The Lyginus River The Battle of Pelium 335 BCE

Danube River Valley, 335 BCE -- Upon the assassination of his father,  Philip of Macedon, Alexander took possession of an empire stricken by revolts in many sectors.  Many of the Greek cities ejected or attempted to expel the Macedonian garrison.  Philip's lieutenant, Parmenion, commanded a large portion of the Macedonian army on an expedition into Asia.  The Illyrian and Thracian tribes on the west and northern borders, never fully quelled by Philip and unfamiliar with Alexander, went into open revolt.

In Philip, Alexander could have had no better teacher in the military arts.   But no empire can bring the sword to bear everytime a disagreement arises.   For his education in all else, Alexander enjoyed the tutelage of none other than the legendary philosopher Aristotle.  The result was a young man with an uncanny talent for knowing when to press and when to impress.

Alexander solidified his position in Greece by first moving against a restless Thessaly.  The Thessalian cavalry were a critical asset to the Macedonian army, and when assessing his present position, Alexander rightly decided that it was more important to be Archon of the Thessalian Federation than General of the Confederacy of Corinth.    Advancing to the defile of Tempe,   Alexander found the pass blocked by Thessalian defenders.  Aware that he was at a tactical disadvantage, Alexander detached a portion of his army to blaze a new path along the seaside slope of Mt. Ossa.  Appearing at the rear of the Thessalian force, Alexander preferred terms to combat.  Without any bloodshed, Alexander was able to secure Thessalian fealty and their assistance in securing the remainder of Greece if necessary.  Alexander then made his way to Thermopylae, where he convened the Amphictiotic council and was elected Hegemon (Captain-General) of Greece.  Conspicuously absent from the vote was Thebes and Athens, but upon moving against Thebes, both cities hastily pledged their support and another vote was held in Corinth for the purpose of allowing the tardy votes to be counted.  Only Sparta then held themselves aloof from these proceedings, and Alexander allowed them to retain their isolationist stand.  Holding maneuvers in the Peloponnesis, Alexander declared the city states would retain home-rule, then retired to Pella for the winter, his southern and eastern flanks secured for the moment.

The next threat manifested itself along the northern and western borders of Macedonia.  The Illyrians under Clitus, the Taulantinians under Glaucias, and the Autariatians all rebelled at once.  Of more immediate concern was the threat caused by the Thracian Triballians to the north along the Danube.

Philip had previously tussled with the Triballians without ever reaching a conclusive result.   Intent on shortly embarking upon a lengthy campaign in Asia, any question as to the security of his borders was unacceptable to Alexander.   Moving north from Amphipolis, Alexander crossed through the land of the Odryssians, a tribe of uncertain allegiance.  Alexander then had the first of three encounters with the Triballians at the pass through Mount Haemus.

Armed with only a dagger and hunting spear, and clad in animal skins, the Triballians had no stomach for direct confrontation with the highly organized Macedonian phalanx.  To this end, the Triballians took up a defensive position in the high ground in front of Mt Haemus.  Building a rampart, their plan was to send a barrage of chariots and wagons down the slope, crashing into the dense phalanx.  During the ensuing disruption, they would descent upon the Macedonians, their shorter weapons better suited for close in melee.

Knowing of this plan, Alexander ordered the phalanx to open lanes where the cascading wagons could pass without incident.  Those that could not get out of the way were assume a tortoise position behind their shields, interlocking them with others to form an impregnable shell.  The wagons and chariots thus passed through without incident, not a single Macedonian was harmed in the assault.  Now it was time for Alexander to take the offensive.  Archers were dispatched on the right flank to rain arrows upon the defenders.  Alexander took a contingent of hypaspists and Agrianians to attack the left flank.  The phalanx closed in the center, quickly dispersing the Triballian defenders, killing some 1500 of the enemy.

Alexander then made for the Danube to end the Thracian threat.  Upon crossing the Lyginus River, the Triballians circled behind and attempted to secure the passes in Alexander's rear.  Alexander countermarched, catching the Triballians along the bank of the Lyginus.  Once again, the barbarians held the high ground and forests, making a direct assault a difficult proposition.  Alexander commanded the phalanx himself, deploying his archers and light troops in front to draw the Triballians from their secure positions.  The light troops were easily routed, the overconfident Triballians giving chase.  Philotas, at the head of the cavalry, fell upon the Thracian right, Heraclides and Sopolis bringing more calvary to bear on their left.   Alexander engaged with the phalanx in the center, and the Triballian army was again routed.  Three thousand Triballians were killed while Alexander suffered a loss of only fifty men.

Before embarking upon the Triballian campaign, Alexander sent his fleet to the Danube.  The far side of the Danube was held by the Getae, numbering about 4,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry.  The Getae had allied with the remnants of the Triballians who, under their king Syrmus, were occupying the river island of Peuce.   An expeditionary force of archers upon river vessels was unable to make any headway on the island, and Alexander pulled back for the meantime. 

The Getae had expected many days of preparation before Alexander would be ready to cross the Danube.  Unknown to the Getae, Alexander's fleet and local fishing vessels were sufficient for Alexander to transport 1500 cavalry and 4000 infantry in a single evening.  Astounded at the appearance of the Macedonian army after a single evening, the Getae lost all nerve, first fleeing to their city then abandoning it all together as Alexander raised the outpost.  The Getae had been taught to respect Macedonian power and would no longer pose a threat.  Alexander then received envoys from Syrmus and and Adriatic Celts, in addition to other tribes in the region and negotiated a peace.

Next, Alexander turned southwest to deal with the Illyrian uprising.   Already, Clitus had seized the outpost and pass at Pelium on the river Apsos.   This pass was the only route separating the western barbarians from Macedon and as such was a deemed of critical strategic importance.  In addition to the Illyrians, the Autariatians were also rumored to be preparing an attack on the Macedonian flank as they passed towards Pelium.  To further complicate the situation, the Greeks were also becoming restless.

A measure of relief was provided by Langarus, king of the faithful Agrianians.   The Agrianians attacked deep into Autariatian territory, compelling them to remain in their hills.  Alexander made an attempt to quickly seize Pelium, but found it well fortified and Clitus' troops well protected within the outposts walls.  Alexander began constructing walls of contavallation and circumvallation.  Contravallation is an encirclement intended to keep the besieged confined within its walls, circumvallation to prevent external relief from reaching the city.  Before this action could be completed, Glaucias, king of the Taulantians, arrived with an enormous force occupying the high ground to the east.  Any attempt by Alexander to move upon Pelium would result Glaucias attacking his rear, cutting supply and avenues of retreat.  To make matters worse, Alexander's army was running low on provisions and could not afford to hold out until reinforcements arrived, the Illyrians had no such handicap.

Alexander was in a serious predicament.  He could not afford a delay, time and rations being his enemy.  He could not boldly seek confrontation, the Illyrians outnumbered him many times over and possessed all of the favorable terrain.  Clitus and Glaucias understood their advantage, and were enjoying Alexander's difficulty.   Neither of them were likely to do anything rash that could undermine their position.  Retreat for Alexander was not an option, he was simply not familiar with the term.  It was a difficult situation to be sure, but Alexander must have Pelium, so this situation must be resolved with the tools on hand.

Alexander's solution was straight from a Hollywood script.  Upon the plains of Pelium, in full view of the amassed Illyrian troops, he sent his Phalanx, 120 men deep into the field to perform a variety of battlefield formations and drills.  Protected on the flanks by the cavalry, the Macedonians put on a dazzling display of precision in a manner which   Philip's phalanx was the master.  This parade amazed and awed the Illyrians, and must have gone on for quite sometime as the barbarians were caught off guard once the attack began.

As if part of the revue, Alexander deployed the phalanx into a wedge then suddenly attacked a nearby enemy position.  The barbarians instantly panicked and fled.   Clitus's Triballians, who had been outside the gates of Pelium, became unnerved by the war cries and spear-on-shield banging of the Macedonians and retreated within the city walls.  The enemy in disarray, Alexander was able to seize the ford in the Apsos River, providing a secure position where their rear was protected and a supply route was available.  Certain that the Macedonians were in retreat, the barbarians left their position in the high ground to pursue.  Alexander bought to bear his archers and siege engines to rain down a variety of projectiles.  This was the first recorded use of artillery in battle.  A mock surge by the heavy infantry caused the barbarians to back off enough for the remaining troops to ford the river.   Alexander had reversed his fortune without losing a single soldier.

Three days later, Alexander's scouts reported that Clitus and Glaucias were deployed in a careless, extended manner in front of the city.   Under the cover of darkness, Alexander crossed with the Agrianians, his archers, and the heavy infantry of Perdiccas and Coenus.   Not waiting for the remainder of his troops to arrive, Alexander formed the heavy infantry into a phalanx and set upon the slumbering barbarians, slaughtering many of them in their beds.  The remnants fled into the Taulantian Mountains.  Clitus fled into the city, failing to hold it, he set it afire and left to join Glaucias on the Adriatic coast. 

Alexander reestablished the outpost, garrisoning it in such a manner as to never again be concerned with security in this region.  Clitus and Glaucius agreed to terms, and the barbarians were now quite familiar with Alexander the Great.

Maps by T.A. Dodge
Illustration by Clive Sprong

Jeff Vitous

Further Reading

A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great
J.B. Bury and Russell Meiggs
St. Martin's Press, 1980  ISBN 0 312 37940 4

Alexander
Theodore Ayrault Dodge
De Capo Press, 1996  ISBN 0 306 80690 8

Lives
Plutarch
Translation by John Dryden

Warfare in the Classical World
John Warry
University of Oklahoma Press, Norman,  1995  ISBN 0-8061-2794-5

The Game

Favored Side:  Danubian
Suitability for Solitaire:  Excellent as the Macedonian.   There are two ways to win, withdrawing 50 TQ points worth of units across the Apsos, or by inflicting 80 rout points damage on the Danubians.  The latter is among the most challenging accomplishments in the series.
Suitability for Multiplayer:  Poor  The Macedonians are hugely outnumbered and their only hope is if Alexander has enough initiative (and the Danubian's lack thereof) to cross the river and escape.

Strategy - Macedonian
You only have 30 rout points to lose, so any loss can be devastating.   If you are taking the withdrawal path to victory, first get the phalanx out of play, followed by the hypaspists then finally the fast moving cavalry.  The Agrianians and archers should be sacrificed as pickets if necessary.  Some cavalry might also serve in this role.

I have only found one successful strategy for victory by conquest.  First, send the archers to try and assassinate Clitus.  If you can't kill or wound him, you likely won't win.  The phalanx and hypaspists should charge Glaucias position, routing everything in its way yet avoiding becoming completely immersed in the Danubian troops.  The cavalry should harass Arrhibaeus' advance on your right -- your best hope is low initiative on this flank.  The Agrianians should try and keep Clitus' troops confined within the Pelium as long as possible.

Strategy - Danubian
You have a huge numerical advantage, and plenty of rout points to spare.   Concentrate first on bringing troops to contact with the Macedonian, engaging them in combat.  If you can forestall their retreat, bring reinforcements in for the kill.   If the Macedonians come after you, all the better.  Concentrate your efforts at bringing more troops to bear on the Macedonians, do not concern yourself with managing troops already engaged.  Keep Clitus away from the archers.

Notes
  The Macedonian can win by withdrawing 50 TQ points of units across the Apsos.  To withdraw units, move them across the ford and onto one of the three road hexes on the north border of the map.
   

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