battle of chaeronea
The battle of Chaeronea (86 B.C.) was the first of two crushing defeats suffered by Pontic armies that ended Mithradatic the IV's invasion of Greece (First Mithradatic war). During 88 B.C. a large Pontic army under the command of the general Archelaus had sailed to Athens, and had briefly taken control of much of southern Greece. This success was short lived, and ended when the consul Lucius Sulla landed in Greece at the head of five legions early in 87 B.C. Archelaus and his Greek allies found themselves besieged in Athensand Piraeus from the autumn of 87 B.C. until the spring of 86 B.C. Finally, on 1 March 86 B.C. the Romans took the city of Athens. Although the Acropolis held out for a few more weeks, it soon became clear to Archelaus that there was no point defending Piraeus any longer, and he escaped north with his army, to join a second Pontic army that was advancing through Thessaly.
The terrain of the plain of Chaeronea was integral to the beginning and end of the battle. Sulla consistently refused to offer Archelaus battle until he found his enemy encamped in terrain favourable to his Roman force. Archelaus' camp was in a rocky region near a broad plain at the bottom of a slope. Sulla took advantage of the favourable ground and arrayed his forces before the plain on the hill, with a tactically advantageous view into the camp. Plutarch states that in this way Archelaus had no choice but to array his army on the plain, or risk being stoned to death by the Romans from above. There was no other way out of the battle since the camp was surrounded by rocks; Archelaus had to array his army before the Romans on the plain below the hill. Moving his army out of the camp onto the rocks would have disordered their formations, and prevented their horses and chariots from being effective.
The terrain of the plain of Chaeronea was integral to the beginning and end of the battle. Sulla consistently refused to offer Archelaus battle until he found his enemy encamped in terrain favourable to his Roman force. Archelaus' camp was in a rocky region near a broad plain at the bottom of a slope. Sulla took advantage of the favourable ground and arrayed his forces before the plain on the hill, with a tactically advantageous view into the camp. Plutarch states that in this way Archelaus had no choice but to array his army on the plain, or risk being stoned to death by the Romans from above. There was no other way out of the battle since the camp was surrounded by rocks; Archelaus had to array his army before the Romans on the plain below the hill. Moving his army out of the camp onto the rocks would have disordered their formations, and prevented their horses and chariots from being effective.
Sulla's forces consisted of several legions of Roman troops, as well as Greeks who had defected to the Roman side. They numbered about 40,000.Appian tells us the Pontic commander Archelaus had Thracian, Pontic, Scythian, Cappadocian, Bithynian, Galatian, and Phrygian troops, numbering near 120,000. Each nationality was commanded by their own general, all of whom answered to Archelaus as commander-in-chief.
The battle began when the Roman detachment that had been sent around Mt. Thurium appeared over the top of the hill. The Pontic detachment on the hill panicked and fled down into the river
valley, disrupting Archelaus's lines. Archelaus responded with a cavalry charge, which achieved very little, and then by sending sixty of his scythed chariots to attack the Roman lines. When these chariots attacked at speed they were a real threat, but on this occasion they did not have the room to build up any speed,
and the Romans let the slow moving chariots pass through gaps in their lines and then killed the crews from behind.
These unsuccessful attacks did at least give Archelaus time to bring his phalanx into the line. A period of intense infantry combat followed in the centre of the line, while the result of the battle was decided on the flanks. Archelaus decided to make a flanking attack with his cavalry against Murena on the Roman left. Sulla responded by sending Hortensius, with five cohorts from the reserve to help Murena, but Archelaus was able to isolate Hortensius, and there was a real danger that the Roman left would crumble.
Sulla reacted by gathering together his cavalry and crossing from the Roman right to the left to help Hortensius. When he saw this Archelaus disengaged his own cavalry, and began to move south
to attack to weakened Roman right. Sulla reacted by heading back south, this time with his cavalry, one cohort taken from Hortensius and two cohorts probably taken from the reserve on the right. Sulla reached the southern part of the battle before Archelaus, and launched a full scale attack while the Pontic line was still disorganised. The Pontic left was pushed back towards the River
Cephisus. At the same time Hortensius and Murena, on the Roman left, defeated a final Pontic attack and went onto the
offensive.
The Pontic retreat quickly turned into a rout. Archelaus's army was split into two halves separated by Mt. Acontium. Archelaus attempted to rally his men in front of their camp between Acontium and Hedylium, closing the gates of the camp, but all this did was
increase the death toll. Eventually he was forced to open the camp, but it was too late for most of his army. Only 10,000 men survived to escape to the coast with Archelaus. Roman casualties are unknown. Sulla claimed to have lost only fourteen or fifteen men, two of whom later reappeared.
This battle signifies the beginning of true Roman dominance in the Mediterranean, seeing as last the Greek power and indeed Roman threat coming from this region had now been defeated. It was the end of the GREEKS!
The battle began when the Roman detachment that had been sent around Mt. Thurium appeared over the top of the hill. The Pontic detachment on the hill panicked and fled down into the river
valley, disrupting Archelaus's lines. Archelaus responded with a cavalry charge, which achieved very little, and then by sending sixty of his scythed chariots to attack the Roman lines. When these chariots attacked at speed they were a real threat, but on this occasion they did not have the room to build up any speed,
and the Romans let the slow moving chariots pass through gaps in their lines and then killed the crews from behind.
These unsuccessful attacks did at least give Archelaus time to bring his phalanx into the line. A period of intense infantry combat followed in the centre of the line, while the result of the battle was decided on the flanks. Archelaus decided to make a flanking attack with his cavalry against Murena on the Roman left. Sulla responded by sending Hortensius, with five cohorts from the reserve to help Murena, but Archelaus was able to isolate Hortensius, and there was a real danger that the Roman left would crumble.
Sulla reacted by gathering together his cavalry and crossing from the Roman right to the left to help Hortensius. When he saw this Archelaus disengaged his own cavalry, and began to move south
to attack to weakened Roman right. Sulla reacted by heading back south, this time with his cavalry, one cohort taken from Hortensius and two cohorts probably taken from the reserve on the right. Sulla reached the southern part of the battle before Archelaus, and launched a full scale attack while the Pontic line was still disorganised. The Pontic left was pushed back towards the River
Cephisus. At the same time Hortensius and Murena, on the Roman left, defeated a final Pontic attack and went onto the
offensive.
The Pontic retreat quickly turned into a rout. Archelaus's army was split into two halves separated by Mt. Acontium. Archelaus attempted to rally his men in front of their camp between Acontium and Hedylium, closing the gates of the camp, but all this did was
increase the death toll. Eventually he was forced to open the camp, but it was too late for most of his army. Only 10,000 men survived to escape to the coast with Archelaus. Roman casualties are unknown. Sulla claimed to have lost only fourteen or fifteen men, two of whom later reappeared.
This battle signifies the beginning of true Roman dominance in the Mediterranean, seeing as last the Greek power and indeed Roman threat coming from this region had now been defeated. It was the end of the GREEKS!