External links
- LibriVox: The History of the Peloponnesian War (Public Domain Audiobooks in the USA - 20:57:23 hours, at least 603.7 MB)
- Richard Crawley, The History of the Peloponnesian War (Translation of Thukydides' books – in Project Gutenberg)
| Battle of Lyncestis | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Illyrians Lyncestians | Spartans Macedonians | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Arrhabaeus | Brasidas, Perdiccas II | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 4,000 Illyrians | 3,000 Hellenic hoplites 1,000 Macedonian cavalry and Chalcidians | ||||||
The Battle of Lyncestis/Lyncus took place in 423 BC between the allied forces of the Lyncestians and Illyrians against those of the Spartans and Macedonians. The battle was part of the wider Peloponnesian Wars. Before Athens suffered defeat at Delium in 424 BC, Sparta had sent an expedition under Brasidas to assist Perdiccas II of Macedonia and other opponents of Athens. At first Sparta avoided involvement in Macedon's war with Arrhabaeus, but in 423 BC they joined an expedition which ended with retreat by the Macedonians and a brilliantly contrived escape of the Spartans. [1]
After the initial joint Illyrian and Lyncestian attack was repulsed, they pursued the Macedonians and blocked Brasidas' route at a pass, forcing his army up the surrounding hill and into Macedonia. This brought to a head the quarrel between Brasidas and Perdiccas. [2] [ full citation needed ]
Arrhabaeus, the rebellious king of Lyncestis (also Lyncus), was subject to Perdiccas, whom Perdiccas at the time wanted to subordinate to Argead control. [3] Much of what is known about the Macedonian kings before Alexander I relates to their struggles against Illyrian incursions. These Illyrian raids penetrated western Macedonia and threatened the Argead territory in the central plain. A century later the Illyrians continued to press their claim by joining Arrhabaeus. [4] In 423 BC Sirras married the daughter of Arrhabaeus. Some claim that the Illyrians were under Sirras when the battle took place but this is not supported in historiography (Thucydides incidentally never makes any mention of Sirras). If the Illyrians were indeed under the rule of Sirras during the events of the battle, then they were either the Taulantii [5] or Enchelii, [6] [ verification needed ] depending on the affiliation of Sirras with either tribe and the exact location of his kingdom.
Perdiccas II was allied to the Spartans and, in 424 BC, helped the Spartan general, Brasidas, to take Amphipolis from the Athenians, one of her most important colonies, mainly for its ready access to timber for her fleets. This was a severe blow to Athens, and would tie them to Macedonian timber for years to come, which strengthened Macedonia’s bargaining power considerably. In return for this, and after initial reluctance, the Spartans helped Perdiccas secure his borders, by leading an assault on King Arrhabaeus, with the promise of support from the Illyrians. [7] [ verification needed ]
Brasidas and Perdiccas started on a second joint expedition into Lyncestis. Perdiccas was leading the forces of the Macedonians he ruled over and a body of hoplites. Brasidas had with him Chalcidians, Acanthians and such forces as the other allies could have contributed, in addition to the rest of the Peloponnesians in the area. In all three there were about 3,000 southern Greek hoplites, accompanied by all the (Northern Greek) Macedonian cavalry together with the Chalcidians, almost 1,000 strong, besides an immense number of barbarians.[ citation needed ]
On entering Lyncestis, Brasidas and Perdiccas found the Lyncestians encamped and waiting for them, so Brasidas and Perdiccas took up a position opposite. The infantry on either side were on hills, with a plain between them, into which the cavalry of both armies galloped down and engaged . After this, the Lyncestian hoplites advanced from their hill to join their cavalry and offered battle; in response to which Brasidas and Perdiccas also came down to meet them, and engaged and routed them with heavy loss; the survivors taking refuge upon the heights and there remaining disengaged. Brasidas and Perdiccas then waited two or three days for the Illyrian mercenaries who were to join Perdiccas. Perdiccas then wished to go on and attack the villages of Arrhabaeus, but Brasidas refused. He was anxious to return, as the Illyrians had not appeared, and he feared that the Athenians might sail up during his absence and attack Mende. [8]
In the meantime, the news arrived that the Illyrians had actually betrayed Perdiccas and allied instead with Arrhabaeus. The fear inspired by their warlike character made both parties now think it best to withdraw. However, owing to the disagreement between Brasidas and Perdiccas, nothing had been settled as to when they should retreat. During the night the Macedonians and their allies, believing that an army of Illyrians many times more numerous than that which had arrived was advancing, took fright. This compelled Perdiccas to flee in the direction of his homeland. At daybreak, Brasidas, seeing that the Macedonians had gone, and that the Illyrians and Arrhabaeus were on the point of attacking him, formed his hoplites into a square with the light troops in the centre, and prepared to retreat. Posting his youngest soldiers to dash out where ever the Illyrians and Lyncestians should attack them, Brasidas and 300 picked men went to the rear intending to face about during the retreat and to beat off the most forward of their assailants.[ citation needed ]
Meanwhile, before the Illyrians approached, Brasidas sought to sustain the courage of his soldiers, clearly shaken by the fearsome appearance of a new enemy: [9] [ verification needed ]
The present enemy might terrify an inexperienced imagination; they are formidable in outward bulk; their loud yelling is unbearable; and the brandishing of their weapons in the air has a threatening appearance. But when it comes to real fighting with an opponent who stands his ground, they are not what they seemed; they have no regular order that they should be ashamed of deserting their positions when hard pressed; flight and attack are equally honourable with them, and afford no test of courage; their independent mode of fighting never leaving anyone who wants to run away without a fair excuse for doing so.
After this brief address, Brasidas began to lead off his army. Seeing this, the Illyrians and Lyncestians came on with much shouting and noise, thinking that he was fleeing and that they would overtake him and cut him off. But each time they charged they found the young men ready to dash out against them, while Brasidas with his picked company backed them up. Thus the Peloponnesians withstood the first attack, to the surprise of their enemy, and afterwards received and repulsed them as fast as they came on, retiring as soon as their enemy became quiet. The main body of the Illyrians and Lyncestians ceased to molest Brasidas and his troops once they were in open country, and left just a part of their forces behind to follow them and keep up the attacks. The rest made off at a run after the fleeing Macedonians, killing any they caught, and went on ahead to take control of the narrow pass that lay between two hills and led into Lyncestis, knowing that Brasidas had no other line of retreat. Therefore, as he approached the most difficult part of the route they began to encircle him to cut him off. [10]
Realising what was happening, Brasidas gave orders to the 300 men to break ranks and each run as fast as he could to the nearest hill. He thought it easiest to capture and to try and dislodge the Illyrians and Lyncestians already there before the larger encircling group could join them. His men attacked and overpowered the party on the hill, enabling the main body of Peloponnesians to make their way to join them with relatively little difficulty. [8] : 295
Brasidas now that he had taken the high ground, went on in greater security to Arnisa, the first place he reached in Perdiccas’ state. His soldiers were furious at the premature retreat of the Macedonians, and whenever they came across any of their oxcarts or any baggage that had fallen off, they would cut loose and slaughter the oxen and take the baggage for themselves. It was from this point that Perdiccas started think of Brasidas as an enemy, and from then on he nursed a lasting hatred of the Peloponnesians.[ citation needed ]
Amyntas III was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 393/2 to 388/7 BC and again from 387/6 to 370 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty through his father Arrhidaeus, a son of Amyntas, one of the sons of Alexander I. His most famous son is Philip II, father of Alexander the Great.
The Peloponnesian War was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time, until the decisive intervention of the Persian Empire in support of Sparta. Led by Lysander, the Spartan fleet, built with Persian subsidies, finally defeated Athens and started a period of Spartan hegemony over Greece.
This article concerns the period 429 BC – 420 BC.
Year 424 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Tribunate of Crassus, Fidenas, Rutilus and Iullus. The denomination 424 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
Brasidas was the most distinguished Spartan officer during the first decade of the Peloponnesian War. He died during the Second Battle of Amphipolis while winning one of his most spectacular victories.
Perdiccas II was the king of Macedonia from 454 BC until his death in 413 BC. During the Peloponnesian War, he frequently switched sides between Sparta and Athens.
The Battle of Spartolos took place in 429 BC between Athens and the Chalcidian League and their allies, in the early part of the Peloponnesian War.
The Battle of Naupactus was a naval battle in the Peloponnesian War. The battle, which took place a week after the Athenian victory at Rhium, set an Athenian fleet of twenty ships, commanded by Phormio, against a Peloponnesian fleet of seventy-seven ships, commanded by Cnemus.
The Battle of Amphipolis was fought in 422 BC during the Second Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. It was the culmination of events that began in 424 BC with the capture of Amphipolis by the Spartans.
The First Battle of Mantinea of 418 BC was an engagement during the Peloponnesian War. Sparta and its allies defeated an army led by Argos and Athens.
The Battle of Potidaea was fought in 432 BC between Athens and a combined army from Corinth and Potidaea, along with their various allies. Along with the Battle of Sybota, it was one of the catalysts for the Peloponnesian War.
Eurydice was an Ancient Macedonian queen and wife of king Amyntas III of Macedon.
Lynkestis, Lyncestis, Lyngistis, Lynkos or Lyncus was a region and principality traditionally located in Upper Macedonia. It was the northernmost mountainous region of Upper Macedonia, located east of the Prespa Lakes.
Sirras or Sirrhas was either an Illyrian chieftain or a Lynkestian prince-regent under king Arrhabaeus of Lynkestis.
The Argead dynasty, also known as the Temenid dynasty was an ancient Macedonian royal house of Dorian Greek provenance. They were the founders and the ruling dynasty of the kingdom of Macedon from about 700 to 310 BC.
The Illyrians were a group of Indo-European speaking peoples, who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, along with the Thracians and Greeks.
The Battle of Erigon Valley or the Battle of Lyncus Plain took place in 358 BC between the Illyrians under Bardyllis and the Macedonians under Philip II. After forty years on continuous Illyrian dominance and expansion under Bardyllis, Philip II after marrying Audata, an Illyrian princess, marched into Illyria and confronted the Illyrian tribesmen. The battle described by Diodorus and Frontinus shows the power and excellence of both the Macedonian and Illyrian armies.
The kingdom of Macedonia was an ancient state in what is now the Macedonian region of northern Greece, founded in the mid-7th century BC during the period of Archaic Greece and lasting until the mid-2nd century BC. Led first by the Argead dynasty of kings, Macedonia became a vassal state of the Achaemenid Empire of ancient Persia during the reigns of Amyntas I of Macedon and his son Alexander I of Macedon. The period of Achaemenid Macedonia came to an end in roughly 479 BC with the ultimate Greek victory against the second Persian invasion of Greece led by Xerxes I and the withdrawal of Persian forces from the European mainland.
Aristeus, son of Adeimantus, was a Corinthian general who commanded the expedition to Potidaea in 432 BC. After the Athenians broke a truce with the Corinthians at Sybota, his primary goal was to defend Potidaea from an Athenian attack. He then went on to defend the Corinthian colony from Athens during the Battle of Potidaea in 432 BC, until he was left with no option but to leave the colony with the Chalcidians. In 430 BC, he traveled to Thrace with Spartan envoys where they were discovered by Athenians and brought to Athens, by Athenian ambassadors, where they were promptly killed without a trial. After Aristeus' death, Athens seized Potidaea in 430/429 BC during the Peloponnesian War, the battles of Sybota and Potidaea being two main catalysts for the war.
Cnemus was the Spartan fleet commander during the second and third years of the Archidamian War. During his command, Cnemus oversaw a series of operations that met with failure. As a result, the Spartans began to question Cnemus' leadership and sent several advisers to assist him in his command.
