The First Seleucid War

The First Seleucid War lasted from 513 - 515 AVC during the First Republic, and involved Crete, Pergamon and Pontus against the Seleucid Empire and Macedonia. The war would end with the Seleucid Empire annexing Pergamon and making a tributary of the Kingdom of Pontus, but Crete would annex Maedi and solidify the position in mainland Greece. The war would also be the catalyst for Phillip Helladid The Elder to seize control of Crete and proclaim himself Dictator.

The War
In 512 AVC, the Kingdom of Pergamon requested an alliance with Crete. With Crete in possession of Thrace and Byzantion, it was believed that having an ally in Asia Minor would help considerably toward securing that region and the alliance was accepted. In 513 the Seleucid Empire also offered Crete an alliance, which the Archon turned down, believing it to not be in Crete's best interests. The Archon feared Seleucid interference in Cretan Thrace and believed such an alliance was against the wishes of the Senate. Within days of rejecting the alliance, the Seleucid Empire, along with their ally Macedonia, attacked Pergamon, and the Senate voted 27-17 to honor the new alliance.

Crete, along with Pergamon and Pontus attempted to stop Seleucid advances into Europe. The Seleucids were heroically repelled by the King of Pergamon, but they soon return stronger than before. Crete used her large navy to block the Bosporus and the Army was ordered the Thrace to guard against a potential Seleucid incursion. The rest of the navy, en route to Crete spotted a Seleucid fleet and narrowly missed being attacked. Unfortunately with the bulk of the navy in port, the Seleucids were given control of the Aegean, with only a token force in the Bosporus to thwart their advance.

The Cretan Army advanced into Asia Minor to try and aid Pontus which was under attack from both the East and the South. With the Cretan Army off mainland Greece however, the Maedi tribe seized the opportunity to attack Thrace. Needing help in the mainland, Crete called on the Aetolian League, but they could not do much from their distant location. In 515, news arrived that Parthia had risen up against the Seleucid Empire in the far east, giving some hope to the beleaguered Cretan force.



Due to war dissatisfaction, Phillip Helladid The Elder seized on the moment to launch himself into the Archonship in the 515 elections. The Senate in 515 removed command restrictions for the war against The Seleucids, and overall command was given to Perseus Zosimid. His army was ordered to Bithynia to help liberate the Bithynians, and he wins a minor battle. The victory was a hollow one though because a force of some 50,000 Seleucids, fresh from conquering most of Pontus was advancing south. Perseus moved his army back into Europe to retake Thrace and then into Maedi to destroy the opportunists.



With a huge Seleucid force in Asia Minor, the land war was all but over. Perseus was made Kybernates of the 1st Nautikon and sent out to try and retake the Aegean with the hope that a naval defeat would induce the Seleucids to come to the negotiating table. Proving himself to be as effective at sea as he is on land, Perseus inflicted a crushing defeat on the Seleucid navy and initiated a blockade of Mediterranean ports. In 515, Pergamon is fully annexed by the Seleucids and Pontus is made a tributary. With all the Cretan allies destroyed, Crete seeks peace with the Seleucids and is given it in exchange for 10 gold. The First Seleucid War was ended with the Seleucid presence in Asia Minor greatly increased. Crete had gained control of Maedi though, expanding their mainland position further to the west.