495 - 502 AVC
The Apollonian Wars
Our tents were set up. Rumors had spread that we would hunt the romans in Epirus, and it served us well ; although our cohorts were very close to the frontier of Taulanti, there was no sign of strong Illyrian armies there.
It was on a beautiful night that Arispid entered my tent.
Exhausted from a long ride, he was still displaying some satisfaction when entering, knowing that I was waiting for those orders.
"Ah... Arispid. You have come.
- Yes, my General."
I sat down. I was clothed in full armor, with only my helmet put down on a table. I had been thinking and studying tactics for a long time already. We really lacked reports about Illyria ; their strength hadn't been studied.
"So, what do you have for me, Arispid?
- My General, I have been in Pella for several days. When his Majesty eventually called me, I found him with armor and sword, with all his guards around him,his priests, and several merchants kneeling before him. Allow me to tell you what I heard there.
- Go on, Arispid. Go on.
"Merchant Yagos, said the King. Tell again this story.
- Yes, my King, replied the merchant. I was in Illyria lately. I was selling salt. It is in the streets that I began to hear about this. People were speaking of Macedonia, and then I heard... then I heard them mentioning the Queen, the Queen of our great Basileus Ptolemy Kerounos.
- And what did you say, they were saying about her?
The merchant then did a short pause.
- They said ill things about the Queen Apollonia. That she was... that she was the thinking part, the brains of the rulership. That she... that she was evil, of all things. And...
Merchant Yagos took a longer pause.
- And that she killed her own sons.
"
While Arispid was taking his breath again, I ordered a pause.
- Arispid, tell me, how did the King react to this?
- He didn't... he didn't react at all, my General. Our Majesty just looked even cooler than before. Then he just said... "Messenger Arispid. You have your orders. Leave and make haste."
But... my General... he ordered me to come back to you, without supplying me with any order.
- Oh... oh yes, Arispid, he did send you with an order. He did! Take some rest. For tomorrow, we march on Illyria!
============================================
The march on Illyria began the next day.
The proud Macedonians met small resistance at first. Then came the generals of Illyria and their armies. Lack of reports about their strength proved to be a weakness; for they had a strong army.
The Macedonians spears found a steel wall of enemies, and pierced it with displicine and strength. Then pierced it again, with discipline and strength. Eventually Illyrians resistance began to fade, and their troops retreated deeper in their country.
The Macedonian fleet managed to dominate the seas, preventing the Illyrians to open a new front.
But a surprise did come, and it was a nasty one. The Dacians allies were coming from the north, and they weren't expected. For together with them came a Barbarian horde, that their movement had stirred up.
It was a whole invasion coming from the north that immediately took hold on Macedonian frontier colonies. Half of our army went there, and was repelled back.
The Apollonian Wars lasted three more years before newly raised mercenary troops managed to reinforce our weakened cohorts and bring victory against both the Daci and the Illyrians. When the Illyrian King tried to negotiate peace, Illyria was completely conquered, all his troops and navies destroyed, and all his allies beaten. King Ptolemy asked much from Illyria, and Illyria was forced to agree, thus becoming a very minor kingdom.
Many proud and sturdy men of Macedonia fell again in this war, and Macedonia was a rich but exhausted country. Many powerful factions in the country were asking for 30 years of peace, to allow our youth to become full men. A generation of peace.
Alas, right after the end of the Illyrian war our King learnt that our Achaean ally had started a new war, and was asking for our help.
The Achaeans had already taken Sparta, about twenty years ago. Both where our allies at the time, so we didn't interfere.
Now they were fighting Bithynia, another of our friends.
Ptolemy Kerounos, Basileus of Macedonia, decided to side with the Achaeans. We were first to land on Bithynia, and claimed it for ourselves. with Bithynia in our hands, we had a complete control over the Porpontis seapass and its eastern sea trade, thus granting us with greater riches.
In year 502 AVC, the greater kingdom of Macedonia was quite larger than before:
Meanwhile, the Romans managed to submit Gallia Cisalpina, and were fielding even more legions and fleets.