Meleager Omirid

A General without Peer during the First Republic, The Hero of Crete, who defeated the treacherous Mercantile general Zenodoros Pytheid when he rebelled against the Republic and the Tyrant of Knossus. 460? AVC - 506 AVC.

Early Career
Meleager's early career started in the Navy as commander of the 1st Nautikon during the Tylis War in Thrace. His efforts to protect the Aegean during the Early First Republic earned him the respect of his peers. During the Aetolian-Macedonian War of 485 AVC, Meleager destroed two-thirds of the Macedonian Fleet in one battle, while losing only 1 ship. For this feat, a Triumph was held for Meleager Omirid, the First Triumph to be held in the new Republic.

Archonship
In 490, because of his popularity as a war hero, Meleager was elected Archon on behalf of the Religious Faction. Unfortunately, Meleager's Archonship is mostly remembered for the Lower Senate's resolution to ban trade with dictatorships. The "No To Despotism Act" passed by the senate ended most of the Trade Routes Crete had at the time, and brought the State to a point of near bankruptcy. However, the Senate had also passed a resolution to go to war against the Island state of Rhodes with the object of annexing them. The Liberation of Rhodes would be where Meleager would shine.

The war was begun in 491 AVC, with Zenodoros Pytheid, a Mercantilist, appointed commander of the army by Meleager. Understanding that his place was to govern, Meleager had to give command to another. After nearly 200 days of siege, Rhodes finally fell to the Cretan Army. However Zenodoros issued strict instructions not to loot Rhodes and to treat them with respect. A week later, Zenodoros and his army, the 2nd Stratos, revolted in the first attempted coup in Cretan history. Due to a command limit set in an earlier session, 2/3rd of the army remained loyal. Meleager ordered them to attack Zenodoros, but they were repelled each time. Meleager again passed over himself for the command and gave it to the ex-Archon Phocas Alcetid. Phocas died before he could even leave Crete in March 496 AVC, meaning Meleager had to lead these troops on his own. The army, weakened from rebellion, consolidated its strength into one army under the command of Meleager.

In the summer of 497, Meleager made landfall on Rhodes and soundly defeated Zenodoros's Army before settling in for a siege that lasted more than a year. Finally, in the summer of 498, Zenodoros surrendered Rhodes and attempted to escape to Asia Minor, but was caught by Meleager's troops. Meleager beheaded the rebel general, ending Crete's first revolt. With the rebellion over, Meleager returned to Gortyn and called for general elections in 500 AVC, the first in ten years.

The Tyrant of Knossus
In early 506, Philotheos Theronid, former Archon and then Populist faction leader started a revolt in Knossus against the government. Proclaiming himself Dictator of Crete, Philotheos marched his troops across Crete to sack Gortyn. Meleager was recalled into service for Crete, to lead their Army against a madman again. Marching his army to Gortyn quickly, Meleager defeated the untrained enemy force and pushed them back into Knossus where they quickly surrendered. The defeat of The Tyrant of Knossus was to be Meleager's last victory because a few months later in late 506 AVC, Meleager died in his sleep in Gortyn.