HPLN: Interlude: Assault on Ptolemais

Ptolemais was one of the five cities of the Cyrenaican Pentopolis that made up the Cyrenaican Heartland, along with Barca, Appolonia, Euesperides, Tauchira, and Cyrene itself. Appolonia had been captured by Pyrrhus and acted as the port of Cyrene, but Ptolemais was another of the three principal ports of the Pentopolis. Once captured, only Barca would remain to service the vital Silphion Trade, which the Pentopolis largely funded its war effort on the back of. These ports were prime targets for capture, as Pyrrhus recognized that without the money from the Silphion Trade, Magas of Cyrene's War Effort would stutter to a halt and likely collapse.

This was why he sent his fleet, led by Admiral Porphyrios, to capture said ports. Unbeknownst to him at the time, Magas of Cyrene was already on his way back to Cyrenaica, leading to a clash at Antipyrgos in Marmarica that would largely determine the results of the War with Magas independently of the wider strategy. However, even without that, the capture of the Cyrenaican ports would have proven a winning strategy for knocking Magas out of the war. Admiral Porphyrios understood this and moved his fleet and marines with haste to Ptolemais to carry out the first such capture.

Of course, the Cyrenaicans knew this as well and prepared for the inevitable assault. In the case of Ptolemais, their strategy was to close off their harbor using a thick bronze chain strung between two wooden towers. The idea was simple, raise the chain with a winch and pulley system so that any ship attempting to enter the harbor would find its hulls being torn up and its oars snapped off as they got entangled in the chain. It was a good strategy and forced Admiral Prophyrios to reconsider his plan of attack.

"Why do we not simply use the Dromon's Ballistae to bombard these towers? They're only made of wood, after all. Surely a prolonged bombardment will shatter them and leave the Harbor open for attack?" Questioned Eurybatos, Nephew and Second of Admiral Porphyrios.

"And while we do that, who will stop the Ptolemaic Small Boats from attempting to board us?" Queried Admiral Porphyrios in return.

"Small boats are not warships. They're impressed fishing boats filled with Marines. They're not as big a danger as that chain." Argued Eurybatos.

"Not as big a danger is not the same as not dangerous, Nephew. The King would not look kindly on having any of his Dromons captured by enemy boarders. Even one would be too many." Pointed out Admiral Porphyrios.

"So what then? Land troops on the shore and have them assault the towers while we fend off boarders with our Dromons' Ballistae?" Asked Eurybatos.

"It seems to be the best path forward. We land Marines ashore and have them take those towers and lower the harbor chain. Then we sail into the Harbor and take the City." Affirmed Admiral Porphyrios.

"Very well, Uncle. Who will lead the attack?" Questioned Eurybatos.

"There are a number of decent options." Mused Admiral Porphyrios.

"I volunteer." Announced Eurybatos, suddenly.

"Pardon me? You what?" Queried Admiral Porphyrios, blinking,

"I said I volunteer. I will lead the assault." Reiterated Eurybatos.

"Do you understand what my Brother will do to me should you die? Or your mother?" Asked Admiral Porphyrios.

"I cannot be away from the action at all times if I want my peers to respect me, Uncle. I must have a hand in the fighting directly at some point." Insisted Eurybatos.

"Nephew, you joined my staff precisely to keep you away from the fighting." Reminded Admiral Porphyrios.

"That does me little good in terms of reputation, Uncle." Huffed Eurybatos.

Admiral Porphyrios frowned, mulling over the choice as he did so. Eurybatos was a young man, and young men are ever eager to cover themselves in glory. That did not mean that his Nephew didn't have a point, however. His entire age cohort was covering themselves in glory in the fighting, and while acting as his second was a respectable position for any reasonable person, young men often did not allow their reason to overcome their need to prove themselves. If Eurybatos wanted to be listened to by his peers, he would have to fight personally at some point. Why not when Admiral Porphyrios could have veteran marines watching over him? What better time to do so would come up? Decision made, Admiral Porphyrios nodded at Eurybatos.

"All right, Nephew. You will have your wish. However, I am assigning Nestor to be your second. He is an experienced Man, Veteran enough to be able to read the flow of battle. If he advises a retreat, you listen, no arguments." Instructed Admiral Porphyrios.

"Yes, Uncle. I understand. I don't require a minder, but if it will make you happy." Acqueisced Eurybatos.

"It's not me you need to worry about pleasing, Nephew. It's your parents." Huffed Admiral Porphyrios.

"I said, I agree, Uncle. Let's not bicker over details." Opined Eurybatos.

"Good. Get your gear ready and meet with Nestor. He'll take you to the troops you are to lead." Grunted Admiral Porphyrios.

Eurybatos saluted and hurried off to don his panoply for battle and meet with Nestor, the Old Veteran. As Admiral Porphyrios watched him go, he dragged a hand across his bearded face, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh, shaking his head.

"That boy will be the death of me yet. I'm getting too old for this." He grumbled.

Then, he turned, stroking a hand through a beard beginning to go gray, and began to issue orders to the Fleet Captains for the upcoming attacks. . .

XXXX

The Battle began with a land assault on the harbor chain towers. The Rightmost Tower came under assault from the outset by Eurybatos, Nestor, and their Marines. That, in turn, prompted the Ptolemaic small boats to rush forth from their positions, racing out to attack the fleet in an attempt to board ships and clear decks. These were largely a mixture of Pentekontoi that had been commandeered from fishermen and merchants and put to work as fast attack craft. The small ships only had fifty oars, but were leaner than the massive warships, made for quick journeys along the coast to trade or to fish. It was for this reason that they were often used as raiding and skirmishing ships, impressed by the navies of the Hellenic World.

Such was the use they were being put toward now. However, much like the Illyrian Liburnae of the very first War that Pyrrhus had undertaken all those years ago, it seemed these Pentekontoi would not fare well against the bombardment coming from the Dromons of the Epirote Fleet. The Spear of Ambracia began the bombardment, its ballistae launching flaming projectiles covered in pitch and set alight, smashing into the lead Pentekonor and smashing wooden planks, setting the rest aflame.

That set the tone for the skirmish, as the remainder of the Dromons of the Epirote fleet pressed the bombardment, launching flaming projectiles of their own at the incoming Pentekontoi. Of the hundred-some-odd Pentekontoi that had begun the assault, after forty-five minutes of skirmishing, only roughly a quarter remained to board ships. The rest were turned back from the fury of the bombardment, or the frequent counterattacks from Quadriremes that sent the attacking Pentekontoi fleeing for the shore. These largely only managed to board the smaller Quadriremes, the defender's strategy shifting somewhat, though a handful managed to board Dromons.

Fierce hand-to-hand fighting then broke out among the boarded ships of the Epirote Fleet as Ptolemaic Soldiers clad in full Hoplite Panoply launched themselves over the rails of the Pentekontoi and up the sides of the Quadriremes and Dromons of the Epirote Fleet. Admiral Porphyrios himself came under threat even as the Spear of Ambracia was boarded by two enemy Pentekontoi, one hundred Ptolemaic Hoplites forming ranks on the ship and beginning to assault the sailors and marines of the Epirote Flagship as the battle dragged on past the hour mark.

"Stand fast! We've got ships incoming to help!" Called out Admiral Porphyrios.

As he said that, Admiral Porphyrios thrust his Spear into the face of a Ptolemaic Hoplite whose own thrust skipped off the polished steel of his shield. As both the largest man on the ship, as well as the Admiral of the Epirote Fleet, Admiral Porphyrios was the most obvious target for the enemy boarders. He dodged aside from a javelin tossed his way from the rear ranks of the enemy formation, retracting his spear in time to skewer a Ptolmaic Boarder through the neck. Another attack came in, a strike from a bronze shield painted with the snarling image of a Gorgoneion. This smashed into Admiral Porphyrios' own shield, and a brief struggle ensued that Admiral Porphyrios won thanks to his greater size and experience.

The Ptolemaic Hoplite was bowled over, allowing Admiral Porphyrios to plant his Spear into the man's chest, steel tip punching through the iron chainmail, parting links of the lesser metal and impaling the Ptolemaic Hoplite. Unfortunately, that attack caused the oaken haft of Admiral Porphyrios' spear to snap apart, forcing the Admiral to draw his Falcata to parry an incoming spear thrust from yet another Ptolemaic Hoplite, even as he raised his shield to ward off another Javelin throw. As his riposte cleaved through the haft of the offending spear and he smashed his shield into the bridge of the offending Hoplite's nose, caving his face in, Admiral Porphyrios couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a mistake giving his Nephew so many marines for his assault on the towers.

There was nothing for it, though. He would just have to deal with the consequences. Already, his semaphore man was signalling for aid to come to the flagship, and nearby ships were beginning to respond. Reinforcements would be coming soon to help repel the boarders on the flagship. Admiral Porphyrios would simply have to hang on until they could arrive and help to push these dogs off his ship. As he fought on, however, something else was occurring on the shore at the Wooden Harbor Chain Tower.

It was there that the battle for Ptolemais would be decided, not aboard the ships of the Epirote fleet, after all. . .

XXXX

Eurybatos was having a rough time of things. He'd begun his assault on the Wooden Harbor Chain Tower an hour and a half ago, only to find it a harder nut to crack than anticipated. It wasn't just the tower he needed to clear, after all, but there had been barricades thrown up outside the tower, manned by a mixture of Hoplites and Thureophoroi. Then the bottom floor had been packed with troops. Those had been difficult fights, but the winch that controlled the harbor chain was on the top floor, and each successive floor had been full of more Ptolemaic Troops. He was now climbing onto the third floor out of four and fighting for every inch of ground.

Eurybatos snarled as he blocked an arrow fired from a Ptolemaic Archer as he ascended the steps to the third floor of the Tower, steel shield battered in the fighting, but still intact. The arrow snapped off his shield, and Eurybatos hacked into the Archer's Neck with his steel falcata as he charged forward up the stairs, the Archer's second shot thrown off course from the same blow that killed him. The arrow thudded into the wooden post that was helping to hold up the next floor harmlessly.

As he made it to the top of the stairs, Eurybatos suddenly found himself the target of multiple arrows. He scowled, putting his shield up as best he could, but he knew at least some of them would get through, just from the angles of the attack. Thankfully, his Uncle had assigned Nestor to his command, and the Old Veteran seized him by the back ot the collar of his Linothorax, yanking him back down the steps and out of the line of fire, with Eurybatos only suffering a graze to his left thigh from a broadhead arrow that sliced into the meat of his leg.

Eurybatos hissed as he was pulled backward and rounded on Nestor. The Old Veteran was of an age with his Uncle, perhaps a bit older. Nestor's long beard had a touch more gray in it than his Uncle's did, but that was where the similarities ended. Nestor was small and wiry, while his uncle was large and broad. Where his Uncle would offer encouragement, Nestor would offer criticism. However, his advice was always solid and backed by years of hard-won experience as a marine. For that, Eurybatos could put up with a touch of disrespect.

"Damn fool boy! Don't rush ahead, or that's the sort of thing that can happen!" Scowled Nestor.

"You could have given me some warning you were about to drag me away, you know." Huffed Eurybatos.

"And waste time? Not on your life." Scoffed Eurybatos.

"There are a dozen archers up there, supported by more Hoplites and some Thorakitai. How do you think we should approach this?" Questioned Eurybatos, changing tack.

"Send some of the men up first. You're not Achilles, Boy! You shouldn't lead from the front!" Insisted Nestor.

"Right. Noted." Nodded Eurybatos.

"Let me see that leg. If you're wounded too badly, I'll send you back down the tower and lead the rest of this attack myself. Your Uncle will have my hide if you die." Warned Nestor.

"It's fine." Protested Eurybatos, though he acquiesced nonetheless.

Nestor scowled as he examined the arrow wound for any sign of serious damage or possible poison. He looked it over with the experienced eye of a veteran, which was to say, carefully and slowly. The pause was long enough that Eurybatos felt a touch awkward, as if he needed to say something to fill the silence.

"Is it bad?" He queried.

"You're lucky. It's just a flesh wound. You'll have a scar to impress the Noble Ladies when it heals, but you can still fight on it." Grunted Nestor.

"Oh. That's good, yes?" Asked Eurybatos.

"That's only good news if it leads to you taking this more seriously." Insisted Nestor.

"Right. Have the men form up shields out. We'll go up the stairs in formation." Ordered Eurybatos.

"Good, about damn time you began using your head." Huffed Nestor.

As Nestor went to begin giving our orders and the men formed up, Eurybatos had to admit, begrudgingly, that the Old Veteran had a point. He wasn't Achilles or Alexandros Megas. Even the King, who some were claiming to be Alexandros Megas reborn, still led from the reserves at times, only committing himself to crucial attacks with the Kataphractoi in those instances. Eurybatos didn't need to be leading every attack. Best to listen to the Veteran advice from Nestor and follow the King's example. He might actually live long enough to impress those ladies with his new scar that way.

With that advice in the back of his mind, Eurybatos led the attack up the remaining two floors of the tower from further back in the formation. It wasn't until the tail end of the battle for the fourth and final floor that he fought himself again, and then only because a hail of javelins and arrows managed to open a gap in the ranks of the formation. He lashed out with his Falcata, cutting down a Peltast who was trying to use a javelin like a sort of shortened spear, only for it to rebound off his steel shield. Meanwhile, Eurybatos' falcata found the Peltast's neck, decapitating the man in a spray of crimson blood.

Eurybatos parried a cut from a Falcata on his shield as a Thorakitai in a plumed attic helmet lashed out at him from the side, his riposte shearing through the wood of the Man's thureos shield, rendering it useless. The Thorakitai's riposte was parried again, but then the man smashed the remnants of his shield into Eurybatos' nose, breaking it and cutting open a gash on Eurybatos' Cheek, the Boeotian Helmet he wore having no cheek or noseguard. Still, Eurybatos lived, as the shield broke on his face, though he stumbled away from the blow. In came the falcata, and it was all Eurybatos could do to put his shield up as his opponent sought to take advantage of his stumbling. With a deft maneuver, Eurybatos' opponent flipped his falcata about and cut the straps holding his shield to his forearm. The steel shield fell to the floor, but Eurybatos was able to parry the next cut with his falcata, engaging in a bind of blades with his opponent.

Fortunately, however, Eurybatos always kept a dagger on him as well as his spear, shield, and Falcata. It seemed his opponent carried no such last-resort weapon. As his falcata was bound with his opponent's, Eurybatos used that dagger now, drawing it and shoving it through the eye hole of his opponent's plumed Corinthian Helm and into his eye, pushing it deep as the man seized up, skewering his brain. Breathing heavily through his mouth, Eurybatos withdrew back to the rear, sending Nestor ahead to take his place. He needn't have bothered, however, as fifteen minutes later, the remaining enemy troops surrendered. The Harbor Chain Tower had been taken.

And with it, the battle for Ptolemais was practically won. . .

XXXX

Twenty minutes after the Harbor Chain had been lowered, the fleet managed to repel the remaining boarders. A brief skirmish ensued as some of the Pentekontoi had been reboarded by their troops and tried to sail away, but the battle was a foregone conclusion. Two hours and forty-five minutes after the beginning of the Battle for Ptolemais, the Epirote Fleet sailed into the Harbor of Ptolemais and gave the Commander of the City an Ultimatum. Surrender, or we will bombard the town from a position where your walls are useless. Fifteen minutes later, a runner returned with the official surrender of Ptolemais.

It had cost the lives of four hundred Marines and Hoplites in the tower and boarding actions, and two Quadriremes had to be consolidated into one, with the other beached, as they no longer had enough sailors left for both of them, but they had done it. Ptolemais had been captured, and with it, two out of the three principal ports of Cyrenaica. They were two-thirds of the way finished with the Objective set before them by Pyrrhus, which was all to the good, as far as Admiral Porphyrios was concerned.

Eurybatos, meanwhile, was being hailed by the fleet as the Hero of the Battle, being called Eurybatos Skoliorhinos, Eurybatos the Crooked Nose, after the wound he had taken to slay what turned out to be the Commander of the Harbor Tower in single combat. It was a badge of pride to earn such an epithet, one that many of his peers would envy, which was all that Eurybatos had wanted out of his command. For his part, as he prepared the fleet to sail to Barca and seize the third and final Port of Cyrenaica, Admiral Porphyrios was just glad that his Nephew would be staying by his side for the remainder of the War.

It was a short trip to Barca at any rate. However, the City had completely fortified up. They had towers made of stone, bristling with ballistae guarding the harbor, unlike Ptolemais, as Barca was an older city with better defenses. Admiral Porphyrios was forced to land his Hoplites and Marines further up the coast and fan his fleet out, engaging in a siege and Blockade of the City. It was during this siege and Blockade that news of the Battle of Antipyrgos reached Barca. On hearing this, the City negotiated a surrender with Admiral Porphyrios.

And thus the Coastal Campaign of the Cyrenaican Front of the Second Brother's War came to a successful end. Pyrrhus would be pleased when he heard the news, though it would not reach him for another two weeks.

And by that point, the Second Brother's War had already reached its last phase in Lower Egypt, which would see Ptolemy Kerounos and Pyrhhus on the upswing yet again. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next update. Admiral Porphyrios manages to successfully capture Ptolemais and even gets Barca to surrender in the aftermath of the Battle of Antipyrgos. At this point, Cyrenaica is pretty much done for, with even Cyrene negotiating a surrender to Pyrrhus, not that anyone but Pyrrhus realizes that yet. All that's left to do is dethrone Ptolemy Philadelphos and install Ptolemy Kerounos on the throne in Alexandria, and the Second Brother's War will be over.

As for place names, Ptolemais is on the site of the modern-day town of Tolmeita in Libya, Cyrene is in the Jebel Akhdar uplands of Libya, Barca is on the site of Modern-Day Benghazi in Libya, Appolonia is on the site of Modern-Day Soussa in Libya, Tauchira is Tauchira is on the site of the Modern-Day town of Tocra in Libya, Cyrenaica is in Northeastern Libya along the coast, Marmarica is the border region between Libya and Egypt, Antipyrgos is on the site of Modern-Day Tobruk, Lower Egypt is the Northern half of Egypt, and Illyria is in Modern-Day Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Croatia.

At any rate, in the next chapter, we'll be back with Pyrrhus' POV for his meeting with the envoys from Ptolemy Philadelphos' Court, and there will be a surprise twist there. Then we'll have a chapter as Pyrrhus enters Lower Egypt.

Stay tuned. . .