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Battle of Orchomenus, c.352 BC
The battle of Orchomenus (c.352 BC) was the first in a series of defeats suffered by the Phocian leader Phayllus during a failed invasion of Boeotia (Third Sacred War).
Diodorus gives contradictory dates for these events. He places the events in the year of the 107th Olympiad (356 BC), the year in which Aristodemus was Archon at Athens (352-351 BC) and the year in which Gaius Sulpicius and M. Valerius were consuls at Rome (353 BC). A best guess is that he meant the 108th Olympiad, of 352 BC.
In 353 BC the Phocians suffered a very heavy defeat at the hands of Philip II of Macedon at the Battle of the Crocus Field in Thessaly. They are reported to have lost 9,000 men from their army of 20,000, amongst them their leader Onomarchus. They were probably saved from invasion by Philip's decision to settle the affairs of Thessaly before moving south, which gave the Athenians time to garrison Thermopylae. Philip decided not to risk a battle, and returned home.
Onomarchus was replaced by his brother Phayllus, who managed to recruit a new army. He used the loot from Delphi to hire mercenaries. Lycophron and Peitholaus, the defeated tyrants of Pherae, went into exile in Phocis with 2,000 men. According to Diodorus (16.37.3) Sparta sent 1,000 men, Achaea 2,000 and Athens 5,000 infantry and 400 cavalry commanded by Nausicles. These contingents alone would have given Phocis 10,400 men, not counting their own troops and their mercenaries.
Phayllus proved to be less than successful as a military commander. He used his revived army to invade Boeotia, but suffered a series of defeats. The first of them came near the city of Orchomenus, on the north-western shores of Lake Copais. Diodorus provides no details of the battle itself, but does report that Phayllus lost a great deal of men.
This first defeat was followed by further setbacks at the Cephisus River and at Coroneia.
Background
After his victory over Archelaus at Chaeronea, Sulla set out for Thessaly to meet the consul Flaccus coming from Italy (although Sulla was unaware he had been sent to attack him, not to join with him). On the way, he heard reports that Dorylaeus had landed at Chalcis with a sizeable fleet transporting eighty thousand of Mithridates' best troops to reinforce Archelaus. Dorylaeus wanted to tempt Sulla to fight as soon as possible, and Sulla cooperated by abruptly turning around to meet this new threat. After a skirmish with Sulla's troops, Dorylaeus began to rethink the idea of giving battle and instead promoted a strategy to wear the enemy down. On the other hand, Archelaus' confidence was raised by the flat terrain around their camp at Orchomenus, which favored their superior cavalry.
DG05 Orchomenus (85 BC)
Historical Background
After his defeat at Chaeronea Archelaus took refuge in Chalcis. The Romans due to Pontic command of the sea’s where unable to cross the Euripus channel. After being reinforced by Dortlaus the Pontic army crossed back to Greece.
Sulla on hearing of the crossing turned south abandoning his campaign against Flaccus who had landed his main body following Chaeronea.
After a brief skirmish at Tilphossium the Pontic army went onto the defensive setting up camp at Orchomenus. Stretching out from this natural defensive position was the plain of Orchomenus a flat treeless expanse ideal for the Pontic cavalry.
Sulla took up position in the plain and started construction of trenches to protect his flanks from cavalry attack. Archelaus was forced to attack or abandon Orchomenus. This attack was pushing back the Roman left until Sulla leapt of his Horse grabbed a standard and advanced against the enemy shouting “If any asks you where you left your chief in the lurch you can tell them it was at Orchomenus”. The Roman wings held of the Pontic cavalry and the centre through the chariots back into their own lines causing a general retreat to camp which was stormed the next day many of those who escaped the Roman sword died crossing the fens.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. The rest is history.
Geography [ edit ]
Sulla advanced his army from Athens and into Boeotia, where he met up with Hortensius, who had advanced southward from Thessaly, at Philoboetus. Γ] Α] Hortensius himself had moved through the mountains with a guide intent on avoiding an ambush. Γ] Α] Baker remarks that this movement put Sulla in a favourable position, his supplies were secure, wood and water were plentiful, the roads into Thessaly could be watched and guarded with ease, and the hills provided an advantage. Γ] Α] Baker describes this position as "commanding the Elatean plain and the valley of Cephisus." Γ] Sulla was determined to dictate the time and place of the battle. Ζ]
Taxiles and his large force had to go north through a defile, before turning into the narrower valley, between Orchomenos and Chaeronea to meet up with Archelaus and his forces. Γ] Α] The consequence of this was that once Taxiles and his forces arrived, it became impossible for the forces to retreat and instead had to stand and fight. Γ] This force was encamped in the valley in a position which allowed the commanders to watch the Roman army. Ζ] Archelaus intended to pursue a war of attrition, Taxiles with his far larger force, however, was determined to defeat the Romans in battle and insisted on an engagement and, given the circumstances, Archelaus was in no position to refuse. ⎖]
Significance [ edit | edit source ]
The Theban victory at Tegyra had little immediate military significance, beyond the survival of Pelopidas's force the Spartan force, once regrouped within Orchomenus, was far too formidable for Pelopidas to press his advantage. Despite this fact, the victory was a symbolically significant event for both sides. Diodorus Siculus records that the victory at Tegyra marked the first time the Thebans had erected a trophy of victory over a Spartan force—for while the Thebans had defeated the Spartans before, these victories had generally been in much smaller skirmishes. Β] For the Spartans, on the other hand, their defeat at Tegyra marked the first occasion on which one of their formations had been defeated by a force of equal or lesser size in set battle. Ώ] For these reasons, Plutarch saw in Pelopidas' victory at Tegyra a "prelude to Leuctra", Ώ] with the limited victory in 375 anticipating the day 4 years later when a similarly outnumbered Theban phalanx would deal Sparta a blow from which it would never recover.
Marius talks with the Cimbri negotiators.
Marius then defeated the Cimbri at Vercellae. His victory at Vercellae resulted in the total destruction of the German migration and the end of the Cimbric War. Marius was given the glory of the victory and was styled by the populace as the “third founder of Rome” – following in the footsteps of the legendary founder of Rome, Romulus, and Camillus.
This was followed by a rise in the status of Marius and the plebs and a decline in the popularity of the patricians (nobility). Divisions began to form between the people who loved Marius and the patricians who hated him.
During that year, Rome also became the supreme power in North Africa and Marius was elected consul prior for a fourth time.
Greatest number of combat deaths in one day, ever?
The Soviets lost on average 3,125 men every day for the 160 days of battle at Stalingrad. However, it's likely that some days saw significantly higher and lower losses than this - and also most kills were probably during daylight hours.
German losses were around 300,000, so that's roughly 1,875 men every day.
So on average about 5,000 men died every day during the Battle of Stalingrad - a figure which gives about 800,000 deaths in total.
Thinking about it like this, it's truly horrific. The battle really was a death factory. Absolute slaughter.
Eamonn10
Eamonn10
Sun in Splendour
Caesarmagnus
Eamonn10
Majasprat
Caesarmagnus
Caesarmagnus
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tigranocerta"]Battle of Tigranocerta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] (supposedly over 100,000 killed)
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Orchomenus"]Battle of Orchomenus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] (ignoring Wikipedia for a minute, Appian lists the force as 90,000 strong, and while the battle takes place over a few day (though probably less than 24 hours) the entire force is apparently destroyed.
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiatic_Vespers"]Asiatic Vespers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] (150,000 Romans and Italians massacred)
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bibracte"]Battle of Bibracte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Arausio"]Battle of Arausio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] (120,000 Romans and Italians killed, not including German casualties)
Even Marius had a bigger death toll than against the Tuetones [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vercellae"]Battle of Vercellae - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] 141,000 casualties that day apparently.
At the Battle of Axona Caesar claims to have crushed a Belgic force of over 300,000 enemy fighters, though no exact death toll is given it comes off as astronomical.
Theban hegemony over Greece (371-362 BC)
In Boeotia (region of the central Greece in ancient times known as a large crop area), dozen city-states were established. The most oldest and popular among them was Orchomenus, and later the first place in Beotia had Thebes. According to legend Thebes were founded by King Cadmus, around the acropolis (citadel) Cadmeia. At the initiative of the Thebans in 447 BC Alliance of Boeotians was founded, where all the Boeotian cities accessed and which was established for the common foreign policy and a common defense. Boeotia was divided into 11 areas. Each area was given 1,000 pedestrians and 100 cavalrymen with beotarhom headed. The Alliance had Assembly (660 deputies, 60 from each area), and the executive branch had 11 beotarch. Each polis had 4 councils that were determined by the property census.
Boeotians in the Peloponnesian War, were allies of Peloponnesians and fiercely fought against Athenian hegemony. Later, as the Athenian allies they fought against Spartan hegemony. The Spartans forced Thebans to disband the Boeotian alliance, but failed. Spartans in the 382 BC took Thebes, from which they were evicted three years later when the Boetians alliance was renewed. It was followed by a bloody battle that culminated in 371 BC at the Battle of Leuctra. In that battle the Boeotians, thanks to the new military tactics commanders defeated a much stronger army of the Spartans and their allies.
Theban aristocrat Epaminondas became beotarch in the 371 BC. Until his death, Epaminondas was a strategist and a first Thebas statesman. He led the army at the Battle of Leuctra against Sparta.
Pelopidas – pointed as the leader of patriots who in the 379 BC expelled the from the Theban acropolis Cadmeia and liberated the city.
Victory of Epaminondas army at Leuctra destroyed the Spartan hegemony and unbridled Peloponnesian Alliance. The members of the Peloponnesian League, that were previously dependent on Sparta, started to become independent and grouped according to interests. Now the Thebans established its hegemony in Greece, that was based on the wars. Epaminondas conducted 4 military marchs against the Peloponnese, where the Acradians battled for supremacy (Epaminonda founded Arcadia Association and city Megalopolis) and Spartans, and Messenia was released from the Spartan authorities. Greek cities assembled and broke alliances depending on current needs. There were many battles. The result was the battle of Mantinea (362 BC), in Arcadia. Epaminondas in 362 BC broke into the Peloponnese with the Theban army, Locrians and Euboeans. He came to Sparta, then retreated to Mantineia, where he again defeated the Spartans, applying the same tactics as in Leuctra. In the Battle of Mantinea Epaminondas was killed. The Thebans, depressed by his death concluded peace with the status quo and had withdrawned from the Peloponnese. This completes the Theban hegemony.
Theban hegemony was affirmed and in the north, in Thessaly, where the Theban army by Pelopidas leadership had intervened in favor of one group against another dynasty. Thebans had even interfered in the Macedonian court intrigues and dictating their direction of foreign policy. Macedonians in the 368 BC had to send in Thebes hostages as a guarantee that they would perform their obligations towards to the first Greek city. Among the hostages was Philip, who later became king of Macedonia and won Greece. Struggled with each other for hegemony, the Balkan Greeks had exhausted their strength as they weakened before the coming Philip.
Archaeology [ edit ]
Most excavations have focussed on the early and Mycenean areas of the lower town, while the later Hellenistic city on the acropolis remains largely unexplored.
In 1880–86, Heinrich Schliemann's excavations (H. Schliemann, Orchomenos, Leipzig 1881) revealed the tholos tomb he called the "Tomb of Minyas", a Mycenaean monument that equalled the "Tomb of Atreus" at Mycenae itself. In 1893, A. de Ridder excavated the temple of Asklepios and some burials in the Roman necropolis. In 1903–05, a Bavarian archaeological mission under Heinrich Bulle and Adolf Furtwängler conducted successful excavations at the site. Research continued in 1970–73 by the Archaeological Service under Theodore Spyropoulos, uncovering the Mycenaean palace, a prehistoric cemetery, the theatre and other structures. The Tomb of Minyas is one of the greatest burial monuments of the Mycenaean period. ⎖] The tomb was probably built for the members of the royal family of Orchomenos in 1250 BC and was plundered in antiquity. The monument was visible for many centuries after its original use and even became a place of worship in the Hellenistic period. It was probably a famous landmark until at least the second century AD, when Pausanias visited Orchomenos and described the tholos in detail. ⎗] It had a dromos thirty metres long. Its entrance was built of dark grey Levadeia marble and had a wooden door. The lintel, still in place today, is six metres long and weighs several tons. The entrance and the chamber were decorated with bronze rosettes as shown by the attachment holes on the walls and the ceiling of the side chamber is decorated with spirals and floral motifs in relief. In the centre of the Tholos, a rectangular burial monument dates to the Ηellenistic period (323–30 BC). It was partially restored by the architect-archaeologist A. Orlandos. In 1994, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture undertook restoration work consisting mainly of drainage and strengthening of the walls of the side chamber.
The Neolithic remains found at Orchomenos were first thought to be in situ (Bulle 1907) but it later appeared that they consisted of fill in a levelling deposit (Kunze 1931 Treuil 1983). Thus the associated round houses (two to six metres in diameter) were in fact from the Early Bronze Age (2800–1900 BC). Later in that period, houses were apsidal.
The Mycenaean palace to the east of the Tholos tomb and lying partially underneath the church is only partially excavated and consists of three wings, some of which were decorated with frescoes. The palace was destroyed c. 1200 BC.
The fortification walls of Orchomenos were built in the 2nd half of the 4th century BC under the Macedonians and crown the east end of mount Akontion.
The theatre was built around the end of the 4th century BC. The cavea, with seats for the spectators, the orchestra and part of the scena are all preserved. It was in use until late Roman times (4th century AD).
Opposite the theatre is the 8th century Byzantine church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) of Skripou. Well-preserved inscriptions date the church securely to 874 CE, naming its sponsor as the Protospatharios Leon, who served as a senior official of the emperor Basil I during the period of his joint reign with his sons Constantine and Leo. The northern chapel is dedicated to the apostle Paul, the southern to the apostle Paul. ⎘]
Locales in Roman Republican History
First macedonian war: During the Second Punic War, Philip V of Macedon allied himself with Hannibal. The war ended indecisively in 205 BC with the Treaty of Phoenice. While a minor conflict, it opened the way for Roman military intervention in Greece.
Second MAcedonian war: In 201 BC, ambassadors from Pergamon and Rhodes brought evidence before the Roman Senate that Philip V of Macedon and Antiochus III of the Seleucid Empire had signed a non-aggression pact. it resulted in Rome launching the second Macedonian war, with aid from its Greek allies. It was an indecisive conflict until the Roman victory at the Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197 BC
Third Macedonian War: Upon Philip's death in Macedon (179 BC), his son, Perseus of Macedon, attempted to restore Macedon's international influence, and moved aggressively against his neighbors. When Perseus was implicated in an assassination plot against an ally of Rome, the Senate declared the third Macedonian War. Initially, Rome did not fare well against the Macedonian forces, but in 168 BC, Roman legions smashed the Macedonian phalanx at the Battle of Pydna. Perseus was later captured and the kingdom of Macedon divided into four puppet republics that Rome controlled.
