alternatehistory.com
281 BC. Second Orestiki reformation.
281 BC
Naval engineers and shipbuilders from Ptolemaic Egypt,Rhodes and Cyprus invited to work in the new naval arsenal. There they build twenty quenquemeres and twenty powerful cataphract octeres(equipped each of them with two polybolos and two lithobolos) The two rival companies also commissioned ten quenquemeres each. The Massaliot League fleet now consist of twenty cataphract octeres ,sixty quinquereme, ten quadrireme and several smaller ships.
Asia Minor
Strategos Orestes inspired by the tactics of the Macedonia/Hellenistic kingdoms (primarily the use of artillery by Alexander the Great at the battle of Jaxartes) makes the second Orestiki military reformation. The tagma from now on will have an artillery department. Another big change with second Orestiki, is that from now own Massaliot League will have a professional standing army of 2 tagmata. One based in Massalia and one in Tolosa. In reserves if needed 3 extra tagmata could be summoned. Other important influences was the Tarantine cavalry (Tarantines proper). A new small mobile(build on spot) wooden tower of around five meters called panoptes is introduced as an eye center in the battle field from were the strategos/officers can see the action on the battle fields and issue faster and more precise orders.
The new tagma unit:
three thousand heavy infantry,one thousand five hundred velites/archers,five hundred cavalry,five hundred mounted archers and five hundred artillery support personal. The artillery is composed of forty torsion ballista,twenty small(suited for volley barrage tactics) lithobolos catapults ,forty polybolos ballista and three build on spot panoptes.
By place
Seleucid Empire
Naval engineers and shipbuilders from Ptolemaic Egypt,Rhodes and Cyprus invited to work in the new naval arsenal. There they build twenty quenquemeres and twenty powerful cataphract octeres(equipped each of them with two polybolos and two lithobolos) The two rival companies also commissioned ten quenquemeres each. The Massaliot League fleet now consist of twenty cataphract octeres ,sixty quinquereme, ten quadrireme and several smaller ships.
- The trade hub in Eudaemon(aden) destroyed by pirates.
- Famous poet Theocritus is invited to stay in the museum.
- Naucratia is founded in the area of modern day Arcachon.
- Two thousands book copies acquired from Alexandria.
Asia Minor
- The Battle of Corupedium in Lydia is the last battle of the Diadochi, the rival successors to Alexander the Great. It is fought between the armies of Lysimachus, King of Thrace and Macedonia, and Seleucus, ruler of Eastern Anatolia, Syria, Phoenicia,Judea, Babylonia and Iran. Seleucus kills Lysimachus during the battle.
- Seleucus takes over Thrace and then tries to seize Macedonia. However, he falls into a trap near Lysimachia, Thrace, set by Ptolemy Keraunos, one of the sons of Ptolemy I and Arsinoe II's half brother, who murders Seleucus and takes Macedonia for himself.
- Cineas, a Thessalian serving as chief adviser to King Pyrrhus of Epirus, after visiting Rome attempts, without success, to dissuade Pyrrhus from invading southern Italy.
- Seleucus is succeeded as ruler of the Seleucid empire by Antiochus. He is immediately beset by revolts in Syria (probably instigated by Ptolemy II of Egypt) and by independence movements in northern Anatolia.
Strategos Orestes inspired by the tactics of the Macedonia/Hellenistic kingdoms (primarily the use of artillery by Alexander the Great at the battle of Jaxartes) makes the second Orestiki military reformation. The tagma from now on will have an artillery department. Another big change with second Orestiki, is that from now own Massaliot League will have a professional standing army of 2 tagmata. One based in Massalia and one in Tolosa. In reserves if needed 3 extra tagmata could be summoned. Other important influences was the Tarantine cavalry (Tarantines proper). A new small mobile(build on spot) wooden tower of around five meters called panoptes is introduced as an eye center in the battle field from were the strategos/officers can see the action on the battle fields and issue faster and more precise orders.
The new tagma unit:
three thousand heavy infantry,one thousand five hundred velites/archers,five hundred cavalry,five hundred mounted archers and five hundred artillery support personal. The artillery is composed of forty torsion ballista,twenty small(suited for volley barrage tactics) lithobolos catapults ,forty polybolos ballista and three build on spot panoptes.
- A new poet from Theocritus is the talk of the town.
By place
Seleucid Empire
- Antiochus is defeated by Egypt's Ptolemy II in the Damascene War.
- Pyrrhus makes an alliance with Ptolemy Keraunos, King of Macedon. This allows him to go to southern Italy with his army.
- The Achaean League is reformed by twelve towns in the northern Peloponnesus and will later grow to include non-Achaean cities. The League achieves a common coinage and foreign policy and the member cities pool their armed forces.
- Rhodes, rising in prosperity, becomes head of an Island League and helps to keep the peace and freedom of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.
- The Colossus of Rhodes is completed by the sculptor Chares of Lindos after twelve years' work. It becomes one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
- Responding to an appeal from Tarentum, King Pyrrhus of Epirus uses his army of over 20,000 men against the Romans. In the Battle of Heraclea he defeats a Roman army led by consul Publius Valerius Laevinus. Pyrrhus's judicious use of his elephants plays a large part in his victory. Several tribes including the Lucani, Bruttii and the Messapians as well as the Greek cities of Crotone and Locri join Pyrrhus. Pyrrhus advances as far north as Latium.
- Sersor
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