Roman Strategy and Clever Deception
The fires that were lit on Mount Olympus were meant to deceive the enemy. By this act, it was believed that the whole force of the Romans was advancing. This clever trick caused fear and confusion among their opponents and helped bring success without direct battle Public Appearances of the Grand Signior.
However, the most remarkable military exploit ever carried out on this mountain was performed by the Roman consul Marcus Marcellus. He was sent against King Philip V, the last king of that name. Marcellus led his soldiers across Mount Olympus by paths that were unknown and extremely difficult. These routes were so rough that the soldiers were forced to crawl, slide, and struggle to make their way down the mountain.
The terrain was steep and dangerous, and progress was slow. Yet the Roman army persisted. Even more astonishing was the way in which their elephants were brought down from the mountain. Ingenious wooden machines, somewhat like drawbridges placed one beneath another, were constructed to lower the elephants safely into the plains below. This extraordinary feat has been described in greater detail by Sir Walter Raleigh, who praised it as unmatched in military history.
Larissa as a City of Kings and Rulers
Just as the Grand Signior later honored Larissa by staying there for a long period, King Philip of Macedon also did the same. Philip V spent a summer in Larissa in the same year that Hannibal captured the city of Saguntum in Spain. This shows that Larissa was already an important and respected city long before the Ottoman period.
It is not clearly stated in historical records whether Xerxes visited Larissa when his great army passed through Thessaly on its way to Thermopylae. However, what is certain is that Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, played a major role in the city’s history. After he had subdued the Illyrians and Paeonians, he turned his attention toward Greece Tours Sofia.
Philip II and the Rise of Macedonian Power
As part of his plan to control Greece, Philip II captured the city of Larissa, which lies on the River Peneus. By taking Larissa, he secured a strong position in Thessaly. This allowed him to gain the support and military assistance of the Thessalians in his later wars against the Greek city-states. Their cavalry, in particular, became a powerful force under Macedonian command.
Larissa in the Roman Civil Wars
Larissa also played an important role during the Roman civil wars. Before the Battle of Pharsalus, Julius Caesar records that Scipio was stationed in Larissa with a Roman legion. After his defeat, Pompey fled to this city as his first place of retreat.
The Roman poet Lucan refers to this moment, describing Larissa as the first witness to Pompey’s downfall. The city saw the collapse of one of Rome’s greatest leaders, a moment that changed the course of Roman history forever.
Pompey did not remain long in Larissa. He followed the course of the River Peneus, boarded a boat, and made his way to the sea. There, he was taken aboard a large ship that was already preparing to set sail.
The River Peneus and the Valley of Tempe
The River Peneus flows beside the city of Larissa and is the greatest river in Thessaly. Most of the other rivers in the region eventually flow into it. The Peneus rises in Mount Pindus and travels eastward through the land.
It passes through the famous Valley of Tempe, a place celebrated for its natural beauty, and runs between Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa. Finally, it empties into the Sinus Thermaicus, also known as the Gulf of Saloniki. This river has always been central to the life, history, and prosperity of Larissa and all of Thessaly.
