H21

I had entered Macedon with 33,000 men in the first week of October. Our advance seemed to have taken the Macedonians by complete surprise as town after town in the Border Province of Dolopia surrendered without a fight, including the provincial capital Ktimene. By the 4th day of the second week of October, we had managed to secure the surrender of Metropolis in Thessaliotis. It was only here that we had learned why so much territory had fallen so quickly without a fight. Demetrios had been in Rhodes advancing a potential Anti-Ptolemy alliance in September and wasn't due to arrive back in Macedon for another 3 days. In his absence, the local commander was a man named Antiolkos of Larissa and, in a panic, he levied all troops in Thessaly to Larissa. It had gotten so out of hand that Demetrios' son and heir, Antigonos Gonatas had been forced to enter Thessaly with just the 10,000 men he'd already levied from Macedonia and take command. By that point, however, we had already taken control of Dolopia and were marching to Metropolis.

It seemed almost as if Demetrios had been so oriented toward fighting Ptolemy that he had scarcely considered the possibility of an invasion from the West. It necessitated a change in strategy, as I could not force Demetrios to chase me if he was not here. I could secure territory while he gathered troops and continue to keep him off balance with attacks in multiple areas, splitting his focus.

We stormed through western Macedon and scattered a few isolated pockets of 2,000-3,000 troops outside of Thome, Trikka, and Gomphi before securing those cities' surrender. A contingent of 2,000 troops outside of Phaika from the fortress garrison there put up a brave but futile fight and were slaughtered, only surrendering once less than 500 of them were left. In exchange, they gave us our first major casualties. We lost 300 thureophorai, 300 peltasts, 100 Phalangites, 50 Hypaspists, and 50 Companion cavalry to them. 800 men may not seem like much compared to killing 1,500 and capturing 500, but compared to the skirmishes we rode through earlier, where we barely lost 100 men combined? It was quite a lot by that standard. It seemed that when Macedonians were determined to stand, fight, and die, they were a dangerous enemy. I could only imagine what would happen in our first major field battle.

By the time we faced our first major field army, it was the last week of October and we had secured most of Hestaeotis west of Ereikinion. Antigonos Gonatas himself had come with 25,000 men to put a halt to our rampage outside the city of Phaestos. By this time, I had gotten word from the Fleet that they had managed to not only destroy the Old Macedonian Fleet at anchor in Amphipolis but destroy a 4,000-strong garrison, steal an entire warehouse of saleable goods, and make off with 200 talents' worth of gold and silver. That was 1,200,000 drachmae worth of gold and silver, even aside from the saleable goods. Admiral Porphyrios had decided to head back to Ambracia to deposit the gold and silver into the treasury before taking part in any more battles. The saleable loot he was sharing amongst the fleet as a morale booster.

I had also gotten word on how the campaign in the south was going. The Army of the Aetolian League had stormed in from the south and had secured the surrender of the Macedonian Border Provinces of Aeniania, Otea, and Malis easily enough. It was once they attacked into Achaia Phthiotis that they began to face organized resistance. Notably, the Gallic Mercenaries had won 3 notable victories, first on the road south of Phylake, where they uncovered a plot to take back Ktimene and Dolopia from the garrison I'd left there, then west at Ktimene where they struck a force of 3,000 Macedonians in the rear while my garrison held the walls of the city, then outside Pagasae on the Pagasaean Gulf where they'd scattered 2,000 green troops and burned the new Macedonian fleet under construction while the hulls were laid up. Unfortunately, that was where the Good news ended.

Not 4 days ago, the Aetolian League faced off against Demetrios Poliorketes himself south of Skotussa at Cynoscephalae and were soundly defeated in a brutal battle. Word was that they had lost 5,000 men in the fighting and had withdrawn south to Halos to await reinforcements. Demetrios himself seemed content to take back Eretria, Thebae Phthiotedes, and Phylake before moving south to Halos to ensure our armies remained separated. Meanwhile, he sent his son to deal with me.

Our battlefield was a section of the Thessalian Plain on the banks of the Pineios River just to the west of Phaestos. To the north lay a section of grassy hills topped by a grove of olive trees, to the south, the Pineios River. To the east, Antigonos Gonatas had made camp between my army and the city of Phaestos. It was a good place for a battle, especially as I outnumbered him slightly. Between losses in skirmishes and the need to leave garrisons in captured territories, I had 29,000 troops currently. Antigonos only had 25,000. Still, I was wary of tricks.

Turning to Kleon the Younger, the head of the Epidamnote Contingent of my Army, I said, "Kleon, you were raised as a noble. You will accompany me under a flag of truce to treat with Antigonos Gonatas. You have the proper instruction for such an occasion. I have heard that he is fond of Megarian Philosophy and fear that Grabos' less refined manner may deny us the possibility of a favorable negotiation."

"You expect him to agree to withdraw?" Asked Kleon.

"Hey, I can't help if some pompous arse doesn't like how real people talk!" Scoffed Grabos at the same time.

"To answer Kleon's question, no. There is a chance he may, however, small as it is." I replied, before turning to Grabos, I said, "I didn't say you were at fault, simply that it would preclude us not having to fight him today."

"Ok, fine, but what about Iolkos?" Responded Grabos.

"Iolkos barely talks as it is. I don't believe he wishes to go, do you Iolkos?" I questioned.

"No." Intoned Iolkos Laconically.

"Any other questions?" I queried.

None were forthcoming and I nodded. "Good. Let's go." I intoned.

A short while later, I found myself on my horse in the middle of the field with Kleon next to me holding up a banner of parlay. Across from me on a horse of his own sat Antigonos Gonatas. His blood red roan Thessalian Horse was larger and more powerfully built than my dun-colored Pindos Pony, a benefit of Macedon owning Thessaly. Only the Nisean Horses of the Seleucid Empire were a better fit for warfare in the whole world. The envy I felt for his horse was not matched by any envy for his equipment, however. While it was quite well made, it seemed to have been made more than 2 years ago, and for show more than protection. The linothorax was reinforced with lacquered white leather and bronze scales rather than the high-quality iron I had been trading throughout the Mediterranean for the last 2 years. It was the sort of thing Alexander might have worn some 30 years ago. Indeed, the saddle he had on his horse was decorated with leopard skin, his tunic was dyed Tyrian purple and he wore an embroidered Tyrian purple and gold cloak made of silk come from the far east. On his head was a bronze Boeotian helmet with an olive wreath worked into it in silver.

This was the future Philosopher King of Macedon? This peacock? I couldn't believe it!

"Speak, you who would seek to kill your kin for the throne of Macedon. I would hear your mewling entreaties quickly so this farce of a parlay may be done with and the real work of the day can begin!" Spat Antigonos Gonatas.

"You think I seek to claim the throne of Macedon?" I questioned.

"Do you claim that you do not?" Shot back Antigonos.

"Nay, that is your father, Demetrios. This war is a war to free my cousin Alexander from the clutches of Demetrios' ever-grasping hands. I implore you Antigonos to withdraw from the field, lest history judge you a scheming advisor seeking Macedon for your own, the same as your father." I tried.

"Bah, your silver tongue may spit venom in the ears of Illyrian Barbarians and senile old fools like Agathocles to great effect, but your lies shall find no purchase here! Even if what you claim is true, would not Alexander simply be swapping 1 puppet master for another? Why would I back the 1 not of my family? Begone back to your army, Pyrrhus. Let us end this farce." Sneered Antigonos.

"So be it. Battle it is." I intoned, wheeling my pony around.

As we rode, Kleon spoke up. "Fond of philosophers, is he? Mayhaps you should have taken Grabos after all, my King. It would have achieved the same end." Snarked Kleon.

"Clearly, my information was faulty." I replied. It seemed that relying on future knowledge of a person wasn't the best thing to do when said knowledge is from over a decade down the timeline. How that sneering fop grew to become such a wise and respected ruler, a patron of philosophers, defender of Greece from the Gauls, and respected Hegemon, I couldn't begin to guess. It seemed almost too much growth to undergo for any single person.

"Clearly it was, my King. What now?" Questioned Kleon.

I furiously tried to think of a plan. The battlefield precluded flanking attempts, flanked as it was by hills and the river. I didn't have time to seed the hills with missile troops like I had against Bardyllis. I couldn't flank, and couldn't use the same trick I had against Bardyllis. I could borrow a trick from someone else, though. 77 years ahead of time would be enough years to not be considered ripping off, I think. On such short notice, it would have to do.

I turned to Kleon and said, "You're going to play messenger, here's how I want the army arranged." I began. Kleon listened as I outlined my plan, then sped off to go tell the various subcommanders what their part in it was. Meanwhile, I rode to the center and rallied my troops. As I did so, I watched the men of Antigonos' army form up in their formations, phalanxes standing side by side to present a wall of sarissas stretching across the plain. To face them, I drew my forces up in a convex formation, with the bulk of my men on the wings. In the rear, the cavalry and 3,000 reserve troops stood ready to plug any gaps. In the center were my Hypaspists and most veteran troops. If all went well, I would pull a Cannae on Antigonos Gonatas.

As soon as both armies were drawn up, a shout went up from the Macedonian Army. The heirs of Alexander stood ready to fight. I turned to my men in the center and shouted, "We hold the line! No one retreats until I give the word, and even then we do it slowly, professionally, making them bleed for every step! These aren't Alexandros Megas' men, these are imitations, cooked up by lesser men than Alexandros! Show them we aren't afraid, show them they should fear us!"

A cheer went up from my Hypaspists and veterans that was carried through the whole army at that. My men were grimly determined to teach these pale imitators that there was a new hegemon in town. With their resolve stiffened, discipline good, and their morale high I had few doubts about this course of action. If anyone was going to fall for a trap like this, it would be that peacock I'd met earlier.

Soon enough, horns sounded out from across the battlefield and Antigonos Gonatas' Macedonian Army began to move forward. Slowly at first, phalanxes always began the advance ponderously, after all. It was a cumbersome formation. The Thessalian cavalry outpaced them easily and rode for our flank, but Kleon knew his job and sallied forth with my companion cavalry to check them.

The battle of Phaestos had begun. . .

XXXX

AN: Yeah, so things are going well for Pyrrhus. Shame the Aetolian League got smashed at Cynoscephalae. I felt it would be a little ironic that a Battle of Cynoscephalae still happened ITTL only for it to be a Macedonian Victory. Realistically, though, there wasn't really a way for the Aetolian League to win there, Demetrios had over half again the number of troops the Aetolians had and time to prepare the battlefield.

Interestingly enough, because Bolgios' Gauls were busy raiding in Magnesia or all the way back in Dolopia, they managed to avoid getting their shit wrecked in the battle. Funny how that works, almost like Bolgios can smell a shitstorm brewing. The Gallic Cavalry at least could have made it back to the main Aetolian Army in time for Cynoscephalae.

As for Antigonos Gonatas, this is a way that some future knowledge is going to work against Pyrrhus. It's true that Antigonos Gonatas was highly respected and a patron of many philosophers. . . as king. That's 21 years, a Diadochi War, and a Gallic Invasion from now. At the moment, Antigonos is a 21-year-old hothead who is more flash than substance. It would take a beating from Seleucus 9 years down the line to get him to start changing into the man he'd become. The change would only truly be complete with Brennus' Invasion of Greece and Antigonos' role in stopping it.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the battle proper and its immediate aftermath. Then we'll be with the Aetolian League Army for an interlude.

Stay tuned. . .