Cretan War

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Cretan War

(hilip V of )acedon, *the darling of +reece*, the main antagonist of the ,ar' Date -.$ / -.. / rete, 0hodes, +reece, 1sia Location )inor and 1egean 2ea Result 0hodian victory Territorial 3astern rete to 0hodes changes
Belligerents )acedon, 0hodes, 4ierapytna, (ergamum, Olous, /y5antium, 1etolia, y5icus, 2partan pirates, 1thens, 1carnania 6nossos Commanders and leaders (hilip V, 1ttalus 9, 7icaearchus, :heophiliscus 8icanor the 3lephant leonaeus [show]
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Cretan War :he Cretan War !-.$-.. / & ,as fought <y 6ing (hilip V of )acedon, the 1etolian =eague, several retan cities !of ,hich Olous and 4ierapytna ,ere the most important&

and 2partan pirates against the forces of 0hodes and later 1ttalus 9 of (ergamum, /y5antium, y5icus, 1thens and 6nossos' :he )acedonians had >ust concluded the First )acedonian War and (hilip, seeing his chance to defeat 0hodes, formed an alliance ,ith 1etolian and 2partan pirates ,ho <egan raiding 0hodian ships' (hilip also formed an alliance ,ith several important retan cities, such as 4ierapynta and Olous'?1@ With the 0hodian fleet and economy suffering from the depredations of the pirates, (hilip <elieved his chance to crush 0hodes ,as at hand' :o help achieve his goal, he formed an alliance ,ith the 6ing of the 2eleucid 3mpire, 1ntiochus the +reat, against (tolemy V of 3gypt !the 2eleucid 3mpire and 3gypt ,ere the other t,o 7iadochi states&' (hilip <egan attacking the lands of (tolemy and 0hodesAs allies in :hrace and around the 2ea of )armara' 9n -.- / , 0hodes and her allies (ergamum, y5icus, and /y5antium com<ined their fleets and defeated (hilip at the /attle of hios' Just a fe, months later, (hilipAs fleet defeated the 0hodians at =ade' While (hilip ,as plundering (ergamese territory and attacking cities in aria, 1ttalus 9 of (ergamum ,ent to 1thens to try to create a diversion' 4e succeeded in securing an alliance ,ith the 1thenians, ,ho immediately declared ,ar on the )acedonians' :he 6ing of )acedon could not remain inactiveB he assailed 1thens ,ith his navy and ,ith some infantry' :he 0omans ,arned him, ho,ever, to ,ithdra, or face ,ar ,ith 0ome' 1fter suffering a defeat at the hands of the 0hodian and (ergamese fleets, (hilip ,ithdre,, <ut not <efore attacking the city of 1<ydos on the 4ellespont' 1<ydos fell after a long siege and most of its inha<itants committed suicide' (hilip re>ected the 0oman ultimatum to stop attacking +reek states and the 0omans declared ,ar on )acedon' :his left the retan cities ,ith no ma>or allies, and the largest city of rete, 6nossos, >oined the 0hodians' Faced ,ith this com<ination, <oth 4ierapynta and Olous surrendered and ,ere forced to sign a treaty favoura<le to 0hodes and 6nossos'

Contents
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1 (relude - (iracy and ,ar C 1sia )inor ampaign # 0oman 9ntervention $ 1ftermath " 8otes 7 0eferences

[edit] Prelude
9n -.$ / , the First )acedonian War came to an end ,ith the signing of the :reaty of (hoenice, under the terms of ,hich the )acedonians ,ere not allo,ed to eDpand

,est,ards' 0ome, mean,hile, ,as preoccupied ,ith arthage, and (hilip hoped to take advantage of this to sei5e control of the +reek ,orld' 4e kne, that his am<itions ,ould <e aided <y an alliance ,ith rete'?1@ 4aving crushed (ergamum !the +reek state in 1sia )inor& and formed an alliance ,ith 1etolia, (hilip ,as no, opposed <y no ma>or +reek po,er other than 0hodes' 0hodes, an island state that dominated the southEeastern )editerranean economically and militarily, ,as formally allied to (hilip, <ut ,as also allied to his enemy 0ome'?1@

[edit] Piracy and war

:he :reaty of (hoenice prohi<ited (hilip from eDpanding ,est,ard into 9llyria or the 1driatic 2ea, so the king turned his attentions east,ards to the 1egean 2ea, ,here he started to <uild a large fleet'?-@ (hilip sa, t,o ,ays of shaking 0hodesA dominance of the sea: piracy and ,ar' 7eciding to use <oth methods, he encouraged his allies to <egin pirate attacks against 0hodian ships' (hilip convinced the retans, ,ho had <een involved in piracy for a long time, the 1etolians, and the 2partans to take part in the piracy' :he lure for these nations ,as the promise of vast loot from captured 0hodian vessels'?1@ 4e sent the 1etolian free<ooter 7icaearchus on a large ra55ia through the 1egean, during the course of ,hich he plundered the yclades and 0hodian territories'?-@

+reece and the 1egean circa -.. / ' /y the end of -.$ / , 0hodes had <een significantly ,eakened <y these raids, and (hilip sa, his chance to go for,ard ,ith the second part of his plan, direct military confrontation' 4e convinced the cities of 4ierapytna and Olous and other cities in 3astern rete to declare ,ar against 0hodes'?1@

0hodesA initial response to the declaration of ,ar ,as diplomaticB they asked the 0oman 0epu<lic for help against (hilip' :he 0omans, ho,ever, ,ere ,ary of another ,ar, the 2econd (unic War having >ust ended' :he 0oman 2enate attempted to persuade the populace to enter the ,ar, even after (ergamum, y5icus and /y5antium had >oined the ,ar on the 0hodians side, <ut ,as una<le to s,ay the cityAs ,arE,eary population'?C@ 1t this point (hilip further provoked 0hodes <y capturing and ra5ing ius and )yrleia, +reek cities on the coast of the 2ea of )armara' (hilip then handed these cities over to his <rotherEinEla,, the 6ing of /ithynia, (rusias 9 ,ho re<uilt and renamed the cities (rusa after himself and 1pameia after his ,ife, respectively' 9n return for these cities (rusias promised that he ,ould continue on eDpanding his kingdom at the eDpense of (ergamum !his latest ,ar ,ith (ergamum had ended in -.$&' :he sei5ure of these cities also enraged the 1etolians, as <oth ,ere mem<ers of the 1etolian =eague' :he alliance <et,een 1etolia and )acedon ,as held together only <y the 1etoliansA fear of (hilip, and this incident ,orsened the already tenuous relationship'?#@ (hilip neDt attacked and conFuered the cities of =ysimachia and halcedon, ,hich ,ere also mem<ers of the 1etolian =eague, forcing them to <reak off their alliance ,ith 1etolia'?#@ On the ,ay home, (hilipAs fleet stopped at the island of :hasos off the coast of :hrace' (hilipAs general )etrodorus, ,ent to the islandAs eponymous capital to meet emissaries from the city' :he envoys said they ,ould surrender the city to the )acedonians on the conditions that they not receive a garrison, that they not have to pay tri<ute or contri<ute soldiers to the )acedonian army and that they continue to use their o,n la,s'?$@ )etrodorus replied that the king accepted the terms, and the :hasians opened their gates to the )acedonians' Once ,ithin the ,alls, ho,ever, (hilip ordered his soldiers to enslave all the citi5ens, ,ho ,ere then sold a,ay, and to loot the city'?$@ (hilip neDt concluded a treaty ,ith 1ntiochus 999 the +reat, emperor of the 2eleucid 3mpire, hoping to divide up the land held <y (tolemaic 3gypt under the young pharaoh (tolemy V' (hilip agreed to help 1ntiochus to sei5e 3gypt and yprus, ,hile 1ntiochus promised to help (hilip take control of yrene, the yclades and 9onia'?-@

/ust of 1ntiochus 999 in the =ouvre' With this treaty concluded, (hilipAs army attacked (tolemyAs territories in :hrace' 8eDt, the )acedonian fleet headed south and took the island of 2amos from (tolemy V, capturing the 3gyptian fleet stationed there'?-@ :he fleet then turned north and laid siege to the island of hios' (hilip ,as planning to use the northern 1egean islands as steppingE stones as he ,orked his ,ay do,n to 0hodes' :he siege ,as not going ,ell for (hilip, as the com<ined fleets of (ergamum, 0hodes and their ne, allies, y5icus and /y5antium, had successfully <lockaded his fleet'?"@ (hilip, seeing no other option, decided to risk <attle against the allies'?"@ :he )acedonian fleet of around -.. ships outnum<ered the allied fleet around t,o to one'?-@?"@ :he <attle <egan ,ith 1ttalus, ,ho ,as commanding the allied left ,ing, advancing against the )acedonian right ,ing, ,hile the allied right flank under the command of the 0hodian admiral, :heophiliscus attack the )acedonianAs left ,ing' :he allies gained the upper hand on their left flank and captured (hilipAs flagshipB (hilipAs admiral, 7emocrates, ,as slain in the fighting'?7@ )ean,hile, on the allied right flank, the )acedonians ,ere pushing the 0hodians <ack' :heophiliscus, fighting on his flagship, received three fatal ,ounds <ut managed to rally his men and defeat the )acedonian <oarders'?G@ On the allied left flank, 1ttalus sa, one of his ships <eing sunk <y the enemy and the one neDt to it in danger'?%@ 4e decided to sail to the rescue ,ith t,o Fuadriremes and his flagship' (hilip, ho,ever, ,hose ship had not <een involved in the fighting to this point, sa, that 1ttalus had strayed some distance from his fleet and sailed to attack him ,ith four FuinFueremes and three hemioliae'?%@ 1ttalus, seeing (hilip approaching, fled in terror and ,as forced to run his ships aground' Hpon landing he spread coins, purple ro<es and other splendid articles on the deck of his ship and fled to the city of 3rythrae' When the )acedonians arrived at the shore, they stopped to collect the plunder'?%@ (hilip,

thinking that 1ttalus had perished in the chase, started to,ing a,ay the (ergamese flagship'?%@ :he situation on the alliesA right flank, mean,hile, had reversed and the )acedonians ,ere forced to disengage and retreat, leaving the 0hodians to to, their damaged ships into the har<or at hios' :he allied left and centre had also gained the advantage earlier and forced the )acedonians to retreat <efore sailing <ack to hios unmolested'?%@ :he <attle ,as a costly one for (hilip, ,ho lost %- ships destroyed and 7 captured'?1.@ On the allied side, the (ergamese had three ships destroyed and t,o captured, ,hile the 0hodians lost three ships sunk and none captured' 7uring the <attle the )acedonians lost ",... ro,ers and C,... marines killed and had -,... men captured' :he casualties for the allies ,ere significantly lo,er, ,ith the (ergamese losing 7. men the 0hodians ". killed, the allies as a ,hole losing ".. captured'?1.@ (eter +reen descri<es this defeat as *a crippling and costly defeat*'?-@ :his defeat effectively crippled the )acedonian fleet and saved the 1egean islands from another large invasion' 1fter this <attle, the 0hodian admirals decided to leave hios and sail <ack home' On the ,ay <ack to 0hodes, the 0hodian admiral :heophiliscus died of the ,ounds he received at hios, <ut <efore he died he appointed leonaeus as his successor'?11@ 1s the 0hodian fleet ,as sailing in the strait <et,een =ade and )iletus on the shore of 1sia )inor, (hilipAs fleet attacked them' (hilip defeated the 0hodian fleet and forced it to retreat <ack to 0hodes' :he )ilesians ,ere impressed <y the victory and sent (hilip and the 4eracleides garlands of victory ,hen they entered )ilesian territory'?1-@

[edit] Asia Minor Cam aign

/efore the 6ing of (ergamum, 1ttalus, had set out campaigning against (hilipAs navy in the 1egean 2ea, he had strengthened the city ,alls of his capital against assault' /y taking this and other precautions, he hoped to prevent (hilip from a sei5ing a large amount of <ooty from his territory' When (hilip, deciding to attack (ergamum, arrived at the city ,ith his army, he sa, that the city ,as undermanned and he sent his skirmishers against it, <ut they ,ere easily repelled'?1C@ (hilip, seeing that the city ,alls ,ere too strong, retreated after destroying a fe, temples, including the temple of 1phrodite and the sanctuary of 1thena 8icephorus'?1C@ 1fter the )acedonians captured :hyatira, they advanced to plunder the plain of :he<e, <ut the <ooty proved less fruitful than anticipated'?1C@ Once he arrived at :he<e, he demanded corn from the 2eleucid governor of the region, IeuDis' IeuDis, ho,ever, never planned to give (hilip su<stantial supplies'
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(hilip, disappointed <y the spoils in )ysia, proceeded south and plundered the to,ns and cities of aria' 4e invested (rinassus, ,hich held out <ravely at first, <ut ,hen (hilip set up his artillery, he sent an envoy into the city offering to let them leave the city unharmed or they ,ould all <e killed' :he citi5ens decided to a<andon the city'?1#@ 1t this stage in the campaign, (hilipAs army ,as running out of food, so he sei5ed the city of )yus and gave it to the )agnesians in return for food supplies' 2ince the )agnesians had no corn,

(hilip settled for enough figs to feed his ,hole army'?1$@ (hilip neDt sei5ed and garrisoned the cities of 9asus, /argylia, 3uromus, (edasa in Fuick succession' 4e <esieged and captured the city of (eraea ,hich ,as under 0hodian control' While (hilipAs fleet ,as ,intering in /argylia, the com<ined (ergamese and 0hodian fleet <lockaded the har<our' :he situation in the )acedonian camp <ecame so grave that the )acedonians ,ere close to surrendering'?-@ (hilip, ho,ever, managed to get out <y trickery' 4e sent an 3gyptian deserter to 1ttalus and the 0hodians to say that he ,as preparing to attack the allies the neDt day' Hpon hearing the ne,s, 1ttalus and the 0hodians started preparing the fleet for the oncoming attack'?-@ While the allies ,ere making their preparations, (hilip slipped past them <y night ,ith his fleet, leaving numerous campfires <urning to give the appearance that he remained in his camp'?-@ While (hilip ,as involved in this campaign, his allies the 1carnanians <ecame involved in a ,ar against 1thens after the 1thenians murdered t,o 1carnanian athletes'?1"@ :he 1carnanians complained to (hilip a<out this provocation, and he decided to send a force under the command of 8icanor the 3lephant to assist them on their attack on 1ttica'?-@ :he )acedonians and their allies plundered and looted 1ttica <efore attacking 1thens'?1"@ :he invaders made it as far as the 1cademy of 1thens ,hen the 0oman am<assadors in the city ordered the )acedonians to retreat or to face ,ar ,ith 0ome'?-@ (hilipAs fleet had >ust escaped from the allied <lockade and (hilip ordered that a sFuadron head to 1thens' :he )acedonian sFuadron sailed into (iraeus and captured four 1thenian ships' 1s the )acedonian sFuadron ,as retreating, the 0hodian and (ergamese fleet, ,hich had follo,ed (hilipAs ships across the 1egean, appeared from the allied <ase at 1egina and attacked the )acedonians' :he allies defeated the )acedonian fleet and recaptured the 1thenian ships, ,hich they returned to the 1thenians' :he 1thenians ,ere so pleased <y the rescue that they replaced the recently a<olished proE)acedonian tri<es, the 7emetrias and 1ntigonis tri<es, ,ith the 1ttalid tri<e in honour of 1ttalus'?-@ 1ttalus and the 0hodians convinced the 1thenian assem<ly to declare ,ar on the )acedonians'
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:he (ergamese fleet sailed <ack to their <ase at 1egina and the 0hodians set out to conFuer all the )acedonian islands from 1egina to 0hodes,?1G@ successfully assaulting all eDcept 1ndros, (aros and ythnos'?1G@ (hilip ordered his prefect on the island of 3u<oea, (hiloces, to assault 1thens once again ,ith -,... infantry and -.. cavalry'?1%@ (hilocles ,as una<le to capture 1thens, <ut ravaged the surrounding countryside'?1%@

[edit] Roman !nter"ention

)ap of hersonese' )ean,hile, 0hodian, (ergamese and 1thenian delegations travelled to 0ome to appear <efore the 2enate' When they ,ere given audience they informed the 2enate a<out the treaty <et,een (hilip and 1ntiochus and complained of (hilipAs attacks on their territories' 9n response to these complaints the 0omans sent three am<assadors, )arcus 1emilius =epidus, +aius laudius 8ero and (u<lius 2empronius :uditanus to 3gypt ,ith the orders to go to 0hodes after speaking ,ith (tolemy'?1"@ While this ,as happening, (hilip attacked and occupied the cities of )aronea, ypsela, 7oriscos, 2errheum and 1emus, ,hich <elonged to (tolemy'?1%@ :he )acedonians then advanced on the :hracian hersonese ,here they captured the cities of (erinthus, 2estos, 3laeus, 1lopeconnesus, allipolis and )adytus'?1%@ (hilip then descended to the city of 1<ydos, ,hich ,as held <y a com<ined (ergamese and 0hodian garrison' (hilip started the siege <y <lockading the city <y land and sea to stop attempts to reinforce or supply the city' :he 1<ydenians, full of confidence, dislodged some of the siege engines ,ith their o,n catapults ,hile some of (hilipAs other engines ,ere <urnt <y the defenders'?-.@ With their siege ,eaponry in tatters, the )acedonians started undermining the cityAs ,alls, eventually succeeding in collapsing the outer ,all'?-.@ :he situation ,as no, grave for the defenders and they decided to send t,o of their most prominent citi5ens to (hilip as negotiators' 1ppearing <efore (hilip, these men offered to surrender the city to him on the conditions that the 0hodian and the (ergamese garrisons ,ere allo,ed to leave the city under a truce and that all the citi5ens ,ere permitted to leave the city ,ith the clothes they ,ere ,earing and go ,herever they pleased'?-.@ (hilip replied that they should *surrender at discretion or fight like men'*?-.@ :he am<assadors, po,erless to do more, carried this response <ack to the city' 9nformed of this response, the cityAs leaders called an assem<ly to determine their course of action' :hey decided to li<erate all slaves to secure their loyalty, to place all the children and their nurses in the gymnasium and to put all the ,omen in the temple of 1rtemis' :hey also asked for everyone to <ring for,ard their gold and silver and any clothes that ,ere valua<le so they could put them in the <oats of the 0hodians and the

y5icenes'?-1@ Fifty elder and trusted men ,ere elected to carry out these tasks' 1ll the citi5ens then s,ore an oath' 1s (oly<ius ,rites:

... whenever they saw the inner wall being captured by the enemy, they would kill the children and women, and would burn the above mentioned ships, and, in accordance with the curses that had been invoked, would throw the silver and gold into the sea.?-1@

1fter reciting the oath, they <rought for,ard the priests and everyone s,ore that they ,ould defeat the enemy or die trying' When the interior ,all fell, the men, true to their promise, sprang from the ruins and fought ,ith great courage, forcing (hilip to send his troops for,ard in relays to the front line' /y nightfall the )acedonians retreated to camp' :hat night the 1<ydenians resolved to save the ,omen and children and at day<reak they sent some priests and priestess ,ith a garland across the )acedonians, surrendering the city to (hilip'?-1@ )ean,hile, 1ttalus sailed across the 1egean to the island of :enedos' :he youngest of the 0oman am<assadors, )arcus 1emilius =epidus, had heard a<out the siege at 1<ydos ,hile he ,as in 0hodes and he arrived at 1<ydos to find (hilip' )eeting the king outside the city, =epidus informed him of the 2enateAs ,ishes'?--@ (oly<ius ,rites:

The Senate had resolved to order him not to wage war with any Greek state; nor to interfere in the dominions of Ptolemy; and to submit the injuries inflicted on ttalus and the !hodians to arbitration; and that if he did so he might have peace, but if he refused to obey he would promptly have war with !ome." #pon Philip endeavoring to show that the !hodians had been the first to lay hands on him, $arcus interrupted him by saying% "&ut what about the thenians' nd what about the (ianians' nd what about the bydenians at this moment' )id any one of them also lay hands on you first'" The king, at a loss for a reply, said% "* pardon the offensive haughtiness of your manners for three reasons% first, because you are a young man and ine+perienced in affairs; secondly, because you are the handsomest man of your time" ,this was true-; "and thirdly, because you are a !oman. &ut for my part, my first demand to the !omans is that they should not break their treaties or go to war with me; but if they do, * shall defend myself as courageously as * can, appealing to the gods to defend my cause.?--@

While (hilip ,as ,alking through 1<ydos, he sa, people killing themselves and their families <y sta<<ing, <urning, hanging, and >umping do,n ,ells and from rooftops' (hilip ,as surprised to see this, and pu<lished a proclamation announcing that *he gave three daysA grace to those ,ho ,ished to hang or sta< themselves'*?--@ :he 1<ydenians, ,ho ,ere <ent on follo,ing the orders of the original decree, thought that it ,ould amount to treason to the people ,ho had already died, and refused to live under these

terms' 1part from those in chains or similar restraints, each family individually hurried to their deaths'?--@ (hilip then ordered another attack on 1thensB his army failed to take either 1thens or 3leusis, <ut su<>ected 1ttica to the ,orst ravaging the 1tticans had seen since the (ersian Wars'?-@ 9n response, the 0omans declared ,ar on (hilip and invaded his territories in 9llyria' (hilip ,as forced to a<andon his 0hodian and (ergamese campaign in order to deal ,ith the 0omans and the situation in +reece' :hus <egan the 2econd )acedonian War' 1fter (hilipAs ,ithdra,al from his campaign against 0hodes, the 0hodians ,ere free to attack Olous and 4ierapytna and their other retan allies' 0hodesA search for allies in rete <ore fruit ,hen the retan city of 6nossos sa, that the ,ar ,as going in 0hodesA favour and decided to >oin 0hodes in an attempt to gain supremacy over the island'?1@ )any other cities in central rete su<seFuently >oined 0hodes and 6nossos against 4ierapytna and Olous' 8o, under attack on t,o fronts, 4ierapytna surrendered'?1@

[edit] A%termath

1 map of the 1egean shortly after the ,ar' Hnder the treaty signed at the conclusion of the ,ar, 4ierapytna agreed to <reak off all relations and alliances ,ith foreign po,ers and to place all its har<ors and <ases at 0hodesA disposal' Olous, among the ruins of ,hich the terms of the treaty have <een found, had to accept 0hodian domination'?1@ 1s a result, 0hodes ,as left ,ith control of a significant part of eastern rete after the ,ar' :he conclusion of the ,ar left the 0hodians free to help their allies in the 2econd )acedonian War' :he ,ar had no particular shortEterm effect on the rest of rete' (irates and mercenaries there continued in their old occupations after the ,arAs end' 9n the /attle of ynoscephalae during the 2econd )acedonian War three years later, retan mercenary archers fought for <oth the 0omans and the )acedonians'?-C@?-#@ :he ,ar ,as costly for (hilip and the )acedonians, losing them a fleet that had taken three years to <uild as ,ell as the triggering the defection of their +reek allies, the

1chean =eague and the 1etolian =eague to the 0omans' 9n the ,arAs immediate aftermath the 7ardani, a <ar<arian tri<e, s,armed across the northern <order of )acedon, <ut (hilip ,as a<le to repel this attack'?C@ 9n 1%7, ho,ever, (hilip ,as defeated in the /attle of ynoscephalae <y the 0omans and ,as forced to surrender'?-$@ :his defeat cost (hilip most of his territory outside )acedon and he had to pay ,ar 1,... talent of silver to the 0omans'?-"@ :he 0hodians regained control over the yclades and reconfirmed their naval supremacy over the 1egean' :he 0hodiansA possession of 3astern rete allo,ed them to largely stamp out piracy in that area, <ut pirate attacks on 0hodian shipping continued and eventually led to the 2econd retan War'?1@ 1ttalus died in 1%7 and ,as succeeded <y his son, 3umenes 99, ,ho continued his fatherAs antiE)acedonian policy' :he (ergamese, mean,hile, came out of the ,ar having gained several 1egean islands ,hich had <een in (hilipAs possession and ,ent on to <ecome the supreme po,er in 1sia )inor, rivaled only <y 1ntiochus'