#antigonid

[lionofchaeronea]

Tetradrachm of the Hellenistic monarch Antigonus III Doson (r. 229-221 BCE).  On the obverse, the wreathed head of Poseidon; on the reverse, Apollo seated on a prow and holding a bow.  Photo credit: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com

[thelastdiadoch]

Macedon

“Glory, order, power.”

“Desperate to reclaim its past glory, Macedon finds itself locked into its pre-Alexandrian borders by the Illyrians, Thracians and Greek city states on all sides. Can the Macedonian Empire rise again under a new Alexander?

Macedon is an administration, with the king holding power and governing in the name of the people. This distinction extends to the treasury, fuelled by an economy of agriculture, forestry and the taxation of ports, the exception being the gold and silver mines granted to the king.

Macedon’s armies remain set on the pattern developed by Phillip II and Alexander, focusing primarily on infantry and cavalry, and led by heroic commanders. Little has changed in terms of tactics, technology or siegecraft since the glory days, with a continuation of Alexander’s hoplite reforms and reliance on the famed Companion and Thessalian cavalry. Never a strong naval power, Macedon has long relied upon its sea-faring Hellenistic subjects, such as Athens and Rhodes.

As a Successor State, Macedon gains advantages when fighting other Hellenic factions, and enjoys improved income and provincial growth from every client state owned. Experienced warriors, the armies of Macedon also have an advantage when fighting against barbarians.

Under the leadership of Antigonus Gonatus, they are gracious rulers and shrewd tradesmen, enjoying bonuses to income and population happiness. However, the other Hellenistic states find it hard to forgive Macedon’s hegemonic tendencies, and as such, the Macedonian player will have a harder time winning their trust and allegiance.”

Antigonid Dynasty “The Macedonians can trace their heritage beyond Alexander the Great into the mists of antiquity. Who else has a history of such greatness, both mortal and divine? As a warlike nation, where every boy dreams of being a hero and becoming a legend, the Macedonians are a ferocious people and scornful of weakness. Their greatest minds are experts in military and civil arts, and can outwit almost any war leader. Having conquered the world under Alexander, who dares stop them doing so again?“

Source: Total War: Rome II

[autarkeia00]

Cynoscephalae - 197 BC

Location Thessally, Greece Commanders Roman - Titus Quinctius Flamininus Macedonian - Philip V of Macedon Combatants Roman - 32,000-33,000 (in addition to Roman troops, there were also allies from the Aetolian League and Numidia and Cretan Mercenaries) Macedonian - Around 25,000 (including troops from Thrace and Crete) Background The Battle of Cynoscephalae (literally, the Dogs Heads), was a battle that took place during the Second Macedonian War of 200-197 BC. The war pitted the Roman Republic, triumphant from its victory in the Second Punic War, against the Kingdom of Macedonia, the land of Alexander the Great, now ruled by Philip V. The war was sparked by Philip's efforts to assert Macedonian dominance in Greece, which eventually led to the involvement of Rome. Initially, the Roman campaign was sluggish, and neither side was able to take the upper hand. However, that changed with the arrival of new Consul Titus Quinctius Flamininus in Greece in 198 BC. Flamininus immediately went after Philip, and, after some days of near misses in the poor weather, the two sides met at Cynoscephalae. The Battle On the morning the the battle, the field was covered in a thick fog which made reconaissance difficult. Philip decided to send a force to take the hills on the battlefield. However, these were met by light forces and cavalry sent out by Flamininus to perform the same task. The fighting on the hills was fierce, and Flamininus thus sent in around 2,000 infantry (mainly Aetolians) to reinforce his troops on the hill. Philip was forced to send in his horse, who were succesful in pushing the Romans down the slope of the hill. Although initially wary of sending in infantry onto the broken ground of the hills, he was emboldened by news that the Roman force was retreating, and thus sent in 8,000 infantry. Meanwhile, Flamininus' forces had, under his direction, regrouped, and were now advancing up the slopes towards Philip's phalanx, which had formed up on the crest of the hill. Flamininus personally led his left flank, mainly composed of Roman infantry, up the hill, straight into the path of the Macedonian phalanx, which proved succesful in driving them back. However, Flamininus switched to commanding his right flank, kept in reserve, and drove a group of war elephants (loaned to him by King Masinissa of Numidia) into the Macedonian left flank, which was still in marching order, and drove it from the field. Then, showing the flexibility of the manipular system, one Roman Tribune peeled a set of maniples away from the Roman right flank, and sent them charging in behind the Macedonian right wing. The inflexible Phalanx was now surrounded on both sides, and suffered terrible casualties, eventually causing it to break and run. The Romans gave a brief chase, but allowed Philip to escape. The most reliable casualty estimates, from Livy, suggest that up to 5,000 Macedonians lost their lives, and 2,000 Romans. The Aftermath The defeat at Cynoscephalae smashed the power of the Macedonian kingdom. The peace that was agreed in the same year saw the other Greek states, previously vassals of the Macedonian King, freed, whilst Macedon itself was forced to disband a large proportion of its formidable army and navy. Macedon would limp on for another 30 years, before the beginning of the final Macedonian War in 171 BC, one which brought an end to the Antigonid line, and the Kingdom of Macedon itself.

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