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Short description

The Ambrakiote phalangites are one of the best phalanx units of all Epeiros.

Description

The Ambrakiote phalangites are a well-trained and -armoured infantry unit from the Greek city of Ambrakia, drilled in the ways of the Macedonian phalanx. They are armed with sarissa pikes (4-6m/13-20 ft long) and beautifully decorated aspides, depicting either the thunderbolt of Zeus, the monogram of Pyrrhos, or the head of Athena. Their equipment is of the finest quality: bronze Thracian and Pilos helmets, kept shiny or painted red, bronze greaves, colourful linothorakes with shoulder-pieces and pteryges ("feathers"), not just protecting them in battle but also displaying the immense wealth of their proud polis. The Ambrakiote phalangites are a steadfast unit, reliably holding their position against any enemy charge, and are thus best positioned in the centre of the main battle line.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Ambrakia was a prosperous Greek city, founded as a colony by the Kypselid tyrants of Corinth (Strauch, Daniel, s.v. Ambrakia, in: DNP online) and soon became an important trading hub for exporting great amounts of wine, cattle, sheep, and leather (Hammond, Epirus, 1967). It occupied a strategic position for both trade and war, blocking the main route from Epeiros to Akarnania and Aitolia. From the earliest days on, it traded with Epeiros and exported Epeirote cattle and sheep to Corinth through its port. Its importance as a trading hub is demonstrated by the fact that, contrary to its Epeirote neighbours, it already started minting silver coins of the Corinthian type right after the Persian Wars. It had a rivalry with Korkyra, which it fought in the naval battle of Sybota on the side of Corinth in 433 BC, soon thereafter joining Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. Later, it was defeated by Athens and Amphilochia in 426 BC at Olpai (Thuc. 2.68), joined the alliance of Athens, Thebes, and Corinth in 395 BC, and was then later forced into the Corinthian League of Philip II in the 4th century BC.

When Pyrrhos intervened in a dynastic quarrel on the side of Alexander, one of the sons of Cassander (ca. 355-297 BC), he received Tymphaia, Parauaia, and Ambrakia in exchange, which he later made into the Epeirote capital (Strab. 7.7.6). The Ambrakiote troops were trained as phalangites by Pyrrhos and served as a separate unit in his army next to the phalanx contingents of the Epirote koina (Plut. Pyrrhos 28.2). Despite being the Epeirote capital, like any Greek city, Ambrakia strived for autonomy, demonstrated by the Ambrakiote celebration of the end of the Molossian dynasty and the scattering of the ashes of Pyrrhus on the street (Ovid, Ibis 307-310). It was a member of the Aitolian League from 230/229 BC until its capture by M. Fulvius Nobilior in 189 BC (Polyb. 21.27; Liv. 38.4f) and was made a civitates libera (Liv. 38.44.2), eventually becoming a Roman garrison city in the Third Macedonian War (170/169 BC) (Liv. 42.67.9).