Krater Makedonski inflicts the final defeat on the greasy "HellAsses" :-)
Krater Makedonski
The Lamian War was one of the first serious revolts to break out in
Alexander the Great's empire after his death. Alexander's unexpected
death left a power vacuum which would soon result in a series of wars
between his generals (the diadochi, or successors). This apparent
weakness was noticed in Athens, already resentful of Macedonian control
after Alexander forced them to take back all of their political exiles
in 324 BC. With Alexander gone, and no clear heir to his empire, Athens
decided the time was right to make a bid for freedom.
She certainly had the money to fight a war. Alexander's treasurer
Harpalus had fled to the city after Alexander returned from India with
at least some of Alexander's plunder. There were also a large number of
mercenaries cheaply available in the aftermath of Alexander's stunning
victories in Persia. Athens raised a sizable army, created a fleet of
200 warships and appointed Leosthenes to command. In 323 the Aetolians
and Thessalians joined the rebellions, soon to be joined by Corinth and
Argos. Leosthenes took up a defensive position in the pass of
Thermopylae, and then advanced north to besiege Lamia. There he trapped
Antipater, the regent of Macedonia, but was then himself killed by a
slingshot fired from the walls of the town.
The Greeks had moved too soon. Enough of Alexander's former generals
still saw each other as colleagues (or rivals) rather than as enemies,
and when Antipater sent out a call for help, Leonnatus and Craterus both
responded. Leonnatus had been allocated Hellespontine Phrygia (the
north-west corner of Asia Minor) in the division of commands at Babylon
after Alexander's death. He was now planning to marry Alexander's sister
Cleopatra, and possibly to claim the Macedonian throne. In the first
half of 322 BC he led his army into Europe, but was defeated and killed
in a cavalry battle against the Thessalians.
Craterus was both more cautious and more successful. He had been
allocated the honorary guardianship of the monarchy in the division of
commands. However, prior to Alexander's death he had been on his way to
replace Antipater as regent of Macedonia, and had been dispatched back
home with 10,000 veteran troops. When Alexander died he had reached
Cilicia (south-east Asia Minor). When the news of Alexander's death
reached him, he stopped where he was to wait for events to unfold at
Babylon.
When news reached him of the Greek revolt, Craterus sent one of his
officers, Cleitus, to take command of the powerful Macedonian fleet. For
the final time Athens had created a powerful fleet of her own, hoping to
win control of the Aegean, and perhaps prevent reinforcements reaching
Antipater from the rest of the empire. This fleet suffered two defeats
at the hands of Cleitus, close to Abydos (on the south coast of the
Hellespont) in the spring of 322, and then decisively off the island of
Amorgos (south west of Samos) in July 322. Athenian naval power would
never rise again.
With the Athenian fleet gone, Craterus was free to transport his army
across the Aegean to Greece. There the combined Macedonian forces
inflicted a defeat on the allied Greek army at Cronnon (August 322).
Faced with the prospect of a siege, Athens surrendered. Her constitution
was re-written to reduce the franchise, and a Macedonian garrison placed
in the Piraeus. The orator Demosthenes, who had played an important role
in provoking the revolt committed suicide, his colleague Hyperides was
captured and executed.
The Aetolians managed to hold out until 321 BC, at which point
Macedonian politics intervened to save them. Antigonus and Craterus
needed to cross over into Asia Minor to deal with Perdiccas, another of
Alexander's generals with pretensions to the throne of Macedonia, and so
arranged a truce with the Aetolians. (The Aetolians were not "HellAsses",
according to the Macedonian king Philip V - see Polibius, book 18 - KM)
The Lamian War was the last time Athens would play an important military
role in Greece, although the city would retain her democratic traditions
for longer.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J (4 June 2007), Lamian or Hellenic
War, 323-321 BC
Spirit of Truth
"Krater Makedonski" <kra...@yahoo.com
> wrote in message news:4a3de110$0$3321$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
What did I already tell you, Bulgar? Why would you
continue to post false statements?
In the year 200 B.C. the Macedonian King Philip V sent
Macedonian ambassadors to the council of the Aetolian
League, the 'Panaetolian Congress', to try to prevent the
Romans from inducing the Aetolians to change their allegiance
from Philip V to the Romans in their 2nd Macedonian War.
At the council was also the Roman representative
sent by the consul, and also a deputation from the
Athenians who were the Romans' allies at this time.
A hearing was first given to the Macedonians.
The Macedonian delegates said:
'..........the same reasons which led them (the Aetolians)
to make peace with Philip should lead them to keep that
peace, once it had been established'.
'Or do you prefer' said one of the delegates, '.......
................ . It is sheer madness to expect anything will
remain in the same state if aliens, more widely separated
from you by language, customs and laws than by distance
over sea and land, obtain control over these parts.
Philip's rule ............. . Allow the foreign legions to settle
down in these parts and take the yoke on your shoulders;
then it will be too late and all in vain to call on Philip as
your ally, when you have the Roman for your lord. The
Aetolians, the Acarnanians, the Macedonians, are divided
or united by unimportant causes that arise from time
to time; with aliens, with barbarians, all Greeks are and
will be for ever at war; for they are enemies not for
reasons which change from day to day, but by nature -
and nature is eternal. But now my speech will end .........'
Spirit of Truth