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| Battle of Atropatene | |||
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 Atropatene Field Battle Map | |||
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223,000 total
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_-_Atropatene_Field_Battle_Map.png){kind=link}
The Battle of Atropatene was the second major battle of the Parsian-Lusitanian War and the first major battle of the war within Parsian territory, which lead to Ecbatana's fall and Pars's conquest by Lusitania. It took place in Pars Era, year 320, October 16th. It resulted in the destruction of a huge part of the Parsian army, the death of many of his best generals and the capture of its king, Andragoras.
Background[]
The Pars-Lusitania conflict has been going on for generations, with the former vying for sovereignty and territory and the latter at coercing their faith to other people outside their domains. The kingdom of Pars was immensely vast and wealthy, and the kingdom of Maryam to its northwest was its vassal; while the kingdom of Lusitania was more a religious-based society centered on their faith to the Cult of Yaldabaoth. Just three years earlier in the year 317, the Parsians staved off an attempt by the Lusitanians to subjugate Maryam by sending an army of 300,000 men to meet them into battle, and was successful in that they crushed the Lusitanian army and building a pyramid of their corpses to demonstrate the magnitude of their victory. It severely crippled the military capabilities of Lusitania for three years. But while that battle was a major victory, it was just the beginning of the things to come to Pars.
Meanwhile, the present king of the Parsian Kingdom, Andragoras III, was in reality a usurper to the throne, having killed his brother and the then-king Osroes V and seemingly killed the then-crown prince Hilmes to assume the kingship of the kingdom. He always had a manner of solving disputes, no matter how huge or minuscule, by way of violence rather than diplomacy.
Hilmes, however, survived the incident, albeit his face somewhat deformed by the scar on the right side of his face caused by the palace fire that King Andragoras himself instigated. Feeling embittered over the incident, he later fled to the kingdom of Lusitania, the archrival of Pars. Whilst there, he contemplated and lobbied with its Grand Vizier Guiscard to invade Pars so that the long-cherished dream of the Lusitanians to gain dominion over Pars could be achieved, albeit with him crowned as the new king of Pars in place of Andragoras, but more likely a puppet to them since he was indebted to them. He earned his silver mask there to conceal his scars, thus he gained the name Silvermask. He and the Lusitanians were later joined by the Parsian Marzban (marshal) Kharlan, who always knew the truth of Andragoras' succession issue since the beginning. Seeing the chance, the Lusitanians once again rebuilt their military strength and, with Hilmes joining them, plan to invade Pars by way of Maryam.
Prelude[]
Early in the year 320, Lusitania invaded and conquered the ally and vassal of the Kingdom of Pars, Maryam, and then set out to invade the kingdom. The Parsian king, Andragoras III led the Parsian army himself and marched to the field of Atropatene to intercept the invading Lusitanian army.
The Army ofPars is very big: 85,000 Cavalrymen and 138,000 men on foot. Along Andragoras are Eight generals; Shapur, Kubard, Manuchurch,Khayr, Khurup, Kushaeta, Daryun and the Eran of Pars Vahriz.
The Parsians thought they will easily win the battle, as they believe the Lusitanians don't know the battlefield, are far from they homeland and are outnumbered. Arslan, Prince of Pars, is disturbs by the fact that a Hawk has his feathers damp, and believe it will rain.
Arslan's prediction turn to be right, as fog appears and prevent the army to see anything. Daryun is dismissed from his commands after he advice to retreat, believing the Lusitanian army's decision to advance with such risk is the result of a treason from the Parsian camp. He is reduced to serve as a simple Calvaryman after his uncle Vahreze plead for him.
After this incident, the signal to attack came and the Parsian commander joined with energy their position. Androgoras is reassured by Kharlan that a Parsian's victory if all but impossible, and are alert that the Lusitanian vanguard is eight amaj (100 meters) away. Confident that there is a vast plain before him, the King order the charge, starting the beginning of the battle of Atropatene.
The battle[]
The Royal Parsian Army, with General Kharlan (who was later found to be a spy and a defector for the Lusitanians) on the left, King Andragoras in the center, and Crown Prince Arslan on the right.
The famous Parsian's charge brutally end when the first cavalry lines falls into a big ravine, follow by the next lines. Lusitanian's archers, on siege tower, open fire with flaming arrow on the ravine, and trigger a huge fire due to the widespread oil that burn alive the survivor of the fall.
The force who didn't fall into the ravine tried to get around the ravine by the flanks, but are cut down by the Lusitianian archers on the siege towers in front of them who begin to advance. The arrow's volleys is follow by a vicious charge of the Lusitanian cavalry and infantry which crashed some Parsian units and it mark the beginning of a bloody close combat. During this fight, Prince Arslan left his men because of the danger of being scathed while Marzbans Manuchurch and Khayr are killed in action. Marzban Kharlan join the Lusitanian Army and catch the escaping Prince Arslan. In the meantime, Androgoras who didn't charge with a part of his troop is confuse and angry with Kharlan's disappearance.
Parsians and Lusitanians fighting in the midst of fire in the battlefield
Daryun, who left his post to join the Parsian fighting force, manage to rescues Arslan who was dueling Kharlan. At the same time, Andragoras is convince by Vahriz, who saw that the battle was lost, to retreat to the Royal City of Ecbtana to defend the Continental Road and the Parsian Queen. Parsian soldiers of Kharlan, who rest behind, kill the bell-ringer and the trumpeter, preventing the spread of the retreat order, and screamed that the King ran away. The lie soon become heard all across the battlefield and broke the moral of the Parsian soldiers, including Marzban Shapur, through him manage to scream to his men that their king only left the battlefield in anticipation of "fighting once more". While holding a discussion with Shapur, Marzban Kubad decide to retreat but in order to do so, he led a charge against a huge unit of Lusitanian cavarylmen that blocked their retreat path.
As dusk fell, it clear that Pars has suffer a crushing defeat. At the time, Androgoras and his retreating party are ambushed by Lusitanian force laying in wait. A rain of Arrow devastates the king's unit and a Lusitanian calvary unit present itself on the road, led by Silvermask. Silver Mask slays Vahriz after he made a daring charge and cut down a dozen of Lusitanian soldiers. Andragoras, wounded by several arrows, is then taken prisoner. This marks the symbolic end of the battle. At some point after having decide to retreat, Shapur is captured as well.
However, the battle is still going on as Parsian calvarymen in light, who came out the fire triggered by arrow, charge the Lusitanian army who was in middle of returning to camp. At the evening, the Lusitianian reserves behind the siege towers came to engage the remaining Parsians, ending the battle while Lusitanian generals Montferrat and Baudouin note their decisive victory and are informed of king Andragoras capture.
Aftermath[]
The Royal Army of Pars was almost completely annihilated, with only a few stragglers including Arslan and Daryun remaining. With that, the Lusitanian subjugation of Maryam was complete, and the Parsian king Andragoras captured prisoner without any knowledge outside of the battlefield. The Lusitanian army went on to besiege Ecbatana and afterwards proceed with the conquest of a huge part of Parsian territory. It marked the end of the exile of Narsus, recruited by the fleeing Daryun and Arslan, and their subsequent flight to Peshawar, the castle that guard the eastern border of Pars.