Minos Dimelis

Battle of the Rubicon

Minos was a famous military commander in Ilaka, known for his involvement in the Helicules War through both his wit and brutality. He is one of the contributing factors to the creation of the Carto Empire.

## Early Life

Minos was born in the capital of Ilaka, Kras, in **383PR**. It is unknown who his parents were but are believed to be middle-class.

Early in his youth he became a friend of Prince Thodoris Kostides. It is unknown how the boys became friends, but it is believed that being a rebel, Thodoris likely snuck out of Kras Castle and into the city where the two met. Despite their social classes, Thodoris and Minos grew close.

## Career

When Thodoris had to enter military service at the age of 16, he was joined by Minos, who volunteered to stick with his friend. Alongside his friend, Minos continued to shine in battles. One famous was during a fight with some of the Kunan River tribes. They had broken through the Ilakan line and were coming for the Prince. Minos, taking the initiative, grabbed some of the men and charged the enemy. During the fighting he lost his own sword but continued fighting with his bare hands and shield, successfully saving the Prince.

By the time he was 20, Minos had already joined the Atkan soldiers, commanding a group of 6. Thodoris had left the army by this stage, being crowned King when his father passed away.

In **409PR**, Minos was promoted to the position of General by his friend King Thodoris.

Minos continued to support his friend the King during the tougher times, such as in **412PR** when the nation began dealing with financial difficulties from an unsatisfactory harvest. The situation only worsened in **414PR**, causing King Thodoris to begin his preparations for expanding his land. Minos was chosen to lead in the Gonarundun front.

### Helicules War

*See: Helicules War*

In **415PR**, General Minos and 18,000 Ilakan troops crossed the Gonarundun border and besieged the city of Helicules. A fleet of ships under the command of Agapios was later sent to help them, blockading the city from the seal.

#### Battle of Helicules

*See: Battle of Helicules*

The Battle of Helicules was embarrassing to Minos’s reputation. When sieging the city he was required to split his army up into two groups of 9,000, leaving half under the command of Apollon Tripiadis.

Seeing the situation, the Gonarunduns led by Miguel Baztan left the city through the Southern gate and attacked Apollon and his troops. Apollon managed to get a messenger to Minos, but it was already late.

Hearing that half his army was under attack, Minos crossed the river to aid them, knowing he couldn’t take the city in the time it would take Miguel to win against Apollon. When the two armies collided, he held the advantage. His fresher troops and Atkan began to push back the enemy and almost flank them on the right. Apollon’s Troops returning only helped his situation further.

The only problem he had was Miguel, who gave a series of orders that ended up saving the Gonarundun position. Minos himself had to enter the battle in the centre, stopping them from pushing it back. To keep his troops solid he even entered the front, using his superior skills to slash through the enemy. The sight inspired his troops to move again, stopping the enemy momentum. At the same time his wing fell, forcing him and his troops to surrender out of fear of getting completely surrounded.

#### Second Invasion

Retreating back to Ilaka, Minos bided his time. Politically he was in a dangerous position, the King having every right to strip him of his rank and place another commander in charge. But, Thodoris trusted his friend to win the war, so kept him where he was and gave him reinforcements.

The reinforcements arrived in **416PR**, starting the second invasion. By this time, Miguel had strangely died, leaving no capable commander to stand against Minos.

#### Battle of the Kunan

*See: Battle of the Kunan*

Conquering most of the land to the right of the Kunan River, Minos heard reports of a Gonarundun army marching towards him. Taking the initiative, he positioned his troops on the Helicules side of the river, finding a passway that the Gonarunduns could use to pass through.

The two armies faced each other in the morning. Having the better position, Minos was ready to sit by and wait. He had already claimed enough land for him to return as a success in Ilaka and his supply lines were unhindered from the sea. Though to his surprise, Dario was a very incapable commander, instead ordering his troops to cross the river once their formations were met.

When the army began crossing, Minos ordered his Pratan to begin firing, dealing significant damage to the enemy. Once the Gonarunduns were almost across the river, he called his Pratan back, letting his infantry fight.

Minos was soon hit with another surprise. His centre was beginning to falter, even though his wings were breaking through. The Drakan were fierce warriors but incapable of dealing with the Gonarundun elite. Rather than enter the battle like last time, where he lost control of his army, Minos instead let the Gonarunduns push through the centre and used the second line from nearby to hit them on the flank.

Moving to the left side, Minos got reports of his troops breaking through on all sides, pushing the enemy wings back and flanking them. Utilizing his range, Minos ordered the Pratan to go around the flanks and fire into the back of the enemy. The Gonarunduns, getting hit on all sides and now having arrows fired into their backs, broke and retreated.

Minos ordered an immediate chase, killing many more Gonarunduns and getting the decisive victory he needed.

#### Surrender

The Gonarunduns and King Augustin later surrendered when Ilakan envoys came. Surrendering the lands left of the Kunan river and giving control of Helicules to the Ilakans.

### Helicules

Minos is known for his brutality at this moment, committing a genocide-like attack. After hearing about Helicules being surrendered, Minos and his troops entered the city. Angry about the only military defeat in his career, he took his revenge out on the populace. This was done through acts of slaughter.

Some reports state that the Constructen river flowed red when it went out into the sea. A mass burial was later undertaken out of the city, burying the civilians or anyone who stood in the way of Minos and his revenge. Of the people who remained, they were forced to move into the slums, making way for the Ilakans who would enter the city.

### Wars of Expansion

Minos and his troops spent the rest of the Wars of expansion quelling and destroying many of the tribes between the Ilakan borders and the Lorenzen Kingdom.

He was equally ruthless to the tribes that showed him trouble, slaughtering their younger generation when given the chance. By the end of the wars it is believed that he ordered the death of around 20,000 tribal members, mostly children and women. Most of the criticism he received was elsewhere, still holding the support of his friend Thodoris.

### Battle of the Rubicon

*See: Battle of the Rubicon*

In **429PR** Minos and his soldiers got into a heated argument with some of the Lorenzens nearby. Angry that they didn’t realise their position, he insulted their leader and began raiding their lands. Eventually this culminated as a battle.

While the battle was a victory for Minos, he would die right at the end of it. Killed by a man named Elias Meldgard who managed to slip through his lines and kill him with both a bow and his shortsword. Further insult was added when he was stabbed in the back, a dishonorable death in Ilaka.

## Legacy

Minos was known as one of Ilaka’s great commanders but also one of their more brutal ones. His direct actions after the city of Helicules was captured would later result in the creation of the Carto Empire, which would end up destroying Ilaka in **665PR**.

A statue was made in his honor by Thodoris, though it was later destroyed in **618PR** when the Carto Empire conquered and razed Kras in the War of Revenge.