Crannon (7 of August 322 BC) by Claudio Grassi

(Translation by Fabio Bernardini)

The battle of Crannon ended the rebellion of the Greeks, that erupted after Alexander’s death, against the Macedonian hegemony.

The lead of the revolt was taken by Athens, supported by Aetholians and Thessalians. The core of the rebels’army (and also one of the reasons of the rebellion), consisted of Greek mercenaries that participated to the Alexander’s expedition in Asia and found themselves suddenly unemployed. Leaders of the revolt, all Athenians, were Leosthenes, the mercernaries’ strategist and Hyperides the Orator. Demosthenes took advantage of the situation to come back from the exile and soon joined them.

Leosthenes gathered a great number of mercenaries near Cape Tenar, in Lacinia, the official mercenary recruitment area; Athens built a fleet of 240 ships; the league of Corinth, a Macedonian confederacy created to exert control over Greece, quickly dissolved.

The rebellion was faced by the old Antipater, strategist of Europe who could count on about 13000 infantrymen and 600 cavalrymen. This initial contingent was then reinforced by a fair amount of troops from Asia under Leonatus command, roughly 20000 infantry and 1500 cavalry, few of them were Macedonians.

As usual Leosthenes occupied the Thermopylae Pass and easily outmaneuvered Antipater, forcing him inside the Thessalian fortress of Lamia (thus the name Lamian War, assigned to this Greek-Macedonian war) in the autumn 323 BC.

Nevertheless, two critical events reversed the situation. The first of them was the naval battle of Amorgus (summer 322 BC), where the Macedonian Cleitus destroyed the Athenian fleet; the second was the arrive from Asia of Craterus, with a rescuing army consisting of 6000 Macedonian veterans, 4000 recruits, 1000 Persian archers and slingers, 1500 cavalrymen.

Leosthenes died during a cavalry skirmishing, depriving the Greeks of their best General (even Leonatus was slain in the same way, eliminating an opponent from the imminent bloody contest for the attribution of Alexander’s inheritance: the Diadochoi wars) and Craterus was finally able to set Antipater free from the siege.

The final clash took place in Crannon, north of Thessalian plains, where the Macedonian army under Antipater command (45000 infantrymen and 5000 cavalrymen) smashed the Greek army led by Hyperides (25000 infantrymen and 3500 cavalrymen).

The Athenian democratic regime was overthrown, Hyperides was executed, Demosthenes committed suicide in Calauria Island when Antipaters’ killers were about to catch him; The Thessalians, already doubtful during the last phase of the Lamian War, went back under the Macedonian hegemony, they kept providing their excellent cavalry for decades to come. Greece was subjugated again, always ready for successive but still fruitless rebellions.

Map

Use the map of Trebbia (SPQR module - Consul for Rome), ignoring any stream hex (the battle of Crannon was fought in August, in Thessalia). If you don’t own the Trebbia map, use any other featureless map you can find. You’ll miss the light descendant sloop but it’s not a big deal.

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

MACEDONIANS 

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

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

GREEKS

(b): imaginary names

(c): may issue orders only to infantry

(d): may issue orders only to cavalry

(e): if you don’t own SPQR you can use the 4 Media HC (TQ 7) from GBA. Or if you don’t mind having “red” HC from both sides, use the Thessalian HC from GBA

(f): if you don’t own SPQR you can use the 2 Arcnia HC and the 2 Epirus HC  from PHALANX     (all are TQ 5)

Line Eligibility Chart 

(*): one vacant hex allowed

(**):Hypaspists are thus included

(***): both single and double hex counters

Retreat Edge

Macedonians: hexrow 42xx

Greeks: hexrow 10xx

Victory

• The Macedonians army routs when 93 rout points (30%) have been eliminated.
• The Greek army routs when 76 rout points (35%) have been eliminated

Alternatively, in order to balance the battle among other things, the Greeks rout level can be raised up to 87 rout points (40%), emphasizing the fact that they where fighting for their own freedom (and ignoring the historical fact that the Thessalian had by now abandoned the coalition.

Size and TQ Levels

Leosthenes Variant

The best Greek Commander during the Lamian War was undoubtedly Leosthenes, but at the moment of the battle was already dead. We propose a variant to the above scenario with Leosthenes still available and thus OC of the Greek army. As a counterbalance (probably not needed) the Macedonian Leader Leonatus is also added, returned to life as well.

• The Greek player can use Leosthenes (*) as OC (consequently, Iperide, even if still available, is no more OC), deployed as desired.
• The Greek player can use Leonatus (counter GBA: as if with an L on his counter, to take into account his ability to issue an Line Command, but not orders to MCC), deployed on 3235.