Persian Civil War

[Marshal Murat]

As your troops re-assemble to fight the Spartans, your captains advise against meeting the Spartans in battle so you withdraw to a ridge, closer to the paths that Alcibiades will use to reach your camps. The Spartans were moving forward in two columns, one composed of 20,000 allies and Spartans, the other with 20,000 Spartans. Your withdrawal from the intended battlefield allowed the Spartans to combine together and march to your new position.

The next couple days are broken by skirmishers between the two armies, watching and scouting for opportunities. Then one day breaks and dust appears from the mountain passes. Your messengers ride out to direct Alcibiades to your lines but return bearing grave news. The Spartans were able to detach 10,000 soldiers and navigate behind your lines. You face 10,000 Spartans behind you, 50,000 before your lines. The captains assemble the men swiftly as the twin pincers march in. Your skirmishers slow the main Spartan force. You ride out of your camp with the Megaran hoplites and the Epirite foot-knights. The remaining soldiers, 18,000 men, rush to the skirmish lines. The main Spartan host lines up and shakes into formation. The 18,000 hoplites and knights form up across from the Spartan main force.
The phalanx lines clatter and smack their shields together, the Spartans at the right wing of their force. Your 18,000 men form up there, hoping to hold off the Spartans for you to return. The captains and polemarchs hope that the Spartans aren’t able to exploit the length of his lines. With a roar and clash the shield clatter and smash. The battle has begun.
Your swiftly assembled hoplites move to the mountain paths. The messengers report that the main Spartan force is marching directly to the rear of your camp and you ride out to the fore of your hoplites. Thousands of bronzed hoplites wait for the Spartans to appear, their irons spears glittering in the sunshine. The first Spartan rangers appear, but carry the arms of Argive. Alcibiades then rides up. Your messengers were duped.
They thought that the Argive hoplites, leading the columns, were Spartan knights. Distraught that you have sent 18,000 men to battle without support. You immediately order an about face. The hoplites aren’t able to turn around and break ranks. They were never trained to do so. The confusion is resolved as the main battle line is enveloped. The allies and Spartans were able to exploit your line’s small size and were pushing in. The disaster is compounded by the fact that the Argive, Athenians, and Corinthians were marched through the night to reach your positions. Alcibiades feared that the Spartans would have already attacked your lines.

Your hoplites turn around and charge for the Spartans. Your knights appear at the battlefield as the Spartans rout your main body of soldiers. The 8,000 men in your command slow the retreat as the Spartans slaughter every helot on the field. Their blood-lust has allowed your men to reform with the remaining 2,000 Megara knights, 1,000 helots and 200 Thessaly knights. Your 11,200 men hold the line as the Spartans and allies try to re-assemble to launch their final assault. The day-light is fading and a light rain has turned the churned earth to mud and waste. The battle lines withdraw to camp. The Spartans have lost 12,000 men, now they remain with 48,000 soldiers. Your army has shrunk to 29,200 men in total. The next day is no better as the rain continues, mucking the battlefield further.

The third day is bright and sunny. The Spartans advance out of their camp and smash back the skirmishers. Your captains and polemarchs order the troops out into battle lines. Your army forms up into a dense phalanx to defeat the Spartans. The Spartans have 30,000 men ready to meet your 24,000 hoplites. Your men march forward with 6,000 Boetians trailing en-echelon to protect your flank. The horsemen are formed into a personal bodyguard who outflank the Spartan lines. With a clatter and smash the two lines clash. Hundreds of men roar and scream, thrusting and stabbing with spears and shields. Your cavalry charge in repeatedly, using spears to thrust and divert the Spartan knights. The dense formation concentrates your numbers into a pillar of men and steel than slowly bends the Spartan lines. Your horsemen withdraw to bolster the Boetian hoplites, defending against the massive allied numbers.
Then the Spartan line broke. With a thrust of the spear, the Spartan king fell beneath an Epirite spear, slain. The allies, while winning in on their front, were more afraid of the Spartans. With the king dead, they break. As they flee the field the 6,000 Boetians pour onto the Spartans, who also break. They flee to the city of Sparta. Your soldiers rest and pursue later. Helots, released from Spartan chains, join your column, bolstering the meager soldiers left. Your 30,000 soldiers were whittled down to 21,000 hoplites and horsemen. The helots joining the forces raise the number to 30,000. Spartan resistance was broken by your harsh bloody victory and with Sparta subdued, you reorganized the area and establish a satrap.

Messengers from Macedonia report that the Thracian satrap has joined with Illyrian tribesmen, seeing no action on your part. Border skirmishing has drawn more and more attention and the Macedonians and Epirite cities have become shaken, no longer fully trusting you to preserve them. Marching back to Thebes you hire more men. 20,000 men, consisting of Thessaly knights, Athenians, Megarans, Argives, Messians, and Boetians.
Another portion of your treasury has been devoted to renovating Athens, drawing some ire from the other Greeks, but your reverence for the gods has met with some approval.

Now your troops are based in Thebes as you accumulate information. The Thracian will no doubt have amassed a force, and probably sent word to Sogdianos to get some gold. Sogdianos’ realm has only slowly expanded as he uses words and bribes rather than his army to enforce his will. It has worked, but steel is more persuasive.

1. The Thracian satrap and Illyrian allies have made movements against Epirus and Macedonia. The citizens are feeling a little more hesitant about supporting you since they aren’t being focused on. Now with your army, you must decide what moves to make.
A) March to Pella and establish a camp. Place Alcibiades in command of the Macedonian soldiers then wait for Thracians to attack.
B) March to Epirus and threaten the Illyrians with your army. Scare them out of the war then march to Pella.
C) March to Byzantium with your full force, pulling the Macedonian and Potideans garrisons and defeat any Thracian movements.

2. With many Greeks wavering about your commitment to all their benefits, you have to decide what to do.
A) Garrison the cities with local allied troops to ensure their loyalty
B) Give the cities hundreds of talents each to renovate local projects
C) Do nothing. Temporary jealousy

OOC:Sorry about only 2 options. Also, I'm going to try to spice up the battles but the Greek hoplite combat wasn't the most vivid.

[shlin28]

1 B Better to get rid of at least one enemy before facing another

2 B If we garrison them with their troops the troops themselves would probably rebel along with their own people

[Julian the apostate]

I would suggest mantaining diplomats and spies but not troops among these people. It gives us more men from the frontline, bring heroes back to tell of the new glory of greece

The northern threat i still feel can be dealt with largely by diplomacy. The thracians and Illyrians are far from united and most likely some tribes can be swayed. Thus i agree we should march through epirote territory and then the northern border of the makedonian kingdom. Yet, i think that we can save troops and maybe pick up more by gaining alliances and turning the illyrians against eachother and possibly asking help among the getae and other tribes. The steppe people may also be useful in reducing the advantage that sogdinios has.
This will also reduce the troops sogdinios can bring to war.

Ultimately however i think the goal is to take the hellespont and to hold alliances with most of the tribes south of the Danube to protect our position in the baltic peninsula. Also do we know where Egypt stands in this war? i know there are likely large greek communities there and in other areas and hopefully these areas will join our rather new looking regime. It seems that while our use of military might over diplomacy may scare some i feel that the possibility of wealth will entice many

[DemonArchangel]

1.) A- Except a bit more proactive. Raid the Thracians, force them out to attack us on our terms.

2.) C- We don't have hundreds of talents per city to spend on renovation. We have defeated Sparta already, that should put the fear of the gods in the other Greeks long enough for us to defeat the Thracians.

[macsen rufus]

1) B - show you stand by your allies - Epirus first, to scare off the Illyrians and separate them from the Thracians, then move on Thrace afterwards

2) C - you just crushed the Spartans in battle, the other cities will behave themselves for a while. Your talents are probably better spent in stabilising Sparta.

[woad&fangs]

1) B We just defeated one of the strongest forces in the world. The Illyrians will be to scared to fight us without their thracian allies.

2) C Most greeks are either allied with the spartans or allied with the athenians. We have crushed the spartans and pacified the athenians so the rest of the greeks should give us no more serious trouble.

[Gurkhal]

A) March to Pella and establish a camp. Place Alcibiades in command of the Macedonian soldiers then wait for Thracians to attack.

I think we should let the Thracians come to us and konsolidate our grip in the north. Although I'm far from hostile to more aggressive action.

B) Give the cities hundreds of talents each to renovate local projects

Give them some nice temples and such so that they will be happy when we take military action up north. Also I don't belive this will make them start dreaming about things like independence and such crap like if they were given military power and similer. In short, give them some shiny stuff to make them be silent.

[Tiberius of the Drake]

is this dead?

[Marshal Murat]

Like Caesar after the Ides of March.

[Tiberius of the Drake]

such a sahme this was entertaining

[Gurkhal]

Yeah a pity it went away.