Hellenic War

The Hellenic War (1265-1267) was a conflict between prominent royal houses and internal factions in the north of Cattala, centred around the Ionian Islands of Cattala during the reign of King Francis III. The war was fuelled by the capitulation of House Maietta in the Roumelese Wars and the War of the Vine, two wars that humiliated the islands and depleted their financial and naval power. The war ended with the defeat of Ionian rebels and the installation of House Bonnecelli, Crown loyalists, as rulers of the islands.

Background
Throughout the early 13th century the Hellenic Islands had built up the strongest naval force in the islands and pursued an expansionist programme through war, including capturing Roumeli in the First Roumelese War. However growing fragility in Ionia and political infighting weakened the power that House Maietta could exert and the War of the Vine signalled to the rest of the kingdom that Hellas was fracturing and without leadership after the Maiettan War of Succession and assassination of King John the Red in 1259.

The Roumelese Civil War just one year later saw the overthrowing of House Maietta's skeletal garrison on the island and a vicious counter attack by the Ionians was crushed by a Celestinian invasion force. The Crown had openly defeated the Hellenic army, despite the Maiettan's having pledged fealty to the monarchy. The nobility collapsed and a violent rebellion began almost immediately as law and order broke down in the main city and port, Ionia.

Republican Coup
Faced with the collapse of their realm, the remaining Maiettan family members fled to Celestine, where they sought exile and support from the Crown. Lord James Maietta, who had struggled to retain power after losing the Roumelese Civil War, remained in Ionia, the seat of his power. In Celestine, King Francis III declared he would treat solely with the legitimate ruler of the Hellenic Isles, and rejected the pleas of the Maiettans who all claimed to represent their principality.

Meanwhile, rioting in Ionia spread into the hills and countryside and landowners began fighting a guerilla war against dissidents, with no support from the Crown or the Maiettan leadership. Sir Gilbert De Florent led a contingent into Ionia to demand support from the Principality. Lord Maietta refused to meet with them. It was then that the landowners rebelled and stormed the chambers of Lord Maietta, before butchering him, his wife and his mistress. The coup was bloody but once Lord James' body was hung over the battlements, the skeleton army and mercenaries hired by him abandoned the cause and fled or switched sides.

Gilbert de Florent seized power and declared himself Prince of Hellas by conquest and swore to restore order and glory to the maritime principality. His forces butchered rebels in the streets of Ionia and spread terror in the surrounding hills and countryside, overwhelming their rivals and the peasantry. The Crown continued its silence.

Invasion of Lessito
Gilbert de Florent announced his intention to travel to Celeste to pledge fealty to the Crown, in return for financial and economic aid from the Celestine monarchy. King Francis III sent an envoy to Hellas informing de Florent that the Principality had enough financial support from the kingdom already, and it would not treat with him over this matter.

Embarrassed by this rejection, de Florent came under pressure from his supporters, many of whom saw the Celestine's as snobbish oppressors who supported the Maiettan claim to the islands.

Aftermath of the War
This would be the last major war in northern Cattala until the 16th century, when the Golden Revolution threatened House Celestine's control over the kingdom and saw the islands captured from House Bonnecelli for the first time.