Everything about The Battle Of Crocus Field totally explained
The
Battle of Crocus Field (also known as the
Battle of Volo) was a battle between
Philip II of Macedon and
Onomarchus of
Phocis in
352 BC. Philip had been defeated by Onomarchus the year before, but this time was victorious.
Summary
The Phocians had for many years sent men to assist the
Thebans in their inroads into the
Peloponnese. In the
campaign of Mantinea (370–362), however, the Phocians withheld their usual levy of men. As punishment, the Thebans instigated a religious quarrel and secured a penal decree against them from the
Amphictyonic League (356). In retaliation the Phocians, led by Philomelus and Onomarchus, seized
Delphi and its treasury, and used it to hire an army of mercenaries with whom they began an invasion of
Thessaly.
In
354 BC, Philip II of Macedonia marched on Phocis, only to be defeated by Onomarchus' brilliant artillery ambush. Philip was expelled from Thessaly, but asserted that he'd withdrawn, 'like a ram, to butt the harder'. Philip reinvaded the following year, and smashed the Phocians. With this victory, Philip accrued great glory as the righteous avenger of
Apollo, since Onomarchus had plundered the Sacred treasury of
Delphi to pay his mercenaries. Onomarchus' body was crucified, and the prisoners drowned as ritual demanded for temple-robbers.
The battle in detail
Relatively little is known about the battle. The
Aegean Sea lay to the east of the plain, which was controlled by the supporting
Athenian fleet based at
Neapolis in the north of the Aegean. Philip probably force-marched at night south to the field with 3,000 cavalry and over 20,000 infantry (including many mercenaries) to prevent Onomarchus from marching north and linking up with reinforcements from
Pherae. Since the river crossing the plain isn't mentioned in accounts of the battle, it's likely that the battle took place somewhat to the north - it's hard to imagine Philip would have chosen not to defend it given the opportunity to do so. The Phocians had 500 cavalry and 20,000 infantry, mostly mercenaries, plus the supporting Athenian fleet under
Chares.
The Athenians may have numbered about 2,000 men, since 20 ships constituted the fleet at
Neapolis the year before; in the year following the battle Athens sent 5,000 men in 50 ships to aid Phayllus, the brother of Onomarchus, giving 100 men transported per ship to the same area in very nearly the same time and circumstances. While
Diodorus says that the Athenians just happened to be passing by chance, given that they arrived so close to the time of the main clash and had to sail into the
large bay near the site of the battlefield, it's almost certain that they were actively seeking to render the Phocians assistance. However, Diodorus also says that Chares had a "large number" of
triremes with him, and twenty doesn't constitute a large fleet by Athenian standards. Perhaps there were 50 on this occasion, as in 352. It is likely that the vast majority were
hoplites, since horse-transports are not mentioned, and Athens possessed hardly any light troops at this time.
Further Information
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