OK,
I'll admit this is a slight stretch from the start but bear with me,As It involves a number of slight p.o.d to the ORL and I'm not use to writing alternate History,
Everyone knows(hopefully) how the battle of Matinea was a key conflict in the peloponnesian war.
Where Sparta and it's allied cavalry served a significant defeat on Athens/the Argives and their coalition.
(Anyone who is less versed in this period of time just read the wiki page, for once it's not actually too bad in explaining the real time line https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mantinea_(418_BC) )
this timeline has 3 points of divergence and one point that irrevocably stays the same.
Firstly that Sprats's allies to the North in this conflict as in OTL arrive too late to have an impact on the battle.
Secondly, that the approximately 3,500 (I prefer too take the higher number but less experienced soldiers view) of the Elean contingent decide to stick with the coalition instead of withdrawing to attack the border town of Lepreum. This results in the Athenian/Argive army actually having a 2,000 advantage in manpower over the Spartan forces but still a deficit in Cavalry.
The hardest to explain diversion would be the Argive alliance gaining control of Tegea about 2-3 days before the Spartans reached it.
As Sparta would still choose to send a sixth of it's oldest and youngest to defend other territory we
3,500 sparitate+ 600 trained Sicrati and 2000 Helots(slaves) to boost the ranks plus the allied force numbered at a generous 1,500 cavarly and 1.5k infantry
so approximately 5,600 "trained" infantry and 1,500 cavalry and 2000 helots would be left facing
11,00 Argive/Athenian troops.
of which approximately 1000-1500 would be heavy infantry with a further 3000 experienced Argives,1000 mi Cleonaeans, Orneans, Aeginetans and other allied infantry plus the 3500 Elean force as a reserve
with the coaltion cavlary at appriximately 1000)
Given Sparta's superiority in infantry conflict and little reliance on cavalry would compel them too bear the brunt of the attack in this timeline against larger force.
The cavalry would reach a stalemate
This would allow coalition infantry to rout the helots whilst the Athenians took immense losses. Ultimately resulting in a Coalition victory but with such large casualties(considering in OTL sparta lost approx 400 vs 1.1k ) this would make it more of a stalemate with the cavalry, whilst the spartans would prevail with heavy losses( 30-40%) and the slave army withdrawing allowing the flanks to turn.
with the Allies actually losing the same amount but off-set by the reserve Elean forces
In this instance no decisive victory is achieved by either side.
Both suffer similar losses but the Argive/Athian group have more men and the control of Tegea effectively confining Sparta to Laconia.
What happens next?
I'll admit this is a slight stretch from the start but bear with me,As It involves a number of slight p.o.d to the ORL and I'm not use to writing alternate History,
Everyone knows(hopefully) how the battle of Matinea was a key conflict in the peloponnesian war.
Where Sparta and it's allied cavalry served a significant defeat on Athens/the Argives and their coalition.
(Anyone who is less versed in this period of time just read the wiki page, for once it's not actually too bad in explaining the real time line https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mantinea_(418_BC) )
this timeline has 3 points of divergence and one point that irrevocably stays the same.
Firstly that Sprats's allies to the North in this conflict as in OTL arrive too late to have an impact on the battle.
Secondly, that the approximately 3,500 (I prefer too take the higher number but less experienced soldiers view) of the Elean contingent decide to stick with the coalition instead of withdrawing to attack the border town of Lepreum. This results in the Athenian/Argive army actually having a 2,000 advantage in manpower over the Spartan forces but still a deficit in Cavalry.
The hardest to explain diversion would be the Argive alliance gaining control of Tegea about 2-3 days before the Spartans reached it.
As Sparta would still choose to send a sixth of it's oldest and youngest to defend other territory we
3,500 sparitate+ 600 trained Sicrati and 2000 Helots(slaves) to boost the ranks plus the allied force numbered at a generous 1,500 cavarly and 1.5k infantry
so approximately 5,600 "trained" infantry and 1,500 cavalry and 2000 helots would be left facing
11,00 Argive/Athenian troops.
of which approximately 1000-1500 would be heavy infantry with a further 3000 experienced Argives,1000 mi Cleonaeans, Orneans, Aeginetans and other allied infantry plus the 3500 Elean force as a reserve
with the coaltion cavlary at appriximately 1000)
Given Sparta's superiority in infantry conflict and little reliance on cavalry would compel them too bear the brunt of the attack in this timeline against larger force.
The cavalry would reach a stalemate
This would allow coalition infantry to rout the helots whilst the Athenians took immense losses. Ultimately resulting in a Coalition victory but with such large casualties(considering in OTL sparta lost approx 400 vs 1.1k ) this would make it more of a stalemate with the cavalry, whilst the spartans would prevail with heavy losses( 30-40%) and the slave army withdrawing allowing the flanks to turn.
with the Allies actually losing the same amount but off-set by the reserve Elean forces
In this instance no decisive victory is achieved by either side.
Both suffer similar losses but the Argive/Athian group have more men and the control of Tegea effectively confining Sparta to Laconia.
What happens next?
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