Draft:Carian campaign

Carian campaign
Part of Wars of the Diadochi
Location of Caria within the classical regions of Asia Minor/Anatolia
Date 312 BCE Location Caria
Belligerents
Antigonus Monophthalmus	Asander
Commanders and leaders
Antigonus Ptolemy Medius Dokimos	Asander

The Carian campaign was fought in 312 BCE during the events of the Third War of the Diadochi (the Wars of the Diadochi (Ancient Greek: Πόλεμοι τῶν Διαδόχων Pólemoi tōn Diadóchōn, literally War of the Crown Princes), or Wars of Alexander's Successors, were a series of conflicts fought between the generals of Alexander the Great, known as the Diadochi (successors), over who would rule his empire following his death). During the war which lasted from 313 to 311 BCE, Antigonus Monophthalmus (one of the more successful contenders), had to put down an insurrection by Asander, one of his subordinates and his governor of Caria in western Asia-Minor.

Background

The Third War of the Diadochi (313–311 BCE) saw the Diadochi Ptolemy, Seleucus, Cassander and Lysimachus oppose Antigonus Monophtalmus. Antigonus had emerged from the Second War of the Diadochi as the most powerful of successors, in control of almost the entirety of the Asian part of the empire of the late Alexander the Great, and was considered a threat by most of the other Diadochi. Ptolemy, Cassander, Lysimachus and Seleucus now challenged Antigonus' might by demanding he give up some of his territories and treasures to them. Ptolemy demanded all of Syria, Cassander Cappadocia and Lycia, Lysimachus Hellespontine Phrygia, Seleucus Babylonia, and that he [Antigonus] should share all the treasures he had accumulated. Antigonus refused and war renewed.

Antigonus took the initiative by marching into Coele Syria (Ptolemy's territory) and laying siege to the important habour city of Tyre. Seleucus, taking advantage of the fact that Antigonus lacked a navy, sailed past him from Egypt and ravaged Antigonus' Cilicia territories. Antigonus countered by ordering the cities of Phoenicia to build him an fleet and sent his nephew, also called Ptolemy, to Ionia to secure the cities and territories loyal to him [Antigonus] there. Ptolemy had already been sent into Asia Minor in 314 BCE and was currently campaigning in Bithynia to the north of Ionia. War now erupted from the Hellespont in the north to Gaza in the south.

Around 314 BCE, Ptolemy had succeeded in making Asander, the satrap of Caria, his ally. Ptolemy sent an Athenian mercenary commander named Myrmidon and 10,000 mercenaries to aid Asander against Antigonus' nephew Ptolemy who threatened Caria for Ionia to its north. Myrmidon failed to keep Ptolemy (the nephew) at bay and Asander now asked Cassander for aid. In 312 BCE, Cassander sent Prepelaus, one of his generals, with an army to Caria.

Prepelaus and Asander tried to defeat Ptolemy (the nephew) by launching a surprise attack during winter. They sent Eupolemus, one of Prepelaus' lieutenants, with a selected force of 8,000 infantry and 200 cavalry into Caria to take Ptolemy's forces piecemeal while they had dispersed into wintercamps. Unfortunately for Eupolemus, some deserters from his army revealed his plan to Ptolemy who quickly gathered his forces and was able to launch a surprise attack on Eupolemus' camp and capture the entire force with minimal losses.

Antigonus decided that his presence was needed in Asia Minor and marched there with the bulk of his army. He left his son Demetrius in Coele Syria with a large army and four experienced advisors to guard against Ptolemy. Asander seeing that any further resistance would be futile started negotiations. An agreement was reached whereby Asander was left to rule Caria as a subordinate and ally of Antingonus. Asander handed over his brother Agathon as a hostage for his good faith, but a few days later he arranged for his brother to escape and sent urgent messages to Ptolemy (the Diadochi) for help. Antigonus found out what was going on and prepared to move against Asander in Caria.

Operations

At the start of the campaigning season of 312 BCE, Antigonus invaded Caria in force. Calling all his forces from their winter quarters, he divided them into three or four columns: the first, under his former enemy Dokimos, was sent down the Meander valley to liberate Miletus, with the aid of the Antigonid fleet under Medius; the second column consisted of his nephew Ptolemy's army, and campaigned through central Caria from east to west, reaching the coast at Iasus; a third column, under Peukestas, may have marched to take Theangela; Antigonus himself with the main army campaigned from north to south through central Caria capturing Tralles and Kaunos. Caria is taken in the space of weeks.

Results

Antigonus demonstrated yet again he was an excellent strategist and tactician, brilliantly using his superior forces and exterior lines to conduct a lightning campaign. He captured Caria in a space of a few weeks, freeing up his forces to conduct the war in other theatres.

Having secured control of Caria, Antigonus turned to take actions against his fellow Diadochi, sending his nephew Telesphorus with a fleet of fifty ships and a large army to the Peloponnese to campaign against Cassander's garrisons there and liberate the Greek cities. He also sent a fleet under Lycon and an army under Pausanias to aid the city of Kallatis in its rebellion against Lysimachus.

Sources

Ancient Sources

• Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, volume XIX.

Modern Sources

• Billows, Richard A. (1990). Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-20880-3.

References

Category:Antigonid dynasty Category:Antigonus I Monophthalmus Category:Wars of the Diadochi Category:300 BC Category:312 BC Category:300s BC conflicts Category:Military campaigns