In the meantime, the Milesians insulted the League for the last time, and Mitrodoros ordered their annexation. The famed young general Lysimachus stormed into Tomis and captured the city.
After much deliberation and exhaustive diplomacy, relations with Pontus broke down in late 504. The alliance fell apart, and soon after war was declared. The Pontians' navy and army both outnumbered their enemy by a ratio of 3 to 2. Telesphoros Zosimid led 2000 cavalry up the coast to Scythia, in a plan to link up with the Bosporan army and lay siege to Pontic forts in the region. Meanwhile, Lysimachus waited with the remaining 24,000 soldiers in Thracia in anticipation of an invasion across the Propontis.
36,000 Pontians marched to Bithynia as expected, and 360 triremes secured the Propontis while the League's 260 ships took refuge in the harbor. The Pontians loaded their entire army into the ships.
But then they promptly sailed off for the Aegean and landed the entire army on the shores of Euboea. The League's navy could not defeat the Pontian, and their army was far out of reach. But Pontus was now undefended. Lysimachus seized the opportunity, and with the assistance of the fleet, quickly crossed over into Asia. Bithynia and Euboea quickly fell, and by January of 506, Lysimachus had advanced through Paphlagonia while the Pontic army had captured the mainland from Athens to Sparta.
After landing the army in Greece, the Pontic navy returned to the Black Sea and prevented the Bosporans from crossing over into Scythia. Fortunately, Scythia was lightly defended and Telesphoros' cavalry dispatched two small forces and laid siege to the area without the Bosporan Greeks. The Bosporans instead marched through the Caucasus and into Iberia, Pontus' small ally. Defeating the Iberian army, they opted to march through the small country instead of capturing it and attacked Pontus from the east, laying siege to Trapezus.
Meanwhile, the Pontians had sent their fleet back to Greece to transport the army back to Pontus and/or invade Thrace. Mitrodoros was desperate. The fleet had to be destroyed, but it outnumbered the League's own forces. And if it could be destroyed, the Pontian army would drown with it.
He ordered Lysimachus to divide his army into two, sending one to Pontus and the other to Amisus under seperate commanders. He then appointed the young military genius Admiral of the fleet.
Lysimachus wasted no time, and engaged the Pontian fleet in the Aegean. It was truly a desperate attack against a stronger foe, but the mind of Lysimachus was on the League's side.
Accounts vary, but what is known is that Lysimachus threw everything he had at the enemy fleet in a daring nighttime attack. The Pontians were thrown into disarray, and ended up losing more than 260 of their 370 ships, along with 26,000 soldiers. Lysimachus lost not a single ship. The remnants of the enemy fleet fled to Macedonian port and the army's survivors regrouped at Pella.
Pontus had all but lost the war in one spectacular battle that shocked the regional leaders and radically upset the balance of power in Anatolia. With the Pontian and Iberian militaries all but destroyed, Armenia and Colchis declared war, gobbling up Iberia while Pontus ceded lower Armenia to the Armenians. The war lasted another year while the sieges of Scythia finished and the Pontian remnant's invasion of Thracia was thwarted. Eventually, Pontus ceded Scythia and the former kingdom of Bithynia to the League.
In the final days of the war, Aleos Proctid was elected Archon...
...and Egypt invaded and conquered the Aetolian League. For the moment, the Nesiotic League once again found itself in a situation unable to help their brothers in Aetolia.
In the ensuing chaos of Pontus' defeat, the League and the Bosporans annexed Rhoxolani and Colchis lands, and colonized Tyras, to consolidate and stabilize the northern regions.
The Nesiotic League on July 1, 507
After much deliberation and exhaustive diplomacy, relations with Pontus broke down in late 504. The alliance fell apart, and soon after war was declared. The Pontians' navy and army both outnumbered their enemy by a ratio of 3 to 2. Telesphoros Zosimid led 2000 cavalry up the coast to Scythia, in a plan to link up with the Bosporan army and lay siege to Pontic forts in the region. Meanwhile, Lysimachus waited with the remaining 24,000 soldiers in Thracia in anticipation of an invasion across the Propontis.
36,000 Pontians marched to Bithynia as expected, and 360 triremes secured the Propontis while the League's 260 ships took refuge in the harbor. The Pontians loaded their entire army into the ships.
But then they promptly sailed off for the Aegean and landed the entire army on the shores of Euboea. The League's navy could not defeat the Pontian, and their army was far out of reach. But Pontus was now undefended. Lysimachus seized the opportunity, and with the assistance of the fleet, quickly crossed over into Asia. Bithynia and Euboea quickly fell, and by January of 506, Lysimachus had advanced through Paphlagonia while the Pontic army had captured the mainland from Athens to Sparta.
After landing the army in Greece, the Pontic navy returned to the Black Sea and prevented the Bosporans from crossing over into Scythia. Fortunately, Scythia was lightly defended and Telesphoros' cavalry dispatched two small forces and laid siege to the area without the Bosporan Greeks. The Bosporans instead marched through the Caucasus and into Iberia, Pontus' small ally. Defeating the Iberian army, they opted to march through the small country instead of capturing it and attacked Pontus from the east, laying siege to Trapezus.
Meanwhile, the Pontians had sent their fleet back to Greece to transport the army back to Pontus and/or invade Thrace. Mitrodoros was desperate. The fleet had to be destroyed, but it outnumbered the League's own forces. And if it could be destroyed, the Pontian army would drown with it.
He ordered Lysimachus to divide his army into two, sending one to Pontus and the other to Amisus under seperate commanders. He then appointed the young military genius Admiral of the fleet.
Lysimachus wasted no time, and engaged the Pontian fleet in the Aegean. It was truly a desperate attack against a stronger foe, but the mind of Lysimachus was on the League's side.
Accounts vary, but what is known is that Lysimachus threw everything he had at the enemy fleet in a daring nighttime attack. The Pontians were thrown into disarray, and ended up losing more than 260 of their 370 ships, along with 26,000 soldiers. Lysimachus lost not a single ship. The remnants of the enemy fleet fled to Macedonian port and the army's survivors regrouped at Pella.
Pontus had all but lost the war in one spectacular battle that shocked the regional leaders and radically upset the balance of power in Anatolia. With the Pontian and Iberian militaries all but destroyed, Armenia and Colchis declared war, gobbling up Iberia while Pontus ceded lower Armenia to the Armenians. The war lasted another year while the sieges of Scythia finished and the Pontian remnant's invasion of Thracia was thwarted. Eventually, Pontus ceded Scythia and the former kingdom of Bithynia to the League.
In the final days of the war, Aleos Proctid was elected Archon...
...and Egypt invaded and conquered the Aetolian League. For the moment, the Nesiotic League once again found itself in a situation unable to help their brothers in Aetolia.
In the ensuing chaos of Pontus' defeat, the League and the Bosporans annexed Rhoxolani and Colchis lands, and colonized Tyras, to consolidate and stabilize the northern regions.
The Nesiotic League on July 1, 507
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