Maeander River. 497 B.C
Maeander River
The battle fought long the Maeander river was one of the many battles that the Persians fought to bring about an end to the Ionian revolt. Apart from a short description by Herodotus, we have no other reference to the battle, so it easy to dismiss its importance. However, if we view the events as a lead up to the battles to come, we get a better understanding of Herodotus' interest in the battle.
Herodotus
Herodotus (The Histories Bk 5) is our only source of information for the battle. His description gives us details of the number of casualities on both sides but no indication of the total numbers involved. As Herodotus himself was a Carian, he may have taken a particular interest in the battle but did he consider it one of the decisive battles of the Ionian rebellion or was he reporting only what limited information he received?
Background.
The Persian victory at Ephesus did not crush the Ionian revolt which continued to spread throughout Ionia and Caria. Carian independence however was to be short lived, possibly a year or maybe two, although there is disagreement to whether the battle happened before the events in Cyprus or after them as indicated by Herodotus.
The Carians
The Carians had been the mercenaries of the ancient world and continued to serve both with and against the Persians throughout the Achaemenid period. Sharing a common Greek hertiage and a common cause with the Ionians they were quick to join in the revolt.
Herodotus credits the Carians with three inventions; (The Histories, BK 5)
"they were the first to fasten crests on helmets and to put devices on shields, and they also invented handles for shields."
The carian hoplites were part of the "brazen men" that served in the army of the Egyptian King and described by Xenophon (Hellenica) in the service of Tissaphernes in 397 BC. carrying white shields.
It was also a Carian that served with Onesilus, the Cyprian King, advising him how to defeat the Persian general, Artybius whose horse was known to have been trained to rear and attack with its hooves.
This Carian coin, made by the Satrap Hekatomnos, 395-377 BC shows 'Zeus Labraneus' or the Carian war-god, carrying the double axe. The double axe was also a symbol for the deity of Knossos in Crete as well as the Hittite god.
Location
The battle took place near the city of Mylasa, the ancient capital of Caria in South-West Asia Minor. It was situated on a wide fertile plain below the Mt Sodra from which the stone quarries produced the beautiful white marble used for the construction of the city's temples. Flowing through the plain, the Maeander River separated Lydia from Caria and flowed west into the Aegean Sea.
Now called the Buyun Menderes River, it is much changed and silted up over the centuries. It is the river's winding and wandering course that gave rise to the word 'meander'.
Preparations
Once the three Persian armies under the command of Daurises, Hymaees and Otanes had reestablished control in Cyprus they returned to the Ionian mainland to complete the subjugation of rebel cities.
When the Carians received news that a Persian army under Daurises was coming against them, the Carians began assembling an army at the city of Mylasa. The troops assembled at a place called "the White Columns," on the Marsyas river, a tributory of the Maeander River.
Like the battles of Ephesus, and Marathon, the defenders chose to fight the Persians on the battlefield rather than suffer a seige.
Herodotus tells us that the Carians were not in agreement on how to best to deal with the coming battle. Numerous strategies were put forward including Pixodarus', the son of Mausolus, suggestion that they
"should cross the Maeander, and fight with the river at their back; that so, all chance of flight being cut off, they might be forced to stand their ground, and have their natural courage raised to a still higher pitch."
Pixodarus' strategy was not adopted. The Carians instead, chose to deploy with the Maeander River to their front. The intention was to force the Persians to cross the river and if they were defeated their retreat would be blocked. It is unlikely that the Carians chose the option to defend the river bank against a Persian crossing due to the Persian's superioity in archery. It would be expected that the Carians therefore deployed out of bow shot from the river bank.
The Battle
A large Persian force, possibly numbering 40-60,000 under the command of Daurises formed up to offer battle on the fertile Maeander plain. Herodotus suggested that the Persians outnumbered the Carian force but with time to choose a good defensive position and may not have been too disadvantaged. The Persians advanced across the Maeander and engaged the Carians who would most likely to have been composed entiely of infantry. The battle lasted for some time, Herodotus says it was "stoutly contested". This is supported by the number of casualities received by both sides. The Carians were at last defeated and retreated 10 km down the "sacred way" till reaching the town of Labranda.
For the Carians it was a major defeat, with over 10,000 being killed. The Persians, however, lost 2000 men which was a no small loss, particularly for a winning side.
The defeated Carians collected together at Labranda, in the vast precinct of 'Jupiter Stratius- a deity worshipped only by the Carians'. In this sacred grove of plane-trees they discussed their options.
As they were debating, a body of Milesians (from the city of Miletus) and allies came to their assistance. Encouraged by these reinforcements they prepared themselves afresh for war. Their willingness to engage the Persians again suggests that the battle was a close fought affair and that the Carian force was a sizeable force to start with.
The Persians followed up in force and gave battle a second time the following day. Again the Persians were successful and defeated Greeks this time with even greater loss than before. It was then the Milesian's turn to take the brunt of the fighting.
The Carian's had fought and lost two consecative battles that resulted in the loss of their capital, Mylasa but the Carian fighting spirit was not exthinguished. They were able to salvage their reputation some time later in another action. In response to an expected Persian attack on another of their cities, they laid an ambush for them on the road which lead to Pedasus. The Persians, who were making a night-march were caught in a trap and the whole army was apparently destroyed, together with the generals, Daurises, Amorges and Sisimaces. The leader of the ambush was Heraclides, the son of Ibanolis, a man of Mylasa.
Outcomes
If we consider that the Persian army was destroyed in the ambush, the outcome of the battle of Maeander seems to have made little impact on the outcome of the Ionan revolt. The Persians still had at least two other large armies in the field and sufficient manpower to besiege Miletus and keep the Ionians cities under control.
Miletus must not have been under seige at the time of the battle as Herodotus mentions the arrival Mileasian reinforcements.
If we view the battles for Carian independence as a lead up to the more decisive battle of Marathon we start to see the significance of the battle slightly differently. Herodotus seems to use the description of events to remind the us that up until Marathon, the Persians had been virtually unbeatable. Even against the famous fighting men of Caria and Ionia, the victorious Persians had overcome some of the best Greek fighters including the Athenian contingent that fought at Ephesus.
It is the events along the Maeander River that allows us to appreciate what a brilliant victory Marathon was. Herodotus is saluting more than the fighting ability of the Athenians at Marathon. He is saluting their bravery and the brilliance and sophication of the Athenian strategy at Marathon. Herodotus allows us to compare the Carian's indecision and lack of any inspiration in leadership when about to face the Persians at Maeander to the inventiveness and brilliance of the Athenian plan at Marathon.
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