Cappadocia (May 320 BC) by Claudio Grassi

(Translation by Fabio Bernardini)

The battle was fought somewhere in Cappadocia (or maybe not even there but slightly east of the Hellespont) between Eumenes of Cardia and Craterus, during a conflict that can be perceived as the first Diadochoi War. The war ignited when Perdiccas realized that a great number of personalities of Alexander’s empire didn’t recognize his authority as regent: Antipater and Craterus in Europe, after the victorious conclusion of the Lamian War against the Greeks had no will to submit to Perdiccas; neither did Antigonus that took refugee in his faithful Phrigya along with 3000 men; Ptolomey didn’t show to behave more meekly, he took possession of Alexander body and brought it with him to Egypt.

Perdiccas moved against Ptolomey supported by Peithon, Seleucus and Anthigenes (same persons that eventually would assassinate him during the spring of the year 320 BC, at the culmination of an unsuccessful campaign over the Nile delta).

In Asia Minor the task to face the rebels was left to Eumenes of Cardia, the ex Greek Alexander’s secretary, nominated by Perdiccas as Satrap of Cappadocia; to Alketas, Perdiccas’ brother and Satrap of Pisidia; to Neoptolemos, chief of the Hypaspists , now Satrap of Armenia; all of them supported by Cleitus fleet, Satrap of Lidia. The Perdicca’s side showed soon its vulnerability: Alketa didn’t take any action, Neoptolemos switched side along with some hundreds survivors since Eumenes, with his rather multilingual but highly efficient cavalry, crushed his army; much more decisive was the Cleitus’ change of party. He yielded to Craterus charisma and switched side along with his fleet, thus allowing the passage of the Hellespont.

Consequently, Eumenes found himself forced to face the advance of Craterus and Neoptolemos; his army consisted of 20000 infantry and 5000 cavalry; while Craterus could count on the same number of infantry, mostly Macedonian veterans, but no more than 2000 horsemen.

Eumenes feared that is army, particularly the infantry, consisting of a fair amount of Macedonians, could desert to the enemy, subjugated by Craterus’ charisma: in order to avoid it, Eumenes kept secret to his army the identity of the enemy General saying that the action was a Neoptolemos’s redemption attempt.

Eumenes deployed his infantry in the rear, took command of the right wing cavalry along with his personal guard, put the left wing cavalry (that included Greeks, Indians and Thraces) under the command of Pharnabazus and Phoenix of Tenedos with the order to charge the enemy as soon as it was sighted. That was exactly what happened: Craterus, leading his right wing cavalry, despite in clear numerical inferiority, countercharged immediately but was unhorsed , trampled on and killed.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the battlefield, Eumenes engaged his personal enemy Neoptolemos in a duel and after a fierce struggle finally killed him.

Plutarc wrote that Eumenes, ragged and bleeding, rode till the body of his old friend Craterus, and fell on his knee crying and cursing the destiny (and Neoptolemos) that had forced the two of them to fight to death.

Map

Use the map of Zama (SPQR) or any other featureless map you own.

Counters

Counters of GBoH are used, in particular: GBoA, DDC (Diadochoi), SPQR, WE. Counters of Leaders are mostly unavailable, those marked with a (*) are available here.

Initial deployment

EUMENES 

a): Pharnabazus and Phoenix can issue line command only to cavalry

b): Gorgia was a cavalry commander also, but we needed someone to lead the infantry

c): Contingent Commander per rule 5.6; Eumene (OC) can activate just one MCC per phase

d): imaginary names

CRATERUS

(a): Due to his role as Overall Commander the Craterus counter is treated as if an L is on it.

(b): Contingent Commander as per rule 5.6; both Craterus (OC) and Neoptolemus (WC) may activate just one MCC per phase

(c): The presence of Cleitus is not certain, nevertheless, given his role in allowing the passage of the Hellespont, no to mention his charge as Satrap of Lidia, deploying him doesn’t appear totally wrong.

(d) : imaginary names

Speciale Rule (Optional): Craterus’ Charisma

Eumenes feared that his own infantry could have succumbed to Craterus’ charisma. Ideed, Craterus exerted an undoubted ascendency over Macedonian soldiers, no matter who their actual Leader was. For this reason, Eumenes adopted a rather atypical deployment, with infantry far behind the front line.

The present rule give Craterus the chance to exert his influence over Eumenes’ Phalanx, something that he couldn’t achieve during the battle since he was slain by the enemy cavalry.

Only Once during the course of the game, if Craterus is activated by a successful trump against an enemy Leader (and Eumenes doesn’t try a counter trump, or is unsuccessful when trying it), he can use his orders attempting to bring Eumenes’ Phalanx to his side.

Use the following procedure: The player controlling Craterus rolls a die for each Phalanx unit within Craterus’ command range: add to the die roll the Craterus’ charisma rating and subtract the charisma rating of any one enemy leader whose command range reach the affected Phalanx (just one leader per die roll, your choice): if the modified die roll is 6 or greater the Phalanx deserts and from now on it will be under Craterus’ orders, suffering a number of Cohesion Hits equal to difference between the die roll result and 6.

A deserted Phalanx inflicts a 14 Rout Points to Eumenes’ army, if the Phalanx is eliminated the same 14 points will be inflicted to Crateros’ army.

Line Eligibility Chart

(*): one vacant hex allowed

(**): Hypaspists are thus included

Retreat Edge

Eumenes: hexrow 42xx

Crateros: hexrow 10xx

Victory

• The Emenes’ army routs when 65 rout points (35%) have been eliminated.
• The Crateros army routs when 64 rout points (35%) have been eliminated.

Size and TQ Levels