Cleitus the Illyrian
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Cleitus was an Illyrian king of the Dardanian State attested in 335 BC
. Cleitus was the son of Bardyllis
and the father of Bardyllis II..
Cleitus was the mastermind behind the well structured Illyrian Revolt of 335 BC. Cleitus entered into an agreement with the Taulantii State under Glaucias and the Autariatae State under Pleurias
. Cleitus had captured and garrisoned the city of Pelion
and waited for Glaucias's troops to arrive. However Alexander managed to arrive on the scene first and blockaded Cleitus within the city walls. Glaucias came to Cletius's aid and the Macedonians were forced to retreat. Alexander came back with more equipment and supplies. He used skillful war tactics to drive Glaucis's army from the surrounding heights and prevented Cleitus from engaging with Glaucias.
After a three day truce Alexander found the Taulantii camp unguarded and under the cover of night eliminated the Illyrians. Cletius managed to escape and kept his throne, probably as a vassal under the Macedonian Kingdom.
that the Illyrian had revolted and were poised to invade Macaedonia. The Illyrian revolt had a personal element to it. Alexander the Great found himself thrown headlong into one of the toughest campaigns of his entire career. Cleitus whose father Bardyllis
obtained a crushing defeat in Lyncestia by Philip II in 358 BC
was up in arms. Cleitus was a formidibal king and was behind the revolt. Alexander's Danubian expedition had given Cleius just the chance he was waiting for. Cleitus strengthened his power by making an alliance with Glaucias
, king of the Taulantii State. He persuaded the Autariatae State to attack Alexander on his march to meet him. In the mean time Glaucias's army would march to Cleitus, so the Macedonians would have to face this larger, combined force. Alexanders very kingship depended on his defeating of the Illyrians so he rose up to the challenge.
an ally of Alexander promised to deal with the Autariatae
while Alexander headed towards Cleitus. Lonagarus invaded their territory and defeated them. Alexander had succeeded thus in foiling Cleitus's plan of blockading the Macedonian army. Glaucias and his army had not yet reached Cleitus, and Alexander stained every nerve to reach the city of Pelion
, a fortress city cleitus had occupied close to the western border with Macedonia, before the did. Alexander drove through Paeonia and arrived in Lyncestia. Through ruthless treching, Alexander reached his initial aim: he got there before Glaucias. The ancient historian Arrian
states that Cleitus sacrificed three boys, three girls and three black rams on an altar just before the Battle of Pelion with Alexander the Great. The Illyrian advance detachments, after some brief skirmishing, retreated within the walls of Pelion. The Macedonians decided to blockade Pelion, bringing up their siege equipment. The Macedonians had no time in starving Cleitus out, and with so small a task force, their chances of taking this strongly guarded and inaccessible city fortress by storm were minimal. Glaucias was on his way to aid Cleitus and the Macedonians were now cut off and short of supplies. This was the first and last bitter taste of failure for Alexander.
A foraging party under Philotas
only just escaped annihilation thanks to quick action by Alexander and the cavalry. Early next morning, he formed up his entire army in the plain, apparently oblivious to the presence of Cleitus and Glaucias, and proceeded to give an exhibition of close-order drill. The bristling spear-line swung now right, now left in perfect unison. The phalanx
advanced wheeled into column and line, moved through various intricate formations as though on the parade-ground, all without a word being uttered. The Illyrian kings had never seen anything like it. From the their positions in the surrounding hills, the Illyrians stared down at this weird ritual, scarcely able to believe their eyes. Then little by little one Illyrian force began to edge closer. Alexander watching their psychological movement, gave his final pre-arranged signal. The left wing of the cavalry swung into wedge formation and charged. At the same momenent every man of the phalanx beat his spear on his shield yelling out the Macedonia war-cry. Glaucias's forces fled back in wild confusion from the heights to the safety of their city where Cleitus was. The last of the Illyrians from the knoll were flushed out while the Macedonians, began to move across the river at the double.
The Illyrians, wearing of their panic realized the trap. The rallied and counter-attacked. Alexander with, the cavalry and his light-armed troops, held them off from the knoll long enough for his siege catapult
s to be carried through ford and set up on the further bank. Alexander thus foiled Cleitus's second plan because final units kept his army from engaging. The Macedonians withdrew a few miles and gave Cleitus and Glaucias
three days to regain their confidence. The Illyrian camp lay wide open because of indiscipline. Glaucias had not dug a trench or built a palisade
, Glaucias was not even bothered to post sentries. Alexander marched back with a specially picked mobile force and under the cover of darkness, he sent his archers and the Agrianians to finish the job. Most of the Illyrians were still asleep and the Macedonian slaughtered them where they lay. Cleitus, in desperation set fire to Pelion so it would not fall into Macedonian hands.
and Booeotia suddenly revolted. Cletius fled with Glaucias to the Taulantii State where he was offered shelter. Cleitus as well as Glaucias continued to rule, probably as vassal kings under Macedonia. Cleitus did not regroup his forces and so the Illyrian remained on amicable terms with Macedonia for the rest of Alexander's reign. They even sent a contingent of troops for the invasion of Persia. Alexander's superior skill tactics were enough of a deterrent to ensure that the Illyrian States remained passive. The year of Cletius's death is not known but he was succeeded to the throne of the Dardanian State by his son, Bardyllis II around 300 BC - 295 BC, although it is unlikely that he ruled that long.
335 BC
Year 335 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Calenus and Corvus...
. Cleitus was the son of Bardyllis
Bardyllis
Bardyllis was a king of the Dardanian Kingdom and probably its founder.Bardyllis created one of the most powerful Illyrian states, that of the Dardanians...
and the father of Bardyllis II..
Cleitus was the mastermind behind the well structured Illyrian Revolt of 335 BC. Cleitus entered into an agreement with the Taulantii State under Glaucias and the Autariatae State under Pleurias
Pleurias
Pleurias was an Illyrian king of the Autariatae State. In 337 BC Pleurias almost succeeded in killing Philip when he was on his Balkan campaigns...
. Cleitus had captured and garrisoned the city of Pelion
Pelion
Pelion or Pelium is a mountain at the southeastern part of Thessaly in central Greece, forming a hook-like peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea...
and waited for Glaucias's troops to arrive. However Alexander managed to arrive on the scene first and blockaded Cleitus within the city walls. Glaucias came to Cletius's aid and the Macedonians were forced to retreat. Alexander came back with more equipment and supplies. He used skillful war tactics to drive Glaucis's army from the surrounding heights and prevented Cleitus from engaging with Glaucias.
After a three day truce Alexander found the Taulantii camp unguarded and under the cover of night eliminated the Illyrians. Cletius managed to escape and kept his throne, probably as a vassal under the Macedonian Kingdom.
Alliances for The Illyrian Reviolt
Cleitus was one of the three Illyrian kings who attempted to gain lost territory and thwart Macedonian power in a revolt. During Alexanders the Great Balkan campaigns alarming reports began to come from IllyriaIllyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
that the Illyrian had revolted and were poised to invade Macaedonia. The Illyrian revolt had a personal element to it. Alexander the Great found himself thrown headlong into one of the toughest campaigns of his entire career. Cleitus whose father Bardyllis
Bardyllis
Bardyllis was a king of the Dardanian Kingdom and probably its founder.Bardyllis created one of the most powerful Illyrian states, that of the Dardanians...
obtained a crushing defeat in Lyncestia by Philip II in 358 BC
358 BC
Year 358 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ambustus and Proculus...
was up in arms. Cleitus was a formidibal king and was behind the revolt. Alexander's Danubian expedition had given Cleius just the chance he was waiting for. Cleitus strengthened his power by making an alliance with Glaucias
Glaucias of Taulanti
For other persons with the same name, see GlauciasGlaucias was one of the greatest Illyrian kings of the Taulanti State which dominated Illyrian affairs in the second half of the 4th century BC....
, king of the Taulantii State. He persuaded the Autariatae State to attack Alexander on his march to meet him. In the mean time Glaucias's army would march to Cleitus, so the Macedonians would have to face this larger, combined force. Alexanders very kingship depended on his defeating of the Illyrians so he rose up to the challenge.
Battle of Pelion
In 335 BC, LangarusLangarus
Langarus , king of the Agrianians, was a contemporary of Alexander the Great , with whom he ingratiated himself even before the death of Philip II, previous king of Macedon. He rendered Alexander important services shortly after his accession, in his expedition against the Illyrians and...
an ally of Alexander promised to deal with the Autariatae
Autariatae
The Autariatae or Autariates were an ancient people that eventually became the most powerful Illyrian tribe. Their territory was called...
while Alexander headed towards Cleitus. Lonagarus invaded their territory and defeated them. Alexander had succeeded thus in foiling Cleitus's plan of blockading the Macedonian army. Glaucias and his army had not yet reached Cleitus, and Alexander stained every nerve to reach the city of Pelion
Pelion
Pelion or Pelium is a mountain at the southeastern part of Thessaly in central Greece, forming a hook-like peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea...
, a fortress city cleitus had occupied close to the western border with Macedonia, before the did. Alexander drove through Paeonia and arrived in Lyncestia. Through ruthless treching, Alexander reached his initial aim: he got there before Glaucias. The ancient historian Arrian
Arrian
Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon , known in English as Arrian , and Arrian of Nicomedia, was a Roman historian, public servant, a military commander and a philosopher of the 2nd-century Roman period...
states that Cleitus sacrificed three boys, three girls and three black rams on an altar just before the Battle of Pelion with Alexander the Great. The Illyrian advance detachments, after some brief skirmishing, retreated within the walls of Pelion. The Macedonians decided to blockade Pelion, bringing up their siege equipment. The Macedonians had no time in starving Cleitus out, and with so small a task force, their chances of taking this strongly guarded and inaccessible city fortress by storm were minimal. Glaucias was on his way to aid Cleitus and the Macedonians were now cut off and short of supplies. This was the first and last bitter taste of failure for Alexander.
A foraging party under Philotas
Philotas
Philotas was the eldest son of Parmenion, Alexander's most experienced and talented general. When Alexander became king of Macedonia with Parmenion's support Philotas (in Greek, Φιλώτας, died October 330 BC) was the eldest son of Parmenion, Alexander's most experienced and talented general. When...
only just escaped annihilation thanks to quick action by Alexander and the cavalry. Early next morning, he formed up his entire army in the plain, apparently oblivious to the presence of Cleitus and Glaucias, and proceeded to give an exhibition of close-order drill. The bristling spear-line swung now right, now left in perfect unison. The phalanx
Phalanx formation
The phalanx is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar weapons...
advanced wheeled into column and line, moved through various intricate formations as though on the parade-ground, all without a word being uttered. The Illyrian kings had never seen anything like it. From the their positions in the surrounding hills, the Illyrians stared down at this weird ritual, scarcely able to believe their eyes. Then little by little one Illyrian force began to edge closer. Alexander watching their psychological movement, gave his final pre-arranged signal. The left wing of the cavalry swung into wedge formation and charged. At the same momenent every man of the phalanx beat his spear on his shield yelling out the Macedonia war-cry. Glaucias's forces fled back in wild confusion from the heights to the safety of their city where Cleitus was. The last of the Illyrians from the knoll were flushed out while the Macedonians, began to move across the river at the double.
The Illyrians, wearing of their panic realized the trap. The rallied and counter-attacked. Alexander with, the cavalry and his light-armed troops, held them off from the knoll long enough for his siege catapult
Catapult
A catapult is a device used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it has proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms during...
s to be carried through ford and set up on the further bank. Alexander thus foiled Cleitus's second plan because final units kept his army from engaging. The Macedonians withdrew a few miles and gave Cleitus and Glaucias
Glaucias of Taulanti
For other persons with the same name, see GlauciasGlaucias was one of the greatest Illyrian kings of the Taulanti State which dominated Illyrian affairs in the second half of the 4th century BC....
three days to regain their confidence. The Illyrian camp lay wide open because of indiscipline. Glaucias had not dug a trench or built a palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
, Glaucias was not even bothered to post sentries. Alexander marched back with a specially picked mobile force and under the cover of darkness, he sent his archers and the Agrianians to finish the job. Most of the Illyrians were still asleep and the Macedonian slaughtered them where they lay. Cleitus, in desperation set fire to Pelion so it would not fall into Macedonian hands.
Aftermath
There was no time to capture Cleitus or to negotiate a treaty with the Illyrians as ThebesAncient Thebes (Boeotia)
See Thebes, Greece for the modern city built on the ancient ruins.Ancient Thebes was a Boeotian city-state , situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain...
and Booeotia suddenly revolted. Cletius fled with Glaucias to the Taulantii State where he was offered shelter. Cleitus as well as Glaucias continued to rule, probably as vassal kings under Macedonia. Cleitus did not regroup his forces and so the Illyrian remained on amicable terms with Macedonia for the rest of Alexander's reign. They even sent a contingent of troops for the invasion of Persia. Alexander's superior skill tactics were enough of a deterrent to ensure that the Illyrian States remained passive. The year of Cletius's death is not known but he was succeeded to the throne of the Dardanian State by his son, Bardyllis II around 300 BC - 295 BC, although it is unlikely that he ruled that long.