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The Battle of Lyncestis/Lyncus took place in 423 between the allied
forces of the Lyncestians and Illyrians against those of the Spartans and
Macedonians. The battle was part of the wider Peloponnesian Wars.
Opponents: Illyrians and Lyncestians versus the Spartans, Macedonians,
Chalcidians, Acanthians, Babarians
Commanders and leaders:
Lyncestians -Arrabaeus
Spartans -Brasidas,
Macedonains - Perdiccas
II
Strength:
Lyncestians - Not known
Spartans 3,000 Hellenic hoplites 1,000 Chalcidians Macedonian cavalry
Before Athens suffered defeat at Delium in 424 Sparta had sent an expedition
under Brasidas to assist Perdiccas II of Macedonia and other opponents of
Athens. At first Sparta avoided involvement in Macedon's war with Arrhabaeus,
but in 423 they joined an expedition which ended with retreat by the
Macedonians and a brilliantly contrived escape of the Spartans. After the
initial joint Illyrian and Lyncestian attack was repulsed, they pursued the
Macedonians and blocked Brasidas' route at a pass, forcing his army up the
surrounding hill and into Macedonia. This brought to a head the quarrel between
Brasidas and Perdiccas.
Arrhabaeus, the rebellious king of Lyncestis (also Lyncus), was subject to
Perdiccas, whom Perdiccas at the time wanted to subordinate to Argead control.
Much of what is known about the Macedonian kings before Alexander I relates to
their struggles against Illyrian incursions. These Illyrian raids penetrated
western Macedonia and threatened the Argead territory in the central plain. A
century later the Illyrians continued to press their claim by joining
Arrhabaeus. In 423 Sirras married the daughter of Arrhabaeus. Some claim that
the Illyrians were under Sirras when the battle took place but this is not
supported in historiography (Thucydides incidentally never makes any mention of
Sirras). If the Illyrians were indeed under the rule of Sirras during the
events of the battle, then they were either the Taulantii or Enchelii,
depending on the affiliation of Sirras with either tribe and the exact location
of his kingdom. Perdiccas II was allied to the Spartans and, in 424, helped the
Spartan general, Brasidas, to take Amphipolis from the Athenians, one of her
most important colonies, mainly for its ready access to timber for her fleets.
This was a severe blow to Athens, and would tie them to Macedonian timber for
years to come, which strengthened Macedonia’s bargaining power
considerably. In return for this, and after initial reluctance, the Spartans
helped Perdiccas secure his borders, by leading an assault on King Arrhabaeus,
with the promise of support from the Illyrians.
Battle- 423:
Brasidas and Perdiccas started on a second joint expedition into Lyncestis.
Perdiccas was leading the forces of the Macedonians he ruled over and a body of
hoplites. Brasidas had with him Chalcidians, Acanthians and such forces as the
other allies could have contributed, in addition to the rest of the
Peloponnesians in the area. In all three there were about 3,000 southern Greek
hoplites, accompanied by all the (Northern Greek) Macedonian cavalry together
with the Chalcidians, almost 1,000 strong, besides an immense number of
barbarians.
On entering Lyncestis, Brasidas and Perdiccas found the Lyncestians encamped
and waiting for them, so Brasidas and Perdiccas took up a position opposite.
The infantry on either side were on hills, with a plain between them, into
which the cavalry of both armies galloped down and engaged . After this, the
Lyncestian hoplites advanced from their hill to join their cavalry and offered
battle; in response to which Brasidas and Perdiccas also came down to meet
them, and engaged and routed them with heavy loss; the survivors taking refuge
upon the heights and there remaining disengaged. Brasidas and Perdiccas then
waited two or three days for the Illyrian mercenaries who were to join
Perdiccas. Perdiccas then wished to go on and attack the villages of
Arrhabaeus, but Brasidas refused. He was anxious to return, as the Illyrians
had not appeared, and he feared that the Athenians might sail up during his
absence and attack Mende. Illyrians ally with Arrhabaeus In the meantime, the
news arrived that the Illyrians had actually betrayed Perdiccas and allied
instead with Arrhabaeus. The fear inspired by their warlike character made both
parties now think it best to withdraw. However, owing to the disagreement
between Brasidas and Perdiccas, nothing had been settled as to when they should
retreat. During the night the Macedonians and their allies, believing that an
army of Illyrians many times more numerous than that which had arrived was
advancing, took fright. This compelled Perdiccas to flee in the direction of
his homeland. At daybreak, Brasidas, seeing that the Macedonians had gone, and
that the Illyrians and Arrhabaeus were on the point of attacking him, formed
his hoplites into a square with the light troops in the centre, and prepared to
retreat. Posting his youngest soldiers to dash out where ever the Illyrians and
Lyncestians should attack them, Brasidas and 300 picked men went to the rear
intending to face about during the retreat and to beat off the most forward of
their assailants.
Meanwhile, before the Illyrians approached, Brasidas sought to sustain the
courage of his soldiers, clearly shaken by the fearsome appearance of a new
enemy: The present enemy might terrify an inexperienced imagination; they are
formidable in outward bulk; their loud yelling is unbearable; and the
brandishing of their weapons in the air has a threatening appearance. But when
it comes to real fighting with an opponent who stands his ground, they are not
what they seemed; they have no regular order that they should be ashamed of
deserting their positions when hard pressed; flight and attack are equally
honourable with them, and afford no test of courage; their independent mode of
fighting never leaving anyone who wants to run away without a fair excuse for
doing so. After this brief address, Brasidas began to lead off his army. Seeing
this, the Illyrians and Lyncestians came on with much shouting and noise,
thinking that he was fleeing and that they would overtake him and cut him off.
But each time they charged they found the young men ready to dash out against
them, while Brasidas with his picked company backed them up. Thus the
Peloponnesians withstood the first attack, to the surprise of their enemy, and
afterwards received and repulsed them as fast as they came on, retiring as soon
as their enemy became quiet. The main body of the Illyrians and Lyncestians
ceased to molest Brasidas and his troops once they were in open country, and
left just a part of their forces behind to follow them and keep up the attacks.
The rest made off at a run after the fleeing Macedonians, killing any they
caught, and went on ahead to take control of the narrow pass that lay between
two hills and led into Lyncestis, knowing that Brasidas had no other line of
retreat. Therefore, as he approached the most difficult part of the route they
began to encircle him to cut him off.
Realising what was happening, Brasidas gave orders to the 300 men to break
ranks and each run as fast as he could to the nearest hill. He thought it
easiest to capture and to try and dislodge the Illyrians and Lyncestians
already there before the larger encircling group could join them. His men
attacked and overpowered the party on the hill, enabling the main body of
Peloponnesians to make their way to join them with relatively little
difficulty.
Aftermath:
Brasidas now that he had taken the high ground, went on in greater security to
Arnisa, the first place he reached in Perdiccas’ country. His soldiers
were furious at the premature retreat of the Macedonians, and whenever they
came across any of their oxcarts or any baggage that had fallen off, they would
cut loose and slaughter the oxen and take the baggage for themselves. It was
from this point that Perdiccas started think of Brasidas as an enemy, and from
then on he nursed a lasting hatred of the Peloponnesians.
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