Glaucias ( grc, Γλαυκίας; ruled c. 335 – c. 295 BC) was a ruler of the
Taulantian kingdom which dominated southern
Illyrian affairs in the second half of the 4th century BC. Glaucias is first mentioned as bringing a considerable force to the assistance of
Bardylis
Bardylis (also Bardyllis ; grc, Βάρδυλις; 448 – c. 358 BC) was an Illyrian king, and the founder of the first attested Illyrian dynasty. During his reign, Bardylis aimed to made Illyria a regional power interfering with Macedon. He ...
' son
Cleitus, an Illyrian prince who revolted against
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
, in the
battle of Pelium
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
335 BC. They were, however, both defeated, and Cleitus was forced to take refuge within the Taulantian territories, whither Alexander did not pursue him, his attention being called elsewhere by the news of the revolt of
Thebes.
We next hear of Glaucias, nearly 20 years later, as affording an asylum to the infant
Pyrrhus, when his father
Aeacides
:''Aeacides may also refer to Peleus, son of Aeacus, or Achilles, grandson of Aeacus.''
Aeacides ( el, Aἰακίδης; died 313 BC), king of Epirus (331–316, 313), was a son of king Arybbas and grandson of king Alcetas I.
Family
Aeaci ...
was driven out of Epirus; Glaucias' wife
Beroea
Beroea (or Berea) was an ancient city of the Hellenistic period and Roman Empire now known as Veria (or Veroia) in Macedonia, Northern Greece. It is a small city on the eastern side of the Vermio Mountains north of Mount Olympus. The town is menti ...
belonged to the
Molossian
The Molossians () were a group of ancient Greek tribes which inhabited the region of Epirus in classical antiquity. Together with the Chaonians and the Thesprotians, they formed the main tribal groupings of the northwestern Greek group. On thei ...
Aeacidae. By this measure he gave offence to
Cassander
Cassander ( el, Κάσσανδρος ; c. 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and ''de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death.
A son of Antipater and a cont ...
, who sought to gain possession of
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
for himself, and who in vain offered Glaucias 200
talents to give up the child.
Not long after, the Macedonian king invaded his territories, and defeated him in battle; but though Glaucias bound himself by the treaty which ensued to refrain from hostilities against the allies of
Cassander
Cassander ( el, Κάσσανδρος ; c. 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and ''de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death.
A son of Antipater and a cont ...
, he still retained Pyrrhus at his court, and, after the death of
Alcetas II of Epirus
Alcetas II ( el, Ἀλκέτας; 313–306 ВС), king of Epirus, was the son of Arybbas, and grandson of Alcetas I. On account of his ungovernable temper, he was banished by his father, who appointed his younger son, Aeacides, to succeed him. O ...
, in 307 BC, he took the opportunity to invade Epirus with an army, and establish the young prince, then 12 years old, upon the throne. The territories of Glaucias bordered upon those of
Apollonia and
Epidamnos
The ancient Greek city of Epidamnos or Epidamnus ( grc-gre, Ἐπίδαμνος), ( sq, Epidamni) later the Roman Dyrrachium (Δυρράχιον) ( sq, Dyrrahu) (modern Durrës, Albania), was founded in 627 BC in Illyria by a group of colonists ...
, and this proximity involved him in frequent hostilities with those states. In 312 BC he gained control of Epidamnus. The date of his death is not mentioned, but it appears that he was still reigning in 302 BC, when Pyrrhus repaired to his court, to be present at the marriage of one of his sons.
Biography
Early rulership
![ExpansionOfMacedon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/ExpansionOfMacedon.jpg)
In 344 BC, Glaukias' father Pleuratus I engaged in battle with Philip II of Macedon. In a losing effort
Pleuratus I
Pleuratus I (Ancient Greek: Πλευρᾶτος; ruled 356335 ) was an Illyrian king of the Illyrian tribe of the Taulantii. Pleuratus was the father of Glaucias. Pleuratus managed to defeat philip II during Macedon's expansion, wounding the Ma ...
, tried to thwart Philip's advances in Illyria and managed to wound Philip himself and fifty of his elite forces on their pursuit. Philip was wounded and lost part of his close group of friends, finally contenting himself with the possession of the Illyrian region of Dassaretia. After this,
Isocrates
Isocrates (; grc, Ἰσοκράτης ; 436–338 BC) was an ancient Greek rhetorician, one of the ten Attic orators. Among the most influential Greek rhetoricians of his time, Isocrates made many contributions to rhetoric and education throu ...
delimits the Taulantii state only to the lands along the
Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
. It seems that during his early reign, probably before 335 BC, Glaucias and Alexander might have had quite friendly relations, although this is not known for sure. As a royal page Alexander had accompanied his father
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
on the Illyrian campaigns. In 337 BC he had escorted his mother
Olympias
Olympias ( grc-gre, Ὀλυμπιάς; c. 375–316 BC) was a Greek princess of the Molossians, and the eldest daughter of king Neoptolemus I of Epirus, the sister of Alexander I of Epirus, the fourth wife of Philip II, the king of Macedonia a ...
to
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
and gone from there to Illyria where he stayed with one or more kings, perhaps indeed with Glaucias. Alexander might have also had relations living in Illyria at that time and took shelter there when he quarrelled with his father.
King Glaukias and the Taulantii had not accepted Macedonian rule, and remained independent. While the Illyrian
Cleitus, son of
Bardylis
Bardylis (also Bardyllis ; grc, Βάρδυλις; 448 – c. 358 BC) was an Illyrian king, and the founder of the first attested Illyrian dynasty. During his reign, Bardylis aimed to made Illyria a regional power interfering with Macedon. He ...
, was subject king of Macedonia since at least Philip's suppression of an Illyrian revolt in 349 BC. However in 335 BC Cleitus revolted against Alexander, and before the conflict with Macedon, he assured the support of Glaucias and his Taulantii.
Conflict against Alexander
Background
News of Illyrian offensive preparations in 335 BC reached Alexander when he was probably in
Agrianian
The Agrianes (Ancient Greek: Ἀγρίανες, ''Agrianes'' or Ἀγρίαι ''Agriai'') or Agrianians, were a tribe whose country was centered at Upper Strymon, in present-day central Western Bulgaria as well as southeasternmost Serbia, at the ...
territory. The
Autariatae
The Autariatae or Autariatai (alternatively, Autariates; grc, Αὐταριᾶται, ''Autariatai''; la, Autariatae) were an Illyrian people that lived between the valleys of the Lim and the Tara, beyond the Accursed Mountains, and the val ...
tribe under
Pleurias
Pleurias (Ancient Greek Πλευρίας; ruled c. 337 – 335 BC) was an Illyrian king. According to some scholars Pleurias was probably king of the Autariatae. An Illyrian king called Pleurias is mentioned only in Diodorus (16.93.6). The n ...
planned to attack him from the north, Cleitus the Illyrian had risen in revolt and Glaucias had entered into an alliance and joined Cleitus' cause. Cleitus had occupied the city of
Pelion
Pelion or Pelium (Modern el, Πήλιο, ''Pílio''; Ancient Greek/Katharevousa: Πήλιον, ''Pēlion'') is a mountain at the southeastern part of Thessaly in northern Greece, forming a hook-like peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the ...
, a fortified site in eastern
Dassareti
The Dassaretii (Ancient Greek: ''Δασσαρῆται, Δασσαρήτιοι'', Latin: ''Dassaretae'', ''Dassaretii'') were an Illyrian people that lived in the inlands of southern Illyria, between present-day south-eastern Albania and south-w ...
a, an Illyrian canton. Pelion lay on the Illyrian side of Wolf's Pass (Qafa e Ujkut). Since Philip's annexation of this part of Illyria, Little Lake Prespa lay on the Macedonian side. Pelion at the time was the strongest settlement in the region and it was favourably located for attacks into Macedonia.
Battle of Pelium
Alexander found that Cleitus had not only occupied Pelion but also the surrounding heights, which look down on the city and cover the approach to Wolf's Pass. It was evident that he was waiting for Glaucias to arrive. Alexander wanted to strike at Cleitus first. He therefore pitched and fortified a camp on the river Eordaicus in full sight of the Illyrians, and next morning he moved his army up to the wall of Pelion. This move brought the Illyrians down from the heights in order to attack the Macedonians in the flanks and the rear. Alexander promptly about-turned his army and routed the Illyrians.
Alexander decided next to build a wall around Pelion, so that he could blockade the city and his army could operate inside its own defences. Next day Glaucias, at the head of a large
army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, came from the plain of Koritsa through the Tsangon pass and joined forces with Cleitus. Alexander was heavily outnumbered and knew for the first and last time the bitter taste of failure. He acted at once, sending his baggage train of horse-drawn wagons with an escort of cavalry under
Philotas
Philotas ( el, Φιλώτας; 365 BC – October 330 BC) was the eldest son of Parmenion, one of Alexander the Great's most experienced and talented generals. He rose to command the Companion Cavalry, but was accused of conspiring against Alexa ...
to round up supplies in the plain of Koritsa. Glaucias having failed to guard the Tsangon pass with sufficient care, enabled the Macedonians to proceed about their foraging. Glaucias now rectified his mistake and occupied both sides of the pass in the hope of catching Philotas' foraging party on its return. Alexander divided his forces. Leaving sufficient troops with the Illyrian garrison penned up inside Pelion, he marched to the Tsangon pass with the Hypaspists, archers and Agrianians and two squadrons of
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
, some 5,000 men in total, and cleared the pass. Glaucias' Taulantians did not even put up a fight, and the baggage
train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
returned in safety.
The effect of this success could only be short lived in terms of supply. The troops of Glaucias and Cleitus seemed still to have caught Alexander in a difficult position for the Illyrians held the commanding heights with large numbers of cavalry, large numbers of
javelin
A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...
-men and
slingers, and had heavy-armed
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
as well. The next morning Alexander's plan was not to retreat, but to advance through the middle of the Illyrian forces, thereby keeping them divided and his own men united. In order to do so, he had to deceive the Illyrians and then seize the narrow passage, namely the Wolf's pass, confined between the river on one side and high cliffs on the other side and admitting only four men abreast at its narrowest point.
Next morning the deception was achieved by a superb piece of drill. The Macedonians paraded on the flat plain, without its baggage train, but with its catapults, which led the Illyrians under Glaucias and Cleitus to expect an assault upon the walls of Pelion. The drill was executed by the
phalanx
The phalanx ( grc, φάλαγξ; plural phalanxes or phalanges, , ) was a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar pole weapons. The term is particularly use ...
in a solid block of men, 100 men wide and 120 men deep, and by a
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...
of 200
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
on each flank. Glaucias had a grandstand view from the battlements of Pelion and the surrounding heights, was amazed by the precision of the drill and bewildered by the changing movements. Suddenly Alexander formed the left front of the phalanx into a wedge (embolon) and charged Cleitus' troops on the nearest slopes. The Illyrians fled at the mere onset on this attack. Next the Macedonians using warlike threats, forced Glaucias' army to withdraw towards Pelion.
Three days later Alexander mounted a night attack. The Illyrians had assumed that Alexander had fled for good, so had bivouacked their men over a wide area and had not built field defences or mount guards. Learning of their dispositions, the Macedonians came back at night, leading the Hypaspists, archers and Agrianians and two phalanx brigades (in all over 7,000 men). The Illyrians were devastated by the Macedonians who struck in a deep
formation
Formation may refer to:
Linguistics
* Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes
* Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes
Mathematics and science
* Cave formation or speleothem, a secondar ...
at the very end of the Illyrian line, killing many in their beds and started a panic which became a rout as the
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
line poured through the gap and rolled up the Illyrian line from east to west. Cleitus and that part of his army under his immediate command, escaped into Pelion, but the rest suffered the thoroughness of the cavalry pursuit which continued to the mountains of Glaucias' state, some 95 km away. Cleitus burnt Pelion in order to not let it fall into the hands of the Macedonians, and went to join Glaucias in the region of what is now
Tirana
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
.
Aftermath
The escape and victory of Alexander and his army brought home to the
Illyrians
The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European languages, Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo ...
how much had changed since they had brought Macedonia to its knees barely 50 years before under the command of
Bardyllis
Bardylis (also Bardyllis ; grc, Βάρδυλις; 448 – c. 358 BC) was an Illyrian king, and the founder of the first attested Illyrian dynasty. During his reign, Bardylis aimed to made Illyria a regional power interfering with Macedon. He ...
. In 334 BC a number of Illyrian infantrymen served in Alexander's expeditionary force and many more Illyrian troops were later to serve Alexander in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
. Glaucias though defeated by the Macedonians, survived as king for another 30 years.
Conflict against Cassander
In 317 BC Glaucias was in league with the two Greek colonies of Epidamnus and
Apollonia as well as with the island of
Corcyra
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
while
Cassander
Cassander ( el, Κάσσανδρος ; c. 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and ''de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death.
A son of Antipater and a cont ...
of Macedon was at a low ebb. In 314 BC Cassander attacked Apollonia, capturing the city at the first assault. After he advanced north and crossed the
Genusus river, Cassander defeated Glaucias' army, and by simulating a feigned retreat he tricked the people of Epidamnus. Thereafter he placed a garrison in the city. After a treaty Cassander left Glaucias on his throne under condition not to attack the allies of the Macedonian king.
In 313 BC the treaty collapsed. Glaucias laid siege to Apollonia in 312 BC and with the help of the
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
n Acrotatus, took away the Macedonian garrison. Meanwhile, trouble arose in Epirus. Corcyra, taking advantage of this situation, sent help to Apollonia and Epidamnus, overpowered Cassander's garrison in the latter and gave the city to Glaucias. Apollonia was now free and hostile to Macedonia.
Before gaining control of Epidamnus, Glaucius' forces were joined by the
oligarchy
Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...
of the city
[A History of the Classical Greek World, 478 - 323 BC (Blackwell History of the Ancient World) by P. J. Rhodes, 2005, page 82: "... expelled the oligarchs, and the oligarchs joined with the neighbouring Taulantians in attacking Epidamnus..."] who had been expelled by the
democrats and the
Corcyra
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
eans.
Adopting Pyrrhus: Epirote affairs
![Musée Baron-Martin 080 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Mus%C3%A9e_Baron-Martin_080_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In 317 BC, six years after the death of Alexander and with power in Macedonia in the hands of
Cassander
Cassander ( el, Κάσσανδρος ; c. 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and ''de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death.
A son of Antipater and a cont ...
, Glaucias offered asylum to the infant
Pyrrhus after the expulsion of his father
Aeacides
:''Aeacides may also refer to Peleus, son of Aeacus, or Achilles, grandson of Aeacus.''
Aeacides ( el, Aἰακίδης; died 313 BC), king of Epirus (331–316, 313), was a son of king Arybbas and grandson of king Alcetas I.
Family
Aeaci ...
from his kingdom among the
Molossians
The Molossians () were a group of ancient Greek tribes which inhabited the region of Epirus in classical antiquity. Together with the Chaonians and the Thesprotians, they formed the main tribal groupings of the northwestern Greek group. On t ...
.
Plutarch
Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''P ...
describes that after eluding their pursuers, they arrived in Illyria, and finding Glaucias at home with his wife, they placed the baby on the ground between their feet. Pyrrhus crawled by himself on all fours up to Glaucias and, having caught his robe, rose on his feet by holding onto the King's knees. Glaucias laughed and then sent Pyrrhus to his wife, Beroea, and ordered her to raise him along with his other sons. Although Cassander promised Glaucias 200 talents, he did not hand Pyrrhus over to him. Glaucias' wife
Beroea
Beroea (or Berea) was an ancient city of the Hellenistic period and Roman Empire now known as Veria (or Veroia) in Macedonia, Northern Greece. It is a small city on the eastern side of the Vermio Mountains north of Mount Olympus. The town is menti ...
was herself a Molossian princess. Pyrrhus grew to manhood safe with Glaucias in the Taulantii state.
In 307 BC, Glaucias invaded
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
with an army, put the anti-Cassander party in power in Molossia, and placed the twelve-year-old Pyrrhus on the throne with guardians from the anti-Cassander party. In this way Glaucias challenged Macedonia for the second time after the Battle of Pelion in 335 BC. This was not simply a sentimental action by Glaucias, but more an attempt to secure the existence of his own state, constantly under attack from Macedonia by having Epirus as an ally. In 303/2 BC Pyrrhus came to the court of Glaucias, his adoptive father, to attend the marriage of one of his sons.
The date of Glaucius' death is not mentioned, but it appears that he was still reigning in 302 BC, when Pyrrhus travelled to his court, to be present at the marriage of one of his sons. It is not sure if Bardyllis II and
Pyrrhus both absorbed or inherited the Taulantii state after Glaucias.
See also
![Metal statue from Albanian tourism expo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Metal_statue_from_Albanian_tourism_expo_%22Exhibit_of_Illyrian_Kings%22_depicting_Glaucias.jpg)
*
Illyrian warfare
The history of Illyrian warfare of the Illyrians spans from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC up to the 1st century AD in the region of Illyria and in southern Italy where the Iapygian civilization flourished.
It concerns the armed conflicts ...
*
List of rulers of Illyria
The Illyrians, ; la, Illyrii}) were a conglomeration of Indo-European peoples and tribes in the Balkan Peninsula, Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Illyrian language and practiced a multitude of common religious and cultural practices. Many o ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Glaucias Of Taulantii
4th-century BC rulers
4th century BC in Macedonia (ancient kingdom)
Illyrian people
Illyrian royalty