H11

The aftermath of the Battle of Bolkospelsos was that we had to consolidate our forces from the losses. Doing so took 3 days, during which time, we received reinforcements from Epidamnos. 1,000 Phalangites, 1,000 Thureophorai, 1,000 Peltasts, and 800 Companion Cavalry from the Greek City and its hinterlands more than replaced losses of disciplined Greek forces. My clients were not so lucky. Epulon and Astios could only call up fresh green recruits from home, which would take time to train and equip that we did not have, or else rely on our enemy-turned-client of the Penestae to make up the difference.

Fortunately, for what came next, large numbers of troops were unnecessary. The Labatae controlled perhaps 10,000 troops capable of waging a land campaign. Their primary strength was in their fleet of pirate vessels. A fleet of liburnian ships that lined the harbor at the mouth of the Matis river. Pyrrhus' memories supplied a number of 100 liburnians as the strength of the Labatae fleet and that each liburnian carried 50 Labatae warriors. With some quick math, that meant the Labatae could deploy fully half their strength at sea at any given time. 

Fortunately, even a large fleet of liburnians was no match for a proper war fleet. As we consolidated, I sent couriers down south with orders to sortie the fleet and blockade the Labatae. We spent the rest of October resting and reorganizing before marching North into Labatae territory. November would be the last month I could feasibly campaign, even in the midst of the classical warm period. Even fighting in November would require me to winter in Illyria, the mountain passes south through the Pindus to Epirus would be too treacherous so late in the year. Fortunately, once I'd subdued the Labatae, I would be able to enter Winter Quarters with no more enemies on my tail and wait for the snow to melt. If all went well, I would return just in time for the Harvest.

As we passed into Labatae lands, no force sallied forth to stop us. By the second week of November, we had reached Lissos with no resistance. The walls of Lissos were cyclopean walls of brown stone, fitted together so precisely that no mortar was necessary. It was a technique endemic to the non-Hellenized Illyrians. The gates were wood banded with bronze, sturdy enough to resist a ram. All told, it looked formidable, but Pyrrhus' ghost whispered to me that it would be easy enough to undermine and send all those precisely stacked stones tumbling down.

As my army began to set up a siege camp, a rider sallied forth from the gates. He was clad in a purple-dyed tunic and bore a flag of truce tied to his lance. A Labatae noble or wealthy pirate, not dressed for battle. Interesting.

"Hail, Pyrrhus King!" Called the Rider as he was escorted to my tent.

"Hail, what news of Lissos?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"My Lord Geta, King of the Labatae has bid me ask for terms. With our fleet so recently depleted and so many of our warriors dead at the bottom of the sea, my Lord has determined that we lack the strength to stand against you." Replied the Rider.

That was news to me. Had my fleet fought a battle in the time it took me to march to Lissos? Ships were faster than an army on the march, so it wasn't impossible, but it could be a trap. "Why is your lord not asking for terms himself?" I asked.

"My Lord has suffered a wound to his leg. Until it heals, he may not ride." Replied the Rider.

That was awfully convenient. Still, though at least I should give them my terms for their surrender. It couldn't hurt and may even give me an idea of how to spring whatever trap they were planning without it snapping shut on us.

"I want the boy, Arcathagus of Syracuse given over to me unharmed and alive. I wish for the Labatae to submit to me as a Client of Epirus, and I wish for the Labatae to forswear piracy for a period of no less than 10 years." I replied.

"Those terms will not be an easy sell. My Lord will need time to think it over, perhaps 2 days?" Asked the Rider.

"Very well." I replied.

The rider headed back into Lissos. Meanwhile, I doubled the watch. Whatever trap the Labatae were trying to pull would happen over the next 2 days, I was sure of it. I refused to be caught napping when it happened. As the siege camp finished being erected and the watch was set, I reflected on what I had thus far accomplished. Subjugating most of southern Illyria was no mean feat, especially if I could make it stick. The Taulantii and Byllones I was confident would remain clients, the Penestae less so, but I was hopeful given time and economic incentives.

The sun set just as the double watch had switched out. In my tent, I began making plans to undermine the walls of Lissos. The Tunnels would need to be parallel to the river and away from it to avoid flooding, which meant tunneling underneath the Plain of Zadrima to the north of the city. That in itself was risky because of the lack of cover for any miners. I briefly toyed with the idea of starting the tunnel near the highlands east of the city and snaking around to the north, but the ground there was rocky. I'd need to send out engineers to survey for an appropriate site, which came with its own problems. Eventually, I decided that doing any work on an undermining tunnel would have to wait until the Labatae sprung whatever they were going to pull in the next couple of days.

As it happened, I wouldn't need to wait that long. 4 hours after dawn the next day, my fleet came sailing into view and forced the Labatae's hand. . .

XXXX

AN: You folks ready for a good old-fashioned Naval Battle?

Cause up next is a Naval Battle.