Battle of Tenahli
| Battle of Tenahli | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Second Sabrian War | |||||||
 Sabrian and Makedonian soldiers during the battle | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Makedonian Empire |
 Sabrian Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Prexinos I † Prexinos II Thrasyllos Sthenelos |
Antia Vindex † Helvia Esdras Marcus Tanicus | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 50,000-60,000 | 38,000-45,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 5,000 killed | 10,000 killed | ||||||
The Battle of Tenahli was fought on 14 October, 680 CE between the Makedonian Empire and the Sabrian Empire as part of the Second Sabrian War. The battle was preceeded by a duel between the Makedonian King (Basileus) Prexinos I and Legate Antia Vindex, the first and only time such an event occurred. The ensuing battle was a chaotic affair marked by confusion on both sides that ultimately ended in a Sabrian retreat.
Background
The conclusion of the First Sabrian War had resulted in a treaty largely favorable to Makedon, forcing the Sabrians to withdraw from Quenmin entirely and leaving the Hellenic state as the main power in eastern Siduri. The Sabrians however had retained most of their holdings in Knichus east of the Nyokamdogo River, and continued to operate several major ports and coastal fortresses along the northern coast of Knichus. Concerned about the continued Sabrian presence on Siduri, the Makedonians began forming alliances with several Knichan tribes traditionally hostile to the Sabrians. Beginning in 677 CE one of these tribes, the Shokawa, began raiding Sabrian settlements and holdings in central Knichus, prompting Sabrian retaliation. By 680 the Sabrians had steadily reduced the Shokawa presence in the Knichan Plateau, prompting the tribe's leader, Ammlymorgo, to petition the Makedonians for support.
Seizing the opportunity to try to drive the Sabrians from Siduri entirely, Prexinos I agreed and dispatched ambassadors to the Sabrian holdings to withdraw their forces from central Knichus. The Sabrians refused, citing concerns about the security of their overland trade routes with the Liúşai League and Rideva Empire, and requested additional reinforcements from Sabria proper. The Makedonians took this as an act of war and Prexinos mobilized an army of about 80,000 soldiers and crossed the Nyokamdogo sometime in mid-April 680 CE. Between May and September the Makedonians and Sabrians clashed thrice with inconclusive results, though the Makedonians captured the small port of Dellonorum in July. Leaving behind a garrison of roughly 15,000 troops behind, Prexinos advanced towards the main Sabrian port of Cemonillia on the Civana Peninsula.
Learning of the Makedonian invasion, Legate Antia Vindex sailed from the Cacertian Archipelago to Lirinya and then to Cemonillia with an additional 25,000 troops to reinforce the 25,000 Sabrian troops already in the Peninsula. Learning that the Makedonian navy was dispatching a fleet to attempt to blockade Cemonillia, Vindex hoped to force an open battle rather than risk being trapped in a siege of the port. The Sabrian army marched south-west to meet the Makedonians slightly inland near the village of Tenahli.
Composition
The exact size of the two armies is not certain; most sources state the Makedonians numbered between 50,000-60,000 troops. The original force of 80,000 that Prexinos I had crossed with had been steadily dispersed along the coast as the Makedonians had advanced to avoid being outflanked by a Sabrian landing to their rear, but it is unclear how many troops had been left behind or how many had continued on with the Makedonian King. The Sabrian size is also uncertain; Vindex had assembled somewhere around 50,000 soldiers near Cemonillia, but left several thousand behind and marched out with the majority of her forces. Estimates of the size of the Sabrian army range from 35,000 to 45,000. Most historians agree that the Makedonians outnumbered the Sabrians by several thousand, but most contemporary sources record that the Makedonian advantage was not overwhelming.
Both armies reflected the diverse nature of their domains. The Makedonian army was centered around a force of pikemen who fought in a phalanx formation. The Makedonian pikemen were the most professional soldiers of their day and highly trained, though this was necessary as the phalanx required incredible levels of command and close coordination to function well, especially on rough terrain. The pikemen often represented the only actual Makedonians within the army, apart from the officers, while the rest were composed of people's cross the Makedonian Realm. Supporting the phalanx usually fell to Ruvelkan heavy infantry, who were positioned on the flank of the phalanx. Cavalry typically came from Galania and Arkoenn. Troops from Quenmin and Mansuriyyah usually served in a wide variety of forms, including infantry, cavalry, skirmishers, and archers. Knichan tribesmen often served as cavalry, skirmishers, and scouts. The total organization of the Makedonian army is unknown, but it likely fielded around 10,000 Makedonian pikemen, 15-20,000 Quenminese and Ruvelkan infantry, 10,000 Mansuri, Quenminese, and Knichan skirmishers, and around 10,000 Arkoennite, Knichan, Quenminese, Galanian, and Mansuri cavalry.
Since losing their holdings in Quenmin and the loss of much trade revenue, the Sabrians had been forced to supplement their armies by increasingly drawing from the Cacertian isles. Nevertheless foreigners and mercenaries still made up a significant portion of the Sabrian armies, including Nordic, Knichan, Gylic, Quenminese, and Eracuran soldiers. The core of the Sabrian army were Sabrian soldiers, typically land owners who could afford their own equipment. These were usually supported by Nordic and Quenminese infantry, while Cacertian and Gylic troops formed as skirmishers and Knichan and Eracuran allies often provided cavalry. Around 25,000 of the Sabrian army were infantry, with between 7,000-10,000 cavalry, and an additional 10,000 skirmishers and archers. In comparison to the Makedonians, who fought in close order formations, the Sabrians tended to form looser lines and fight in a more elastic pattern, utilizing what the Sabrians termed fluctus or "waves" to wear down enemies with missiles before rapid melee attacks.
Prelude
The Sabrians encamped about 5 kilometers outside Tenahli as they waited for the Makedonians to approach, allowing them to cover the main road that led to Cemonillia. Makedonian scouts moving ahead of the main body spotted the Sabrian camp a few days before the rest of the army arrived and reported to Prexinos I, who decided to engage the Sabrians in pitched battle. The Sabrians became aware of the Makedonian approach and broke camp to meet the Makedonians, taking up positions just to the side of the main road along a slight slope that would force the Makedonians to climb to engage. on 12 October the main body of the Makedonians arrived and noted the presence of the Sabrian army on the high ground; rather than engage in unfavorable conditions, Prexinos moved the Makedonians off the road and maneuvered them onto the other end of the slope, flanking the Sabrians. Recognizing the maneuver, Vindex repositioned the Sabrian army to face the Makedonians, leaving both armies largely on level terrain.
Having been dragged into a war the Sabrians could not readily afford, the Legate hoped to avoid an unnecessary battle and dispatched an emissary to the Makedonians, offered a withdrawal back to pre-war borders in exhange for some tribute. Prexinos dismissed the offer and countered with a demand that the Sabrians withdraw all their forces east of the Mkubwamto River, which would have ceded nearly half of all Sabrian territory in Knichus to Makedon. When the delegation returned, Vindex dismissed the suggestion but discussed alternatives with her officers, primarily Helvia Esdras, commander of the Sabrian cavalry, and Marcus Tanicus, commander of the infantry. Esdras suggested withdrawing back to Cemonillia, but Vindex belived that disengagement would be too risk. Tanicus offered another alternative; challege the Makedonian King to one-on-one combat; the victor would be given Cemonillia. Vindex agreed but decided to make offerings to the Sabrian dieties of Mos Maiorum first. According to Sabrian sources the fire of Septimia and Hostilia blazed more than the offers to Veturia and Aelia, which Vindex took as a sign to proceed.
The Sabrian offer of champion combat between the Legate and King stunned the Makedonians, as the concept of individual combat was alien to their ways of war, which emphasized close order and organization above all. Prexinos II, Prince of Makedon and son of Prexinos I, urged his father to ignore the offer and force a battle, but Thrasyllos and Sthenelos, commanders of the Makedonian center and right flank respectively, worried that if the refusal became known the King would been seen as cowardly and the armies vast array of foreign fighters would be less willing to follow the Makedonians into combat. Prexinos I himself agreed to engage in combat with the Legate, and dispatched a messenger arranging for the duel to occur at dawn on 14 October.
Duel
As agreed, the two sides assembled on the battlefield on the dawn of the 14th, but both armies stood close to their camps while the leaders met in between. Although the battle is covered by four sources (two Makedonian, one Sabrian, and one Knichan), the exact details of the duel are lost to history and contributions from all four sources, some of which contradict each other, are necessary to piece together what happened.
The two groups, both Sabrian and Makedonian, probably met between 8-9 a.m., consisting of a dozen or so individuals, mostly officers and servants. They stopped roughly 20 meters apart, at which point Vendix and Prexinos dismounted their steeds and closed the remaining distance until they were a few meters apart. What weaponry and armor both brought to the duel is uncertain. Prexinos was described as being armed in the "Makedonian noble fashion", but it's not clear what this entails; he was most likely armed with a large shield (aspis) and a spear, with a secondary sword. He probably wore a mixture of chain and bronze as armor, chain was popular in the warming climate while bronze's ability to dent rather than shatter helped absorb blows. Prexinos's shield type is uncertain but is usually presented as being similar to the hoplon carried by some Syaran infantry; if this was the case this was probably to his detriment, as it would have been very heavy and at his age probably a burden. Prexinos was considered a fit and athletic man but by the time of the duel he was either 53 or 54, well past his fighting prime.
Vendix's armarement is harder to determine. She is near universally described as being lighter armed, which is likely true given her smaller stature. She likely carried either a curved or oval shield more suited to a skirmisher than infantry, and is described as being armed with "multiple blades". The most commonly accepted description is she carried a short sword in one hand an another sheathed in reserve, and possible a dagger as well. Vendix's cuirass was likely lighter than her opponent's as well. This would fit most descriptions of Vindex as fighter at a more rapid and lighter pace than Prexinos. A career cavalrywoman, she likely would have been inexperienced fighting dismounted, putting her on largely equal terms with Prexinos.
Accounts of the fight differ with regards to its duration. Contemporary claims of the duel lasting for hours are certainly complete exaggerations; modern testing has shown that even highly trained combatants cannot manage more than a few minutes of extended melee combat before exhaustion sets in; it is highly unlikely either King or Legate were able to carry on for very long. Shalumite historian Leon Fednt in his report on the duel concludes "It would have been an extraordinary miracle if the engagement even sniffed five minutes".
Most analysts believe that the duel began with a slow probing by both combatants as they attempted to size each other up, occasionally stabbing or stepping forth with their weapon to guage reflexes and impose pressure on the other. Prexinos likely had the advantage of armor but the younger and lighter armed Vendix likely had little difficulty evading the Makedonian King's attacks; apocryphal sources state that one of the Makedonian officers likened the duel to a "battle between a hummingbird and a tortoise". Within a minute or so however both sides drew blood: Prexinos landed a blow, either with shield or fist, against Vindex's face, creating a bloody but superficial wound, likely caused when the Legate drew to close to avoid the spear range of the Makedonian. Shortly thereafter however Prexinos was wounded in the thigh, causing him to drop his shield and helmet. He then drew his sword and engaged in a brief clash with Vindex before striking at her exposed limbs, wounding her non-sword arm.
At this point however Prexinos suddenly began to move lethargically, possibly because of the previous thigh wound, allowing Vindex to avoid his strikes and reply with one of her own. Prexinos was wounded in either the face, neck, or shoulder, and Vindex, who had lost her shield at this point for reasons unknown, followed it up with a strike into the King's torso. He was then stabbed again in the torso by Vindex's other sword, after which he fell to the ground and died. Vindex, bloodied but still alive, at that point turned and stumbled in the direction of her entourage and raised both hands above her head in victory, still clutching one sword.
What happens next is uncertain; the most commonly accepted account is that Prexinos II, son of the Makedonian King, retrieved a bow and arrow and shot Vindex in the back, from less than 15 meters away. Vindex dropped her sword then fell to her knees, remaining there for a moment before falling face first into the dirt and dying shortly afterwards. This account, recorded in Knichan saga, has never been officially confirmed; Sabrian sources do not explain how Vindex died, only that it was through "Makedonian treachery", while the Makedonians do not detail how either King or Legate fell.
Neither army appears to have been able to tell immediately who had won, owing to the early light, the dust kicked up by both combatants, and the distance (around 50 to 100 meters). What happened between the two delegations is also uncertain, both were able to retrieve the bodies of their dead leaders, apparently fighting while doing so which killed a Makedonian and a Sabrian officer. The Makedonians appear to have reacted first, with Prexinos II, now king of the Makedonian Empire, riding back to the Makedonian lines and calling them to battle. The Sabrians did the same, retreating back to their lines and ordered their troops to prepare for combat.
Battle
Based on the opening maneuvers, neither side appears to have been prepared for the chain of events as they played out. The Makedonians moved first, with Prexinos II taking control of the Makedonian center and ordering the phalanx to move ahead. The orders however, appear to have confused some of the Makedonian units, possibly due to Prexinos's inexperience; when the Makedonian center began moving, only the Ruvelkans on the right followed, while the Quenminese shield-bearers on the left did not immediately follow. Additionally, the cavalry on the left wing, which normally would have been commanded by Prexinos II, did not move out.
The Sabrians returned to their lines and began advancing, with Tanicus leading the infantry while Esdras ordered the cavalry on both wings to advance. The Sabrians screened their advance with skirmishers, but the Makedonians in their haste to move had failed to do so. By the time the distance between the two armies had closed to less than 50 meters, the Makedonians realized their exposure and halted their advance, but this exposed them to missile fire and revealed the exposure of their left flank, which the Quenminese and left cavalry wing were only beginning to cover. Sensing the possibility, Tanicus ordered several cohorts on the Sabrian right to advance straight into the gap in the Makedonian lines to outflank the Makedonian pikes. Esdras, either noticing the events of her own accord or being informed by messenger or trumpet, ordered her cavalry force to charge against the Makedonian left to add further pressure on their flank.
The Sabrian assault ran into resistance from the rapidly advancing Quenminese infantry, who tried to check the flanking effort. The shift towards the right on the part of the Sabrians had the unintended impact of shifting the entire battleline to the right, and as a result the Ruvelkan infantry forming the Makedonian right were left unchecked. In the ensuing melee in the center the battlefields quickly both lines were hard pressed by the other's actions, with the Sabrian infantry attempting to flank the Makedonian pikes while coming under attack from the Quenminese. Neither side appeared to have control over the situation, and in the end the Ruvelkan infantry on the Makedonian right managed to outflank the exposed Sabrian left, which quickly led to a route of the Sabrians.
Such a development would normally have heralded the commencement of the pursuit, during which the majority of casualties are inflicted, but confusion within the Makedonian ranks, especially between Prexinos II and the commanders of his flanks meant that the Makedonian did not begin the pursuit until well after Esdras had reformed the cavalry (the left wing of which had been largely uninvolved in the fighting due to the shifting of the Ruvelkan battleline). Instead of breaking into a charge after the retreating Sabrians, the Makedonians were forced to clear the Sabrian rear guards from their path; by the time this had been accomplished the majority of the Sabrian army was in retreat and Prexinos II ordered the Makedonians to halt and reform.
Aftermath
The Sabrians retreated back towards Cemonillia ands began fortifying the city preparation for the Makedonian arrival, which occurred a few weeks later. Prexinos II sent word back to Parilla, the Makedonian capital, informing the Royal Court of the death of Prexinos I, he was later crowned ‘‘In absentia’’ the following year. In December, the Makedonians attempted to lay siege to Cemonillia, but a decisive naval defeat in the spring ended their hopes of capturing the city and the siege was broken in the summer of 681 CE. Prexinos II retreated back to Makedonian lands west of the Nyokamdogo, and gathered additional forces before returning in 682 CE, successfully capturing the city in the same year. Over the course of the next two years the Makedonians would steadily reduce Sabrian holdings in Knichus, but expectations that the conflict would end afterwards were dashed when Prexinos ordered the invasion of Lirinya, which would end in Makedonian defeat.