A Bosporan Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Bosporan Kingdom

Roxolani Resolution and Olbia, Borysthenes, and Tyras Call for Aid
By 290 BC, The Road System was complete and the Crown Prince Spartikos had been fighting the Roxolani for 2 years. However the Roxolani refused to commit to stand up battle on favorable or even terms. preferring raids and skirmishes and always slinking away from Spartikos whenever the campaign seemed ready to swing fully his way. This finally ended in late July of 290 BC with the Battle of Red Field. Spartikos, seeing that he would never be allowed battle with the Roxolani unless he was in a poor position, decided to feign weakness by splitting his army up. In order to ensure maximum casualties, Spartikos seeded the tall grass of his chosen camp site with Caltrops. These spiky impediments were functionally invisible to the Roxolani, covered as they were by the tall grass of the Steppe and when the Roxolani attacked Spartacus' Camp that night to take advantage of the lesser number of troops, their mounts ran into the caltrop fields, breaking their legs and stabbing their hooves via the caltrops. It was at that point, with the Roxolani Charge Stalled out by Caltrops that Spartikos sent the signal by way of bonfire to his commander. The rest of his forces had made camp just over the horizon from Spartikos and came marching in quick-time to catch the Roxolani in the flank. By dawn the Roxolani King asked for terms and a great portion of the Roxolani Steppe, from the Meotis Coast to the River Tanais* and down to the border with Colchis was ceded to The Bosporan Kingdom. Of the Roxolani themselves, only a few Clans Swore Fealty to the Bosporan Crown, mostly those living in the ceded territories. The rest of the Roxolani moved East towards the Hyrcanian Ocean** and would quarrel with the Caspi who lived there for land. Spartikos then marched to the City of Tanais at the mouth of the River of the same Name and secured the Fealty of it's King before marching Home.

3 years later in 287 BC there would come another crisis. Olbia, Borysthenes, and Tyras were a Trio of Independent Greek Cities to the West of the Border of the Bosporan Kingdom. Olbia and Borysthenes were the closest, lying on opposite sides of the Borysthenes*** River from each other. Tyras was further distant on the eponymous River Tyras**** and technically under the Sway of the Diadochus Lysimachus, whose armies controlled Thrace, Hellas, Macedonia, And Asia Minor from Bithynia South to Lycia and West to the Aegean. However Lysimachus was embroiled in a War with Alexander, Son of Cassander, former Basileus of Macedonia and Hellas. Alexander was backed by Demetrios I of Epirus and had rallied the Cities of Hellas and a few of the noble Clans of Macedonia to his cause. The War drew Lysimachus' Attention away from the Borders and this emboldened the Dacians. Dacia was a landlocked nation, rich in metals from their mountain Heartland, but poor in agriculture. The Dacian King, Gela, knew that to Strike at Thrace would be folly as it would cause Lysimachus to make peace with Demetrios and provoke a full scale response. However smaller Vassal Territories like Tyras would not be as missed as the Heartland of Lysimachus' Power. Gela assembled a large army of 40,000 Dacian Clansmen, many armed with the Dacian Rhomphaia, and marched this force to assault Tyras. The Other two Independent Greek Cities of Olbia and Borysthenes, fearing a resurgent Barbarian Power coming from the West, begged Eumelos to intervene on behalf of Tyras and pledged fealty to the Bosporan Crown if Eumelos would defeat the new threat. Ironically Tyras did not call for aid themselves, but attempted to gain the protection of their Nominal Overlord Lysimachus instead. However Lysimachus seemed to feel that Epirus was the Richer Prize and paid little heed to the Archon of Tyras' Pleas.

This prompted Eumelos to send 3 Legions West under his Son and Heir, Spartikos, defeater of the Roxolani some 2 years prior, to reinforce Olbia and Borysthenes, gather what troops those two cities might be able to muster, and aid Tyras. Spartacus did so and Rode at the head of 15,000 Troops to fight the Dacians. At Olbia and Borysthenes, Spartacus was received by the Assemblies of the Two Cities and was able to muster an additional 4,000 Troops, though these were mostly Hoplites and Companion Cavalry in the Hellenic Fashion. Recognizing the Weakness of his allies' Formations, Spartacus would make sure to put their Hoplites in the Center and use his Legions and cavalry for the Wings of his formation. This allowed the More Mobile Legions to cover the Flanks of the More Immobile Phalanx in battle, effectively synergizing the two methods of fighting to eliminate the weakness of the Phalanx and allow it to strengthen the Legions.

This formation would prove the key to victory at the Battle of Tyras, in late 287 BC where Gela's forces attempted to exploit the Weakness of the Phalanx only to be stopped dead by the more flexible Legions. The Battle of Tyras would last for most of a day, when just before dusk, as Gelas forces exhausted themselves against the better armored Legions and Phalanx, a sally from the City led by the Archon of Tyras succeeded in breaking out past the siege lines and savaging Gela's Rear. Panicked at being taken from behind and stymied in front, Gela's more undisciplined clansmen began to rout, which was just the Opening Spartikos wanted as his cavalry, thus far held in reserve in case the line broke, was sent in to cut down as many fleeing Dacians as possible. Unfortunately, Gela and his more disciplined Bodyguard were not amongst the Dead by the end of the Battle, having retreated in better order and attempted to get his men back under control. Spartikos was prepared to March into Dacian territory if need be, but ultimately was stopped from doing so. Not because he would need to cross the territory of several Thracian Tribes who themselves had been savaged by the Dacians, nor by Gela's Army, but by the prospect of crossing the Dacian Mountains to get to Gela's Core territories. Ultimately however the Dacian Threat had been broken and the Archon of Tyras pledged fealty to the Bosporan Crown, as Lysimachus was still fighting Demetrios, who now had an extremely capable commander in the form of his Nephew Pyrrhus. This meant that Lysimachus could care less about Tyras. The New Arrangement was sealed and Spartacus returned home successful.
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I'm back to working on this for now

*The Don

**The Caspian

***The Dneiper

****The Dneister
 
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Happenings in Italy 295 BC-287 BC
In Italy, wars for dominance between the Roman Republic, The Samnite Confederation, The Etruscan League, and other minor powers continue as the Bosporans consolidate control of the Northern Euxine. In 295 BC the Third Samnite War is in full swing and is undergoing a Period of Roman Ascendance in the Battles. This Changed in 293 BC with the Entry into the War of the Etruscan League. The Etruscans sent an Army down into Latium, which forced the Roman Consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus to retreat from Campania in order to deal with this new threat, for no legions could be raised and trained in time to combat the army that was within a week's March of Rome. This allowed the Samnites to Complete their Conquest of the Lucanians and absorb them into their confederacy, as well as move an army to besiege Capua under Meddix Flavus Pontius, Son of the Famed Gaius Pontius who led the Samnites to victory over Rome in the Battle of the Caudine Forks in the previous war. Meddix Pontius managed to take Capua while Consul Barbatus was forced to defend Rome Against an Incursion by the Etruscans. In 292 BC the Gallic Senones were drawn in by the Etruscans with Promises of Loot, however by 290 Barbatus had managed to win a string of Victories in Etruria and was close to conquering much of the Etruscan League, though the Senones managed to fight off any troops sent into their territory in Umbria. However the Same could not be Said about Barbatus' Colleagues fighting the Samnites, as Meddix Pontius managed victory after victory in the South, reconquering many of the Italic Tribes they had lost to the Romans after their defeat in the Second Samnite War. Roman Army after Roman Army was defeated as a succession of political appointees to the Consulship occurred as the Senate played their games. Many began to speculate that they were afraid of Barbatus' Growing popularity and as such sought to neuter any other potential rivals. This had the effect of causing Rome to lose a good chunk of it's manpower against the Samnites.

Finally in 288 BC Barbatus had had enough of the Senate's Bickering. He had Annexed the Etruscans in 290 and signed a peace treaty with the Senones in 289 that in effect gave them Socii Status. Marching back down to Latium, Barbatus Entered Rome and was immediately declared dictator. Barbatus set about organizing what he could, only to find the treasury running bare from raising so many shattered Legions against the Samnites. Rome was not out of manpower, but it was out of money. A treaty with the Samnites would have to be made. The Treaty of Beneventum had the Samnite borders as of the end of the war recognized, minus Capua, which was to be returned to Rome. In effect this split the major powers of Italy into three. The Samnites in the Center of Italy, the Roman Republic in the North and Latium, and the Greek City States in the South.

Of course this Treaty made the Greeks of Magna Greacia Nervous, the Samnites were Notoriously Expansionist and the Greet City States of the Toe, Heel, and Arch of the Boot Approached the Tyrant of Syracuse about Forming a League for Magna Greacia. Agathocles, Tyrant of Syracuse agreed that some form of Cooperation was needed, if not against the Samnites than Surely against Carthage. This Culminated with the Treaty of Syracuse, which formed the Magna Grecian League. This of course only Provoked Carthage, who made common Cause with the Samnites, plotting to split Magna Graecia Between themselves at an unspecified date.

Italy was at peace for now, but the forming of Power Blocks would see it at war in a Decade and a half. . .
 
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Ah interesting.
As regards short footnotes such as name translation I'd be happier with them in media res rather footnotes eg "River Tanais [Don]" rather than "River Tanais *".
 
Epirote-Lysimachid War
Epirus and Lysimachus had a troubling history that would Ultimately lead them to War. Epirus was Led by Demetrios I who was known as the Besieged for his knowledge of siege warfare. Lysimachus had previously gotten rid of Cassander, who was Basileus of Macedon and Hellas and consolidated his Rule over the peninsula. However Cassander's youngest Son, Alexander V survived and fled to Demetrios' Court. The Epirote Royal Family were related to Alexander V via Alexandros Megas. Demetrios and Alexander then launched a scheme to put Alexander back on the throne of Macedon.

This scheme would ultimately result in Hellas rising for Alexander V, but very little Macedonian Support with only a few Clans supporting Alexander. This neccesitated Demetrios to bring his Army into the field. Battles were fought at Corinth and Thebes in 291 but we're indecisive, the forces of Lysimachus were large, but Demetrios had quality on his side. It was clear to Lysimachus that more forces would be needed to crush the revolt and take Epirus. Accordingly, in late 291, Lysimachus stripped forces from his northern border to fight Demetrios and Alexander V.

This resulted in a massive push by King Gela of Dacia east, conquering several independent Thracian Tribes before falling upon Lysimachus' Vassal Tyras on the river of the same Name. The Archon of Tyras pleaded with Lysimachus for aid, but Lysimachus had just won a Victory in Boeotia, Taking Thebes from the Rebels in mid 290 and would not arrest his momentum for Tyras. This caused Tyras to seek aid from the Bosporan Kingdom as mentioned elsewhere. However by 289 Lysimachus' momentum had stalled out at the entrance to the Pelopenese as Alexander V had put Cleomenes of Sparta in charge of his rebel forces. This proved the right decision militarily but was disastrous politically as Alexander V became even more marginalized amongst his coalition. By 287, Demetrios' Nephew Pyrrhus had managed a stunning Victory over Lysimachus at Thebes and again at Athens. It was time for Lysimachus to negotiate.

In the peace that followed, Cleomenes was granted the Kingdom of Sparta, Alexander V was given control of the rest of Hellas as a puppet of Epirus, and Macedonia would Stay with Lysimachus. This fracturing of the core Lysimachid lands would ultimately embolden Lysimachus to declare war on the Bosporan Kingdom in 284 BC in order to regain Tyras and his Prestige. . .
 
I will subscribe to that TL, I like hellenistic times. A little question : why employ the term legion for the military units of the Bosp(h?)oran kingdom?, this a roman term, that appears weird in context.

Because as I stated in the first chapter, Tacitus notes that the Bosporan Army fought in Roman Fashion with Maniples. That means that they are pretty much an All Thorakitai Army.
 
Carthage Expands
While the various Hellenistic and Italic Powers fought and Quarreled amongst themselves, Mighty Carthage sought to expand her hold on the Western Mediterranean whilst other powers were occupied with each other. To that effect, Bomilcar Barca, head of the Barcid Family of Libya and noted General was sent by the Carthegenian Senate to increase Carthage's hold over Hispania. Prior to the Bomilcar Expedition, Carthage maintained only a series of fortress cities on the Southern Coast of Hispania and it was through these Coastal Fortresses that the Barcid Army would be supplied.

Carthage's Troops at the outset of 295 BC were made of a combination of Levy Troops from various territories and Mercenaries. Bomilcar's Army was an exception in that it was made up entirely of levy troops, Bomilcar himself declining to use Senatorial Funds to Hire Mercenaries as was the custom. Bomilcar's Negative Views on Mercenaries were well known at this time, citing the poor performance of the mercenary armies during the Third Sicilian War. The Senate were unable to persuade Bomilcar to change his mind and levy forces were requested and pulled from various provinces, Libyan Spearmen, Balaeric Slingers, Numidian Cavalry, and Iberian Swordsmen were all pulled together into an Army of 30,000 which embarked for Hispania in late 295 BC.

However the first thing Bomilcar did when disembarking in Hispania was not march out and meet any of the various tribes, but train his army into a deadly weapon and consolidate Carthagenian Influence over the nearer tribes into something more concrete.The Bastetani, Turdetani, Tartesii, and Contestani were all under Carthage's Influence to a greater or lesser extent, and Bomilcar used a combination of Trade, Political Maneuvering, and the implicit threat of his Army to force the nominally independent tribes to swear fealty to Carthage. This state of affairs was similar to what Carthage had in Numidia and Mauretania in that the Kings of those places were vassals to the Carthagenian Assembly. It took several years for Bomilcar to pull this off, but by 291 BC the aforementioned Tribes were all Carthagenian Vassals. At the Same Time, Bomilcar's Army was able to greatly increase it's standard of drill and equipment.

This led to the Hispanian Campaign of 290-288 BC which saw several battles fought between Bomilcar and the other, still independent tribes. The Counei were a confederation of three tribes occupying much of the IOTL Algarve and Alentajo Regions of Portugal. It would be this federation that would feel the sting of Bomilcar's Army First. Marching west overnight, Bomilcar's Forces were able to steal a surprise march on the Counei and bring them to battle outside the walls of their capitol at Ossonoba. The Battle of Ossonoba was a lopsided victory for Carthage and increased Bomilcar's prestige amongst the Assembly, who had been growing impatient with his political maneuvering of the prior years. With the Counei Defeated and subjugated to Carthage, Bomilcar marched North in late 290 BC to subjugate the Celtici and Turduli, two rather large tribes who lived along the banks of the IOTL Rio Guadiana and fought a series of battles amongst the two tribes in the Spring of 289 BC which culminated in the Battle of the Lakes near IOTL Lagunas de Rudiera in modern day Castile-La Mancha, Spain. The Battle saw the increasingly harried forces of the Celtici and Turduli trapped between one of the many Lakes and the Advancing Cartheginian Army. After a full day of fighting, and with the rest of their lands Occupied, the Celtici and Turduli Kings chose to jump into the Lake to commit suicide by Drowning rather than face total defeat. Their seconds then surrendered to Bomilcar's Army.

By Mid 288 BC the entire southern Half of Hispania was subjugated to Carthage with one exception, the Editani still resisted Bomilcar's Forces from their Fortified City of Saguntum Bomilcar Set out to siege the City and command the Editani's Compliance. The Editani, knowing that to face Bomilcar in the field would be the doom of them all, forted up in Saguntum and hoped that Bomilcar would grow weary of his long campaign. This would prove to be an error. Saguntum's Walls were mighty, yes, but it was a port city and it's harbor was not as well defended as it's landward side. Bomilcar sent for the Carthegenian Navy to help him take the city and, after a few months of siege, just as Autumn was fading into winter, the Navy Arrived and Bomilcar was able to slip troops into the city via amphibious insertion, who then opened the gates for Bomilcar's Army. By the End of 288 BC, Carthage was in control of all of Southern Hispania.

Of course, Bomilcar's Successes would force the Carthagenian Assembly to recall him from Hispania, to be replaced by a man named Himlico the Mauritanian. Himlico was an able administrator but an inexperienced general, unlikely to make any new conquests and thus, unlikely to grow any more popular than he already was. Bomilcar was recalled to Carthage, where he would await a new command. This would not come until the Fourth Sicilian War between Carthage and the Magna Graecia League forced the Assembly's Hand. By that point, Bomilcar would have already sired a son who would go on to be equally famous, a General named Hamilcar Barca. . .
 
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