Siege of Medion: Difference between revisions
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[[Category: Wars involving Illyria]] |
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Revision as of 10:01, 19 April 2014
| Siege of Medion | |||||||
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| Part of the Illyrian Conquests | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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Medion[1] Kingdom of Illyria[1] | Aetolian League[1] | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| King Agron[1][3][4] | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Illyrian relief force of 100 Lembi and 5,000 men[5][3] | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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'A great number' of Aetolians killed 'A still greater number' captured[5] | |||||||
The Siege of Medion was a siege carried out by Aetolian League from 233 BC to 231 BC against the Ancient Greek city of Medion.
Siege
In 233 BC, the League had requested Medion to join the League, but it had refused. The Aetolians decided instead to take Medion by force, beginning the siege in 233 BC. Demetrius of Macedon, a rival of the Aetolian League, requested Agron of Illyria to lift the siege and defeat the Aetolians.[3] Agron accepted, and sent a fleet of 100 lembi and 5,000 men to Medion. This was the largest force any Illyrian king had ever conjured. Initially in 232 BC, they blockaded the Aetolian besiegers. They later attacked the Aetolian besiegers in 231 BC.[1][2][4] The Illyrians and Macedonia were not necessarily allied, but the former was instead hired to assault the Aetolians at Medion as mercenaries for Macedon.[1][2][4] A later historian, Gruen, says that the fact that Demetrius of Macedon was unable to relieve the siege himself but instead had to call the Illyrian for aid shows that he was incapable of relieving Medion himself.[2]
Battle
The Aetolians quickly reacted to the Illyrian landings, and their cavalry took higher ground, but a single Illyrian charge, using their close formation and numbers to their advantage, forced the cavalry to retire with the Aetolian Hoplites. The Illyrians then took higher ground, and charged downwards on the combined Aetolian army, quickly routing them. The Medion army inside the city then charged at the Aetolian forces. The Aetolians were defeated and lost many men.
Aftermath
After taking many prisoners and much booty, the Illyrians left Medion and sailed to Illyria. Upon their arrival, they reported their victory over the Greeks to King Agron, in 231 BC. He is said to have died shortly afterwards, and was succeeded by his wife, Queen Teuta, the same year.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Polybius. Histories, Plb. 2.2. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ a b c d Erich S. Gruen. The Hellenistic World and the Coming of Rome, Volume 1. p. 366. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Erich S. Gruen. The Hellenistic World and the Coming of Rome, Volume 1. p. 363. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Craige Brian Champion. Cultural Politics in Polybius's Histories. p. 112. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ a b c Polybius. Histories, Plb. 2.3. Retrieved 17 April 2014.