The Massaliot league. A Hellenistic period Massalia Timeline
- Thread starter Sersor
- Start date
Yes,I am actually fairly curious as to why there wasn't any changes in the Phyrric Wars.
I don't think the Massalians are screwed as well.Considering how a large part of the population are Gauls who think they are Greek,this means a lot of the martial traditions of Gauls probably remained.Massalia probably has a larger trained population than the Romans.Another thing is that Massalia has the Alps and the Pyrenees at it's two flanks,these two borders should be easily defended even against large Roman and Carthaginian forces if a proper attempt was made to construct forts along the entire perimeter.The only real probably I think would be the Mediterranean coast,where the Massalians have to face Carthaginian and possibly Roman naval forces.
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275 BC. Domino war.
275 BC
The great civil war of Gauls or domino wars.
The king of Sequani Cosgrach, old ally of the Massaliot League died. The Aedui tribe sees an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and gain control over Saone(Arar) river. The Saone River formed part of the border between the hereditary rivals. Each tribe claimed the Saone and the tolls on trade along it.The Sequani controlled access to the Rhone river and had built an oppidum (a fortified town) at Vesontio(Besançon) to protect their interests.
The new king of the Sequani tribe, Dumnorix asked for the help of the Averni and Allobroges tribes, their old allies and fierce rivals of the Aedui. They Aedui by their side, called for help their own allies the Senones and Carnutes tribes. With their southeast borders( Averni) secure, the Pictones tribe finds the opportunity to attack the small tribe of Namnetes and siege Corbillo. The Venetii tribe not wanting the Pictones tribe to conquer the neutral trade city of Corbilo and expand their influence, declare war on Pictones and marched to help Corbilo. A call for help from the Sequani tribe was send to Massaliot League as well. The Massaliot assembly decided to help the Sequani tribe and secure the status quo of the trade in Rhone river. The Massalia tagma and four thousands hellenised Volcae Gauls under the command of strategos Alkaios is send to help.
I forgot the letter a in Massaliot league
By place
Roman Republic
The great civil war of Gauls or domino wars.
The king of Sequani Cosgrach, old ally of the Massaliot League died. The Aedui tribe sees an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and gain control over Saone(Arar) river. The Saone River formed part of the border between the hereditary rivals. Each tribe claimed the Saone and the tolls on trade along it.The Sequani controlled access to the Rhone river and had built an oppidum (a fortified town) at Vesontio(Besançon) to protect their interests.
The new king of the Sequani tribe, Dumnorix asked for the help of the Averni and Allobroges tribes, their old allies and fierce rivals of the Aedui. They Aedui by their side, called for help their own allies the Senones and Carnutes tribes. With their southeast borders( Averni) secure, the Pictones tribe finds the opportunity to attack the small tribe of Namnetes and siege Corbillo. The Venetii tribe not wanting the Pictones tribe to conquer the neutral trade city of Corbilo and expand their influence, declare war on Pictones and marched to help Corbilo. A call for help from the Sequani tribe was send to Massaliot League as well. The Massaliot assembly decided to help the Sequani tribe and secure the status quo of the trade in Rhone river. The Massalia tagma and four thousands hellenised Volcae Gauls under the command of strategos Alkaios is send to help.
- New military/trade roads builded to connect Massalia with Tolosa and Mesachora.
I forgot the letter a in Massaliot league
By place
Roman Republic
- When Pyrrhus returns from Sicily, he finds himself vastly outnumbered by a superior Roman army under the command of consulManius Curius Dentatus. After the inconclusive Battle of Beneventum, Roman commander and statesman, Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, negotiates a peace with Pyrrhus, after which Pyrrhus decides to end his campaign in Italy and return to Epirus, which results in the loss of all his Italian holdings.
- Antiochus's alliance with Antigonus II, now fully in possession of Macedonia, is cemented by Antigonus's marriage to Phila, Antiochus's half sister.
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274 BC.
274 BC
The first major battle in the Domino wars, was the battle near Vesontio. Both armies had nearly thirty thousands warriors. The Sequani alliance managed to repel the army of the Aedui alliance. The battle was a bloodbath, the Aedui alliance lost fifteen thousand man and the Sequani alliance nearly thirteen thousands. The losses of Massaliot league were rather small(two thousands mostly in the ranks of the Volcae Gauls). In the war for Corbilo, the Pictones tribe won the battle against the Venetii and continued the siege.
By place
Greece
The first major battle in the Domino wars, was the battle near Vesontio. Both armies had nearly thirty thousands warriors. The Sequani alliance managed to repel the army of the Aedui alliance. The battle was a bloodbath, the Aedui alliance lost fifteen thousand man and the Sequani alliance nearly thirteen thousands. The losses of Massaliot league were rather small(two thousands mostly in the ranks of the Volcae Gauls). In the war for Corbilo, the Pictones tribe won the battle against the Venetii and continued the siege.
By place
Greece
- Pyrrhus returns from Italy and Sicily and invades Macedonia defeating Antigonus II Gonatas at the Battle of the Aous and conquering Upper Macedonia and Thessaly while Antigonus holds onto the coastal Macedonian towns. Antigonus' troops desert him and Pyrrhus is declared King of Macedonia.
- The Romans under Manius Curius Dentatus conquer the Lucanians.
- Magas of Cyrene marries Apama, the daughter of Antiochus and uses his marital alliance to foment a pact to invade Egypt. He opens hostilities against his half brother Ptolemy II, by declaring his province of Cyrenaica to be independent and then attacks Egypt from the west as Antiochus I takes the Egyptian controlled areas in coastal Syria and southern Anatolia, after which he attacks Palestine.
- Magas has to stop his advance against Ptolemy II due to an internal revolt by the Libyan Marmaridae nomads.
273 BC.
273 BC
The Sequani Alliance marched towards the Aedui lands were their reinforced army of twenty five thousands encountered another thirty thousands Aedui alliance army. The two armies fought a set piece of a battle, with neither side able to make much impression on the other, the usual thing in ancient battles unless one side began to break. At night they drew off by a kind of mutual agreement.The second day the plain field saved the Sequani alliance army. When the Allobroges began to broke their lines the heavy use of artillery by the nearby Massaliot tagma saved the day.The battle ended in stalemate with heavy losses on both sides..The Aedui alliance lost twelve thousand man and the Sequani alliance more than ten thousands. Finally after some more small engagements the war ended in the current status quo. In the Venetii -Pictones war after the fall of Corbilo, the Pictones invaded the Averni lands. Given the highly defendable nature of the Veneti strongholds, land attacks were frustrated by the incoming tide, and naval forces were left trapped on the rocks when the tide ebbed. Despite this, Pictones spend all year trying to siege Venetii strongholds.
By place
Egypt
The Sequani Alliance marched towards the Aedui lands were their reinforced army of twenty five thousands encountered another thirty thousands Aedui alliance army. The two armies fought a set piece of a battle, with neither side able to make much impression on the other, the usual thing in ancient battles unless one side began to break. At night they drew off by a kind of mutual agreement.The second day the plain field saved the Sequani alliance army. When the Allobroges began to broke their lines the heavy use of artillery by the nearby Massaliot tagma saved the day.The battle ended in stalemate with heavy losses on both sides..The Aedui alliance lost twelve thousand man and the Sequani alliance more than ten thousands. Finally after some more small engagements the war ended in the current status quo. In the Venetii -Pictones war after the fall of Corbilo, the Pictones invaded the Averni lands. Given the highly defendable nature of the Veneti strongholds, land attacks were frustrated by the incoming tide, and naval forces were left trapped on the rocks when the tide ebbed. Despite this, Pictones spend all year trying to siege Venetii strongholds.
By place
Egypt
- Impressed by Rome's defeat of Pyrrhus, Ptolemy II sends a rather friendly embassy. The visit is reciprocated.
- Most of Sicilia is again under Carthage control.
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272 BC. The Massaliot adventures in Greece.
272 BC
Cleonymus, a Spartan of royal blood who has been outcast by his fellow Spartans, an old friend and strategos of the Massaliot league, in the successful war against Voconti tribe back in 296 BC, asked the Massaliot League to attack Sparta together with Pyrrhus, king of Macedonia and Epirus, and place him in power. The assembly heard with respect, but voices were raised for the denial of this offer. At this moment there was led into the assembly the aged highly respected Strategos Orestes, who made a fighting speech in favour of his friend Cleonymus. He convinced them. The messenger was sent back to report that the Massaliot League will help the old friend and new ally. Strategos Orestes was happy that had the opportunity to see his old friend Cleonymus and lead the Massaliot army for one last time. Besides that, part of the deal was that Massalia will build a trade/military stronghold in the Lakonikos gulf to improve her trade with Ptolemaic Egypt. Under strategos Orestes, the tagma from Massalia and five thousands hellenized volcae sailed from Massalia with the escort of ten cataphract octeres and forty quinquereme, to Epirus to meet with Pyrrhus army.
In Italy the city of Taranto is conquered by the Romans. Thirty thousand of the Greek inhabitants were sold as slaves and many works of art were carried off to Rome. The Greeks of Magna Graecia shocked from this news. The city of Elea, a Phocaeans colony( same as Massalia) fearing the same fate as Taranto, was almost abandon with the help of the passing by Massaliot fleet. Twelve thousands people sailed with the escort of ten Massaliot League quinqemeres and resetled in the low populated Aquetani area given land and second tier citizenship. Elea falls in Romans some months later. Following the example of Elea and fearing of the Romans revenge another thirty thousands Greeks from Manga Grecia resettle in Massaliot League given second tier citizenship and lands. Almost fifty thousands Greeks in total, resettled in Massaliot League lands during 273-271 BC
The population of Massaliot League is now more than three hundred fifty thousands people( more than one hundred fifty thousands hellenized Gauls in ex Gaul/Aquetani territories) and Massalia is a thriving metropolis of one hundred fifty thousands people. Emporion and Tolosa have more than twenty thousands population each.
The Massaliot adventures in Greece.
As a large part of the Spartan army led by king Areus I is in Crete at the time, Pyrrhus and Orestes have great hopes of taking the city easily, but the citizens organise stout resistance, allowing one of Antigonus II’s commanders, Aminias the Phocian, to reach the city with a force of mercenaries from Corith. The siege engineers of Massaliot League tagma, gave the solution with the construction of massive siege engines and Sparta conquered shortly after. Soon after this, the Spartan king, Areus, returns from Crete with 2,000 men and unites with Antigonus army near the allied town of Argos. The Epirote- Massaliot League forces* marched against them. Antigonus fearing starvation in the case of a long siege of Argos, made a fatal mistake. He marched his army as well, taking up a strong position on some high ground near the city of Argos. When Pyrrhus learned this, he encamped opposite of Antigonus forces and the next day dispatched a herald to him, calling him a coward and challenging him to come down and fight on the plain. Antigonus replied that he would choose his own moment to fight and that if Pyrrhus was weary of life, he could find many ways to die. The next days with the use of the tagma mounted archers and lithovolos catapults Antigonus forced to leave the high ground and vastly outnumbered, crushed from the combine arms forces of Epirus and Massalia. Antigonus II died in battle.
*Pyrrhus army: twenty-five thousand foot, two thousand horse, and twenty-four elephants. Massillot League army: One tagma and five thousand Hellenized Gauls.
By place
Seleucid Empire
Cleonymus, a Spartan of royal blood who has been outcast by his fellow Spartans, an old friend and strategos of the Massaliot league, in the successful war against Voconti tribe back in 296 BC, asked the Massaliot League to attack Sparta together with Pyrrhus, king of Macedonia and Epirus, and place him in power. The assembly heard with respect, but voices were raised for the denial of this offer. At this moment there was led into the assembly the aged highly respected Strategos Orestes, who made a fighting speech in favour of his friend Cleonymus. He convinced them. The messenger was sent back to report that the Massaliot League will help the old friend and new ally. Strategos Orestes was happy that had the opportunity to see his old friend Cleonymus and lead the Massaliot army for one last time. Besides that, part of the deal was that Massalia will build a trade/military stronghold in the Lakonikos gulf to improve her trade with Ptolemaic Egypt. Under strategos Orestes, the tagma from Massalia and five thousands hellenized volcae sailed from Massalia with the escort of ten cataphract octeres and forty quinquereme, to Epirus to meet with Pyrrhus army.
In Italy the city of Taranto is conquered by the Romans. Thirty thousand of the Greek inhabitants were sold as slaves and many works of art were carried off to Rome. The Greeks of Magna Graecia shocked from this news. The city of Elea, a Phocaeans colony( same as Massalia) fearing the same fate as Taranto, was almost abandon with the help of the passing by Massaliot fleet. Twelve thousands people sailed with the escort of ten Massaliot League quinqemeres and resetled in the low populated Aquetani area given land and second tier citizenship. Elea falls in Romans some months later. Following the example of Elea and fearing of the Romans revenge another thirty thousands Greeks from Manga Grecia resettle in Massaliot League given second tier citizenship and lands. Almost fifty thousands Greeks in total, resettled in Massaliot League lands during 273-271 BC
The population of Massaliot League is now more than three hundred fifty thousands people( more than one hundred fifty thousands hellenized Gauls in ex Gaul/Aquetani territories) and Massalia is a thriving metropolis of one hundred fifty thousands people. Emporion and Tolosa have more than twenty thousands population each.
The Massaliot adventures in Greece.
As a large part of the Spartan army led by king Areus I is in Crete at the time, Pyrrhus and Orestes have great hopes of taking the city easily, but the citizens organise stout resistance, allowing one of Antigonus II’s commanders, Aminias the Phocian, to reach the city with a force of mercenaries from Corith. The siege engineers of Massaliot League tagma, gave the solution with the construction of massive siege engines and Sparta conquered shortly after. Soon after this, the Spartan king, Areus, returns from Crete with 2,000 men and unites with Antigonus army near the allied town of Argos. The Epirote- Massaliot League forces* marched against them. Antigonus fearing starvation in the case of a long siege of Argos, made a fatal mistake. He marched his army as well, taking up a strong position on some high ground near the city of Argos. When Pyrrhus learned this, he encamped opposite of Antigonus forces and the next day dispatched a herald to him, calling him a coward and challenging him to come down and fight on the plain. Antigonus replied that he would choose his own moment to fight and that if Pyrrhus was weary of life, he could find many ways to die. The next days with the use of the tagma mounted archers and lithovolos catapults Antigonus forced to leave the high ground and vastly outnumbered, crushed from the combine arms forces of Epirus and Massalia. Antigonus II died in battle.
*Pyrrhus army: twenty-five thousand foot, two thousand horse, and twenty-four elephants. Massillot League army: One tagma and five thousand Hellenized Gauls.
- The Venetii - Pictones war end in stalemate.
By place
Seleucid Empire
- The Seleucid king Antiochus I Soter is defeated by Egypt's Ptolemy II during the First Syrian War. Ptolemy II annexes Miletus,Phoenicia and western Cilicia from Antiochus. As a result, Ptolemy II extends Egyptian rule as far as Caria and into most of Cilicia.
- Egypt's victories solidify the kingdom's position as the undisputed naval power of the eastern Mediterranean; the Ptolemaic sphere of power now extends over the Cyclades to Samothrace, and the harbours and coastal towns of Cilicia Trachea, Pamphylia, Lyciaand Caria.
- Pyrrhus' departure from southern Italy three years earlier leads to the Samnites finally being conquered by the Romans. With the surrender of Tarentum, the cities of Magna Graecia in southern Italy come under Roman influence and become Roman allies. Rome now effectively dominates all of the Italian peninsula.
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The city of Athens was without doubt the most important cultural centre of the Ancient World’s Classical Period. Later, during the Hellenistic period, and despite a decrease in its importance due to the advent of new political centres and cultural forces, it did not cease to be an important city and an essential centre of considerable artistic radiance. In the new Hellenism that emerged from Alexander the Great’s expeditions, the city occupied a special place for its heritage. In OTL its was most of the time under Macedonian rule.
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Yes Pyrrhus in OTL died in 272 BC in Argos at the age of 48.
In my timeline a major POD happened in 272 BC.
Is it?Not really,there were plenty of armies transported by boat during the period that were larger than that.
Artaxerxes
Banned
And it was a logistical nightmare, there were plenty of armies moved around in the Punic wars but thats with the full force of 2 warring states in play.
Which were actually much larger than 12k.So,it's not really much of a problem if a proper preparations were made.
That.. that is a lot of civilians to ship. Plus, a huge increase in the number of Greeks. 50,000 people are going to be a sudden strain on Massaliot infrastructure, let alone the shipping.
It looks like the league should consider settling some more cities - ideally near new resources. Might be looking at more expansion near Emporion, perhaps settling towards the Ebro (Barcelona has a Hercules myth, might be worth following up on).
Alternatively, if the Massalian League wants to do more Atlantic work, settling more people in Naucratis, or a second major Atlantic city may be beneficial as well.
Unless there are other plans....
It looks like the league should consider settling some more cities - ideally near new resources. Might be looking at more expansion near Emporion, perhaps settling towards the Ebro (Barcelona has a Hercules myth, might be worth following up on).
Alternatively, if the Massalian League wants to do more Atlantic work, settling more people in Naucratis, or a second major Atlantic city may be beneficial as well.
Unless there are other plans....
Actually its not that extreme. Elea was like Massalia a Phocaean city. Phocaeans had a big navy tradition and Elea was not an exception . So when they abandon their city, with the help of Massaliot League, they use and their own ships.The Massaliot league escort them with ten quinqemeres but the majority of the fleet was the Elea military and trade ships.
There is a lot of empty land though.Having so much land in Southern Gaul but only having a population under 400k means that there's plenty of room to grow.By all means Southern Gaul has some of the most fertile soil of Western Europe.That.. that is a lot of civilians to ship. Plus, a huge increase in the number of Greeks. 50,000 people are going to be a sudden strain on Massaliot infrastructure, let alone the shipping.
It looks like the league should consider settling some more cities - ideally near new resources. Might be looking at more expansion near Emporion, perhaps settling towards the Ebro (Barcelona has a Hercules myth, might be worth following up on).
Alternatively, if the Massalian League wants to do more Atlantic work, settling more people in Naucratis, or a second major Atlantic city may be beneficial as well.
Unless there are other plans....
That.. that is a lot of civilians to ship. Plus, a huge increase in the number of Greeks. 50,000 people are going to be a sudden strain on Massaliot infrastructure, let alone the shipping.
It looks like the league should consider settling some more cities - ideally near new resources. Might be looking at more expansion near Emporion, perhaps settling towards the Ebro (Barcelona has a Hercules myth, might be worth following up on).
Alternatively, if the Massalian League wants to do more Atlantic work, settling more people in Naucratis, or a second major Atlantic city may be beneficial as well.
Unless there are other plans....
The fifty thousands Greeks settle in Massaliot League in a period of three years(273-271 BC). It didn't happen in a night . Besides that, Massaliot Leaue was thirsty for more Greeks, same as Ptolemaic Egypt and Seleucids empire. It was a custom of that period to be given lands and in return join the ranks of the army.
Also Aquatani lands was low populated(same as OTL)and plenty of land was available. Emporium, Tolosa, Therma and Naucratia also boost their population. Nevertheless a new city in Atlantic is quite possible