western Odrysian Kingdom and free up a large number of troops. Chalcidian and Athenian attacks in the spring of 354 B.C.E. 554 B.C.E. starts with the garrison at Philippi expanding their sphere of influence when the fort at Platanea is build and given a small garrison. It seems as those the movement galvanizes the citizens of Neapolis as their aggressive commander - Charidemus - moves out of the city towards Philippi. Defeated after the infantry returns Philip orders that the Neapolis be stormed while the garrison is at its weakest. At the same time things are going badly in other parts of the Kingdom. Once again the Chalcidian League has revolted against my hegemony and the Athenians from Thasos are launching the first of their yearly raids. Chalcidian dead south of Olynthus The Chalcidians are dealt with quickly though for now there aren't enough forces in the region to deal with even the weaker walls of Dium or Galepsos (not Galepsus!). The Athenians are themselves humiliated. Passing Galepsus (not Galepsos!) the allied triremes are shadowed until they beach up the coast from Arethusa. Located between the stronger Macedonian squadron and some allied Thessalian cavalry the landing is a debacle. The biggest victory comes at Neapolis as the reduced garrison just cannot hold out. With the city now in our hands we've conquered the coastal region around Mount Pangeus. Krousis faces another raid The situation in the Chalcidice is now festering. A second force has been landed by the Athenians around Krousis and while I don't have the kind of forces needed to deal with them the town has had its walls rebuilt since the last raid. Outside of the walls the nearby farms are burnt while the rest of Philip's force try to stem a budding campaign by the city-states of Galepsos, Sarte, and Torone to liberate Piloros. Clearchus, the only available general in the region, has moved to take the town of Mende - taking it should increase the intimidation level and secure the southern approach to Potidea and Olynthus. Unfortunately for the naive Clearchus the movement only gave the Chalcidian League ample opportunity to steal a march on Olynthus itself!
The Chalcidian League, now apparently led by Torone, marches to liberate Olynthus Things are grim. Clearchus has lost have his strength in a useless assault. Athenian raiders are burning crops west of Olynthus. Only Polyperchon can possibly rectify the situation and save Macedonian power in the Chalcidice. Already another brigade of phalangites are moving west from Acanthus to aid him and his own small group of forces. What remains of Clearchus' hoplites are also moving towards Olynthus. Polyperchon ends the threat to Olynthus Polyperchon meets the main body of the enemy force at a hill between Piloros and Galepsos. Initially defending by himself the fighting is fierce but when reinforcements originally recruited from Mygdonia arrive the tide is turned. With the first line broken the phalangites stream down the hill and into the Chalcidian reserve who soon break and run as well. But while this force is removed from play new ones are popping up all over the place. As Polyperchon saves Olynthus another large force is almost able to liberate Acanthus. Bottike taken and the Chalcidice still in danger Once again a quick victory gives one of Philip's generals an undeserved ego. Polyperchon instead of gathering his forces splits them - dealing with the attack on Acanthus while also marching south to invest Galepsos. By now only Mende and perhaps the small city-state of Scione have been fully pacified and aren't going to be causing much trouble. With things still treacherous it is decided to have Parmenion march down from Bisaltia in order to sort out the Chalcidian mess. His march south is made ever more needed when news reaches us that Athens has managed to get the settlement of Bottike to rebel. Apollonia Nestus is besieged by forces under Cleitus the Black Bottike is soon retaken but this good news is laid waste by reports that Arethusa, another disaffected Greek city, has revolted and joined with the Athenians. Once again my lack of power in the region has allowed their problem to fester. Philip in a rage orders most of his triremes destroyed and the cost of their upkeep used to raise another several brigades of heavy infantry. It is still not summer though and Philip has not abandoned his plan for another campaign around the Nestus. While issues fester westwards new forts are constructed and Cleitus the Black is dispatched with a strong force to besiege and take Apollonia Nestus. Elsewhere it seems the Paeonians have begun to recover in Bargala, launching the strongest raid yet seen in the region since the initial invasion several years previously. Destroying the navy and the increase it brings in available funds is what gives the Macedonian army enough forces to put down the widespread rebellion in the Chalcidice. Parmenion is able to reconquer Arethusa - though not before losing many of his men. Craterus, freshly arrived from campaigning across the Strymon, goes further. Invading the Acte peninsula he puts first Dium and then Kleonai to the sword. With two more towns annexed in the region the last five city-states belonging to the Chalcidian League sue for peace. A large yearly tribute is once again agreed upon. Polyperchon and Clearchus are ordered to remain in the region and have been given nearly triple the previous amount of forces that had guarded the area before the second rebellion began.
The Nestus River The Chalcidian rebellion has now been put down but another repeat of this problem must be watched for. Having wasted all of spring and the majority of summer most of the campaigning season has been lost. For now a descent on Thasos is out of the question - the Athenians have local naval superiority. Instead Philip will campaign north towards Odrysia Nestus. Taking the last large Thracian settlement west of the Nestus should destroy the local Thracian powerbase and allow Philip to free up forces for any eventual movement into Thasos. Thracian forces march towards Bisaltia With larger forces in Bisaltia, Amphipolis, and Philippi it doesn't take long to start an offensive. The first group, under Attalus, moves out of Bisaltia in the middle of summer. Marching straight towards Odomantes he manages to draw out the larger garrison from Edones, further to the east. By now the walls at Odomantes have been rebuilt and besieging the town will take some time, but drawing out the garrison from Edones is victory enough. Macedonian forces campaign along the far bank of the Strymon Having strung themselves out on the road towards Odomantes the Thracians are easy prey to Philip and his various forces south and west of the Strymon. After Attalus engages the enemy the remaining Macedonian forces engage. Thanks to this almost 80 prisoners are taken! (A full group of slaves, which can fill one mine to capacity is 40 slaves) Both Odomantes and Edones are now ripe to be taken. Catapults are being brought up from Philippi and Philip has begun scouting to the north in order to know what surprises the Thracians have in store. The Rhodope Mountains Taking both Odomantes and Edones doesn't take long. Having destroyed the Thracian field army the respective garrisons of the two settlements are mostly removed. With both towns having the most rudimentary of walls only short sieges are required to end the conflict. The road towards Odrysia Nestus and the Rhodope Mountains is now open. Taking the last major Thracian city east of the Nestus is now important so as to give me enough supply nodes. Each town has a set number of these - and a large town has a larger number of them. Connecting a town to anything - be it a mine, farm, or another town - uses up a supply node. Philippi is now out of supply nodes and the only way to extend my new border on the Nestus is to build new forts at Toperos and even further north.
Philip besieges the last Thracian stronghold west of the Nestus The autumn harvest has begun. With the amount of food available there can be no question that a further offensive will be ordered. With significant forces south of Odrysia Nestus the objective is clear. The advance is entrusted to Attalus - now a veteran of the Illyrian and Strymon campaigns. Philip himself had moved far forward of the main body of Macedonian infantry - as he frequently did - and during his advances managed to draw out the local garrison. Quickly removed by the forward Macedonian units the town is put under siege and taken before the end of fall. Macedonian budget, late 354 B.C.E. While everyone is now ready to take the island of Thasos things still need to be done. Besides doubling the size of the navy at Galepsus there is also the matter of the budget. The wealth of Mount Pangeus and the large number of silver mines it has brought has given Philip a huge largess. In only three years the amount of coin collected has almost trebled. As you can see almost all of this amount comes from city taxes, mines, and internal trade with the tribute from the Chalcidice giving us the rest. The expenditures are much more diverse. City walls need to be maintained, as do watchtowers and local shrines. Improving the road network has cost Philip a large sum. Most important is the army bill. Right now more than two-thirds of the budget is devoted to the army and its vast amount of phalangites, peltasts, and cavalry. Only a few months ago this was quite a bit higher due to hiring mercenaries but over the summer loyal Macedonian units have garrisoned a large number of conquered cities to cut the amount of money paid to mercenaries. For a settlement like Dium 15 gold can be saved just by bringing in a group of Macedonian spearmen to hold the town instead of raising a Greek unit of the same size. Some mercenaries are still needed - Greek hoplites are crucial to my control of Olynthus and Paeonian skirmishers have followed Philip all the way to the Nestus - but as time goes on Philip is substituting mercenaries for loyal subjects. Macedonian peltasts make up the bulk of Philip's skirmishers The other way in which Philip is cutting down on his military expenses is to reorganize the army. Previously dispositions had been made all mish-mash. Now a common unit - much like a Roman legion - is being instituted. For now this common unit is a group of phalangites and two groups of peltasts. If needed a group of scout cavalry can be attached. When circumstances require it other units, particularly allies or mercenaries, can be attached. In Paeonia for instance larger units of Thessalian cavalry are needed and on the Nestus frontier large groups of skirmishers are needed.
Macedonia in late 354 B.C.E. Philip returned to Pella in the middle of autumn 354 B.C.E. Having defeated the Thracians at the head of his army the king was returning to survey his kingdom. Far to the west on the frontier with Illyria the only place where contact remained was near Dardania where Orestes holds a fort with a division (one group of phalangites and some skirmishers). Additional forces on the border are located at Lychnidos and Penestae. Here and on the Paeonian frontier food concerns and long distances make it so that raiding is kept to a minimum. In the south on the frontier with Thessaly the border is lightly held by Antipater and Alcetas. The terrain, and a treaty with the Thessalian League, makes this frontier easy to hold. East of Pella things were more serious, but rapidly improving. In the Chalcidice Macedonian garrisons had been installed and the latest rebellion had been put down. To keep this from happening again Craterus, Polyperchon, and Clearchus held garrisons. Finally, across the Strymon control was being asserted with a line of forts extending further north. Near Odrysia Nestus units had begun to build another fort at the fort of the Rhodope Mountains - it was surrounded by more mines. Hipponicus lands on Thasos It wasn't until the start of winter that Philip ordered an assault to begin against Thasos. Gambling that the Greeks would not risk the dangers of the harsh sea he would send over a large invasion force led by Hipponicus. Since the island was largely bereft of food shipments would have to be moved over by boat with some regularity. The crossing, while initially successful bogs down during the crossing. When the triremes attempt to land they find only a small beach along the northwestern side of the island. Hipponicus has chosen the spot due to its remoteness. The two city-states on the island - Alyke and Thasos - are on the opposite side of the island. Inland, near the heights of the island, a fort stood that held guard over one of the two mines that made this an attractive place to hold. After getting some of his forces onto the island Hipponicus marched to take Alyke, leaving a force of skirmishers to hold the landing site. What damage was taken on the crossing was patched up after the triremes were hauled onto shore and after this was done they sailed off to Neapolis in case they were again needed. Rich in gold mines the island of Thasos has been under the yoke of Athens since the days of Thrasybulus Alyke was now under siege and the island campaign was well underway when Hipponicus realized his food situation was already dire. Having launched from the coastal town of Galepsus the troops had only been able to draw partial rations - a result of a still ill developed supply network. When Alyke was captured after a short siege food could not be brought in by a trade route to Amphipolis or Neapolis because of the winter seas. Instead a lone trireme was sent out, back to Acanthus, to bring a load of grain to feed the soldiers. After a long hard trip the trireme returned to the island with enough food to feed Hipponicus for several months. Thasos and the Lower Nestus River With the invasion food once again fed an advance against Thasos is able to begin. Larger walls make the siege last longer but the smaller garrison keeps casualties in the Macedonian ranks to a minimum. Without any chance of help from the nearby Athenian ally Abdera due to the winter storms the last bastion of Greek power on the island is extinguished. Over the following weeks the various forts that offer protection over the half dozen or so beaches on the island are captured and partly garrisoned. When spring arrives most of the garrison will be removed due to the shortage of food which already plagues Philip's first overseas possession.
The frontier with Thessaly With the short winter campaign over. The campaign lasted several weeks but it was resolved less by battle than by timely delivery of food supplies to Alyke. Philip returned to Pella for the rest of the winter and for most of spring. Busying his time was a new high capacity road network connecting from Pella to Philippi and Apollonia Nestus. Further savings in the budget were made by replacing more mercenary units. By now a large surplus in gold was being kept after a series of budget problems during the last Chalcidian rebellion had made paying for the army difficult. Much of the surplus was kept over the winter but a large portion was dedicated to raising a vast new army of phalangites, skirmishers, and Paeonian mercenary cavalry. It had been decided by Philip that the Tyrants of Pherae had overreached themselves and were becoming a threat. Thessaly, largely a flat plain rich in farmland it also has several mines south of Tricca Pherae had not always been such a large threat to Macedonia. In recent decades it was the Aleuadae dynasty of Larissa in the center of the large plain of Thessaly that has held power. Head of the Thessalian League it has recently been lost to the Tyrants of Pherae. In order to regain political power in Larissa the Aleuadae have asked Philip to campaign into Thessaly to become the new Archon of the Thessalian League. The campaign should have two phases - a direct movement towards Larissa and then the liberation of the various city-states in western Thessaly. The campaign will undoubtedly be far longer and harder than Philip's campaigns against the Illyrians, Thracians, or Paeonians. Three main armies have been formed for the invasion. The largest is at Olooson under the command of Philip himself. The infantry will be given to Antipater, along with a strong contingent of Paeonian skirmishers. East along the coast a smaller force commanded by Alcetas holds the fort at Philae. The third group is at Tymphaia where Antiochus and Demetrius which a force heavy in cavalry. With luck they'll be able to start a rebellion at Tricca. Battle for the fort at Gryton Preparations for the offensive take all of the spring and well into summer. With the additional time given to plan and prepare for the campaign large food stockpiles are made and sheep are collected to act as a mobile food supply. The first movement is made by Alcetas through the Vale of Tempe towards the fort at Gryton. Alcetas' movement draws out some of the garrison from Larissa just as the vast army from Olooson moves through the passes into Thessaly proper. Antipater links up with Alcetas around Larissa Gryton was a hard fight for Alcetas but he moves past the fort without much delay, now short a third of his infantry. The other half of his force is dispatched along the northern pass, successfully linking up to the main army now arranging itself outside of Larissa. Half of the heavy infantry that march from Olooson are allied Greeks, making the march seem less of an invasion force and more one of liberation. The Tyrants use the time it takes to move through the passes to reinforce their position, strong additional units are brought from Krannon, Pharsalus, and Magnesia. The scene is now set for the largest battle yet seen by Philip of Macedon.
Alcetas spreads himself thin on the right wing The wide plains of Thessaly have made it so that a vast number of men have come together. In Larissa the Pheraen forces outnumber Antipater by a sizable margin. With Macedonian units now north and east of the city half of the garrison moves out to contest the coming investment. The initial attack is aimed at two ends of the Macedonian line. On the left the allied hoplites assault the recently raised mercenary groups from Larissa. Backed by a core of strong skirmishers the battle soon turned in my favor. Alcetas was more hard pressed. Having already lost a good portion of his men he was faced with a combined force of hoplites, peltasts, and strong Thessalian cavalry. Having to screen his own skirmishers he ordered his remaining men into a convex formation - spreading his line long enough to protect his valuable peltasts. In the center Antipater moves forward to support both his Greek allies and the hard-pressed Alcetas. Close to collapse Alcetas line nonetheless holds; Antipater engages in the cener; reinforcements bolster and extend the left flank The turning point of the battle came soon after Antipater moved up to support the wings. By now the Greek allies were on the verge of collapse, only holding due to the sustained support from rear-line skirmishers. The right flank is held better but Alcetas losses half his remaining men before reinforcements from the center can help him - the peltasts are still unharmed. With all this movement gaps open between the center and the newly extended left flank. Hoplites and ill trained spearmen manage to almost breach the line. The new reinforcements are able to stem this last attack however. Having lost a vast number of their men the Pheraen force retreated back into Larissa while Philip brought up his siege engines. So far the fighting has been fierce. Where the principal attacks come losses are upwards of half a units strength and the allied Greeks come close to collapsing entirely. Alcetas' ever weakening forces turn around to face another threat Thanks to some timely reinforcements the campaign is able to continue. The two infantry groups which were so chewed up are brought to the rear to rest and regain their courage. Alcetas is given scant time to really accomplish this when a group of his peltasts, sent back to the Gryton, send news that a relief force is marching towards Larissa from the coastal city-state of Magnesia. Arranged on the heights leading into the Vale of Tempe the peltasts buy enough time for substantial reinforcements to strengthen Alcetas' line. The Magnesians crash straight into Alcetas' weary troops but this time help is closer at hand. Attacked from the front and rear by skirmishers and then finding a brigade of troops from Edessa crashing into their flank the hoplite formation soon breaks. Alcetas had entered the campaign with sixty newly recruited men - now he had twenty-one veterans.
