The Massaliot league. A Hellenistic period Massalia Timeline

[Sersor]

218-217 BC

Patroclus betrayed the Olcades people( a Celtiberi tribe) he had invited to peace talks and had roughly 5000 massacred.This would be later proven to have been a costly mistake as the Celtiberi tribes became embittered and began open warfare against the League and its allies. Not only that, but future Celtiberian leader Viriothus had escaped alive from the massacre, having now developed a vendetta against Massaliot League.
In 217 BC, the Celtiberians elected Viriothus after rescuing a great number of Celtiberians warriors pinned down by a Massaliot tagma after reminding them of League’s betrayal last year and convincing them not to accept any Massaliot League offers. Upon preying on the tagma unwillingness to break formation, he succeeded in saving the entire band from massacre or capture, an incredible feat. With this success he was elected leader by the Celtiberi tribesmen.
Later that year the Iberian revolt escalated. The Celticberi tribes under the leadership of Viriothus managed to persuade Vettones,Carpetani,Celtici and Lusitani tribes to join their cause.

Greece

Nikephoros an Athenian statesman and general, issues the Decree of Nikephoros, creating an alliance between Sparta, Athens, and Ptolemaic empire. The origins of this alliance lay in the continuing desire of many Greek states, notably Athens, for a restoration of their former independence, along with the desire of Ptolemy III to create troubles for his rival Alexander II, King of Epirus. Ptolemy III's ambitions in the Aegean Sea are threatened by Epirus fleet, so he carefully builds up a coalition against Epirus in Greece. He especially cultivates Athens by supplying the city with grain.

Seleucid Empire

in order to divert eastern trade from Egypt and into the Persian Gulf and Seleucid ports, Antiochus III formed and alliance with the Kingdom of Muscat urging and funding them to practice heavy piracy against the Egyptian Indian ocean fleets. Besides that Antiochus III started to build a new major royal fleet in the Persian gulf to dominate the Indian ocean.

 

[Skallagrim]

Well, Massalia better get a grip on that before Rome gears up to exploit the situation.

Question about the situation in the east: what is Pergamon currently planning? They've made strides recently. Will they need some time to consolidate now, or are they ready to act if war arises between the Ptolemaic empire and Epirus? (As in: would they be ready to give the loser a good kicking - as soon as it's clear who is going to lose - and make for a quick land-grab?)

(Oh, and a heads up: the name of the Seleucid ruler you call 'Antioch' is usually rendered as 'Antiochus' in English. 'Antioch' refers only to the city of that name.)

 

[James XI]

Yes, I think the increased Indian Ocean trade...now, granted, the Ptolemies must engage in a nautical revolution as the Atlantic Massilots did..would not so much drive their centre of balance away from Alexandria as it would fuel (literally and figuratively) a renegagment over Syria and Mesopotamia to both buffer their base and solidify their Indian Ocean monopoly. After Ptolemy's early moves on Mesopotamia et all ended unsuccessfully he reoriented towards the Med and the Levant, generally more cautiously nourishing the golden egg that is Egypt, and this proved wise as generations have flourished, but I think expanded Ptolemeic war chests and armies will be moved to expand along old lines, especially as the Seleucids appear to have their backs turned, a bit. I think maybe we're seeing the baby steps for another round of the Diadocchi Wars.

 

[James XI]

Scipio WAS the Aristocracy.

 

[James XI]

Neither post quoted as intended...but I love this ATL and all who are involved in it.

Also, Viorothus as Braveheart, I like it!

 

[Sersor]

Neither post quoted as intended...but I love this ATL and all who are involved in it.

Also, Viorothus as Braveheart, I like it!

Thank you for your kind words

 

[Sersor]

Question about the situation in the east: what is Pergamon currently planning? They've made strides recently. Will they need some time to consolidate now, or are they ready to act if war arises between the Ptolemaic empire and Epirus? (As in: would they be ready to give the loser a good kicking - as soon as it's clear who is going to lose - and make for a quick land-grab?)

You will see in the next year!

(Oh, and a heads up: the name of the Seleucid ruler you call 'Antioch' is usually rendered as 'Antiochus' in English. 'Antioch' refers only to the city of that name.)

Oops! Thanks i change it!

 

[Sersor]

216 BC

Iberia/Massaliot League

In a major battle near Edessa, the three tagmata army under strategos Patroclus sustain heavy casualties from the Viriothus army of more than forty thousands warriors. With the help of heavy artillery use, Patroclus army managed to retreat North-East where a new army of five tagmata under Aineas was marching to their support.

Greece

The great war

Fearing of the Ptolemaic expansion, Pergamon and Rhodes League decided to join Epirus against the Ptolemaic coalition(Ptolemaic empire,Sparta,Athens). Bosporus kingdom honours its alliance with Pergamon and joins shortly after. In a major naval battle with more than 300 ships participating, the Ptolemaic coalition fleet wins but sustains heavy losses.

Carthage

the blatant corruption of the oligarchy in Carthage gave Hannibal a chance to re-emerge in the Carthaginian affairs. With the help of old Barcid supporters (who were fed up with the current administration) and backed by the Scipio family, he enters in Carthage one night with 300 men. After the arrest and the assassination of several oligarchy members, he took charge of Carthage. The citizens of Carthage saw him as the man who will restore Carthage's glory and they fully supported him. Hannibal soon showed that he could be a statesman as well as a soldier.
By leading a populist reform movement, Hannibal managed to restore a measure of popular rule. He was elected suffete (chief magistrate). The office had become rather insignificant, but Hannibal restored its power and authority. He also reformed the Hundred and Four, stipulating that its membership be chosen by direct election rather than co-option. He also used the citizen support to change the term of office in the Hundred and Four from life to a year, with a term limit of two years.

 

[Sersor]

215 BC

In a major battle near Carpetani lands the Massaliot league army of six tagmata(nearly forty thousands troops) crushed Viriothus army (around fifty thousands). More than twenty thousands iberians died and another ten thousands sold as slaves. For the rest of the year Viriothus changed his tactics back to guerrilla warfare, avoiding direct attacks on the League forces because of their inferior numbers.

By place

Greece

• In a major battle North-East of Thebes, the Ptolemaic coalition army of forty thousands(twenty thousands Ptolemaic Empire,ten thousands Spartans,ten thousands Athenians and allies) won against the thirty thousands Epirus army(Epirus,Macedonia,Aeolian League troops).

• In a naval battle north of Chios island, the combined forces of Pergamon and Rhodes League repelled the Ptolemaic coalition fleet.

• An army of twenty five thousands under strategos Demetrios( Fifteen thousands Pergamon kingdom troops,ten thousands Bosporus kingdom troops) marched from Ephesus, South-West to conquer the Asia minor lands of Ptolemaic Empire.

India

• Dasharatha is assassinated by one of his uncles. That led to a civil war within Mauryan Empire.

Diodotian empire

• An invasion of Sarmatians is repelled by Diodotus army.

 

[Sersor]

214 BC

For one more year the situation in central-West Iberia is unstable. Viriothus continued his guerrilla warfare tactics, avoiding direct attacks on the League forces.

By place:

Greece

• Ptolemaic coalition forces conquers Aetolian League lands.

• Ptolemaic Empire’s “Asia minor” holdings falls to strategos Demetrios Forces.

Seleucid Empire

• Since Ptolemaic Empire is engaged in war in Greece, Antiochus III sees the perfect opportunity to reclaim the old Seleucids holdings in Syria. After some months of preparations, an army of sixty thousands troops march from Seleucia to conquer Antioch.

Rome

• With all major Hellenistic states in war, Rome decides to Invade once again Megale Hellas League.

Carthage

• Hannibal sends a fleet of forty quinqueremes to help Rome.

India

• Samprati takes advance of the civil war in Mauryan Empire and conquers new lands.

ps: Any bets?

 

[Historyman 14]

Well, the League may have push Viriothus to guerrilla warfare, but that's may as well make it more of a problem.

I feel bad for Megale Hellas, and I hope Ptolemaic may be overwhelmed and call for peace.

 

[Sersor]

I feel bad for Megale Hellas

With no help, Megale Hellas League is doomed.

 

[Shevek23]

...now, granted, the Ptolemies must engage in a nautical revolution as the Atlantic Massilots did.....

Depending on whether anyone in the League is looking ahead to a possible future showdown with the Ptolemies, given their good relations right now they might share extensive knowledge about their Atlantic ships. The Indian Ocean is a different sea than the Atlantic, but I'd think many of the differences between ships suitable for either and Mediterranean/Red Sea would be much the same. It won't all be directly useful but most of it would be.

Now if someone in Massalia thinks that someday soon the League will be fighting it out with Egypt, they might want to impede such technology transfer. In any case the Ptolemies might have spies, or anyway observers, in the League--ambassadors, visiting scholars, merchants, whatever.

Besides even if the League is going to war with the Ptolemaic dynasty someday (and I think they might never get around to it) it probably isn't happening for hundreds of years yet; right now the most reliable aspect of greater Hellenic politics is that the League and Egypt are never on opposite sides of any war. Each one complements the other in terms of trade goods, the League is probably Egyptian merchants' single best customer and Egypt is the best market for exotic Atlantic goods. Militarily and strategically they have few potential conflicts--Greater (Italian) Greece (I'd use the Greek but I forget how it goes, and I've noticed only I use the Latin Magna Graecia. So, I'd await a lot of clearance of rivals such as Rome or the many eastern realms before League and Egypt might possibly square off. And if the League people are fat and happy enough in the west, and consider the heavy cost of trying to tear down the Ptolemaic system in the hope of snapping up most of the pieces--eventually--they might shrug and decide to stick with the status quo. I certainly don't see the Ptolemies lusting after the lands west of Italy! So maybe no such war at all ever?

In which case adventurous persons from either empire might wind up serving in the fleet of the other power, and each empire would virtually extend their known world to encompass the other's discoveries as well as their own.

 

[Sersor]

In any case the Ptolemies might have spies, or anyway observers, in the League--ambassadors, visiting scholars, merchants, whatever.

Yes the tech sooner or later will travel from one Museum to another.

Each one complements the other in terms of trade goods, the League is probably Egyptian merchants' single best customer and Egypt is the best market for exotic Atlantic goods.

This. Megale Hellas League want's to be the middle man in the trade between them, but with the Sicilian holdings of Massaliot League and Ptolemaic Empire they are cut off.

So maybe no such war at all ever?

Quite possible.

 

[gianni_rivera]

The infighting of Greeks is a bit silly, what do they gain from fighting each other?

 

[Undeadmuffin]

The infighting of Greeks is a bit silly, what do they gain from fighting each other?

Power, they used to be independant city-states for centuries and some of them dont enjoy having someone else on top of them

 

[Sersor]

213 BC

Viriothus was killed in his sleep by three of his companions (they were Tartessians, Lusitanian allies). The three men had escaped by the time the Iberians discovered the death of their leader. Unable to avenge him they instead held feasts and a grand funeral. These three men who had been sent as emissaries to the Massaliotes had been bribed by Patroclus into betraying their mission. The death of Viriothus marked the end of the 1st Iberian revolt.

England/ Kassitia

• Inspired by the use of coal by the locals tribes, Eirenaios a merchant and hydraulic engineer, modifies a laconicum bath. A new system of undrerfloor heating the Hypocaust was invented.

By place:

Greece

• A battle South of Larrissa ends in a stalemate.

Syria/Seleucid Empire

• Antiochus III recaptured Antioch,Seleucia Pieria as well as cities in Phoenicia, amongst them Tyre. Rather than promptly invading Egypt, Antiochus waited in Phoenicia for over a year, consolidating his new territories and listening to diplomatic proposals from the Ptolemaic kingdom.

Ptolemaic Empire

• Ptolemy III began recruiting and training a new army. With lots of his forces in Greece he recruited once again not only from the local Greek population, as Hellenistic armies generally were, but also from the native Egyptians, enrolling at least forty thousand natives as phalangites promising to them second tier citizenship and lands.

Italy

• In a battle near Paestum/Posidonia, a Roman army of thirty thousands under consul Maximus crash the twenty thousands army of Megale Hellas League. Another army of twenty thousands under consul Gracchus laid siege to Tarentum. In a naval battle near Messana the Carthaginian/Roman fleet wins the smaller greek fleet. Megale Hellas send emissaries to Sparta and Massaliot League asking for help.

 

[Avrorrange]

I'm surprised that cavalry played such a small role in crushing the revolt.The League's cavalry should be prime for chasing after guerilla forces.

 

[Falecius]

Time for a reckoning with Rome, which I assume will be allied with Carthage.
Massalia is however fighting with a hand tied behind her back: the Iberian situation is going to be unstable and requiring diplomacy and military mopping-up, while there is need to watch the Northern Gauls (and the Britons) lest they have funny ideas. The fleet is also not going to give the Romans and Carthaginians its undivided attention, with all those Irish pirates around.
The Massaliote position is strategically difficult in that it requires continuous engagement on multiple fronts: Gaul, Spain, Italy, North Africa, possibly Britain and Sicily - and they only have a relatively weak, though strategically important, ally.
Massinissa's team choice might be important.

 

[Avrorrange]

Time for a reckoning with Rome, which I assume will be allied with Carthage.
Massalia is however fighting with a hand tied behind her back: the Iberian situation is going to be unstable and requiring diplomacy and military mopping-up, while there is need to watch the Northern Gauls (and the Britons) lest they have funny ideas. The fleet is also not going to give the Romans and Carthaginians its undivided attention, with all those Irish pirates around.
The Massaliote position is strategically difficult in that it requires continuous engagement on multiple fronts: Gaul, Spain, Italy, North Africa, possibly Britain and Sicily - and they only have a relatively weak, though strategically important, ally.
Massinissa's team choice might be important.

Regarding the fleet,I don't think the fleet is ''divided' so to speak.I highly doubt you would want to deploy the Atlantic fleet to the Mediterranean.They use entirely different ship types.Galleys just works better there.