The Pyrrhic Dynasty : A Makedonian AAR

[Subotan]

Just catched up again after not reading for a few months. I'd forgotten how much I enoyed it.

[johnhughthom]

Just catched up again after not reading for a few months. I'd forgotten how much I enoyed it.

It's comforting to know you can go away for a time, but when you came back to the EB forums MAA's Makedone behemoth will be rolling on.

[STuNTz2023]

It has been a long while since I've been to this forum and played EB. Just started playing again and decided I'd come to the .org. Glad to see this AAR continues, nice work!

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

You know how much I enjoy this AAR! It's great to see it back!

[Roka]

I'm really glad you decided to continue this AAR, it's one of the best if not the best i've ever read

[Vasiliyi]

How dare you speak such things MAA, of course people read. I enjoy it. Your politics and such are much better than battle descriptions (not that there is anything wrong with them) so don't be afraid to write about them.

[gamegeek2]

Poor Medians. Kicked out of their homeland (as they are really Hayasadan), they aren't able to recruit cataphracts, right?

You should fix that, maybe let them recruit some Asvaran-i Azadan or something.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it.
Thanks to all of you who have been following a long time, good to see you all again. Welcome to the newer commenters. And greetings to anyone lurking.

Your politics and such are much better than battle descriptions (not that there is anything wrong with them) so don't be afraid to write about them.

I'm still trying to decide on my point of view for the next chapter, but the next couple chapters will definitely cover politics. The only battles I'm having are against Sab'yn and occasionally Numidia but I've decided to stop mentioning those individually.

Poor Medians. Kicked out of their homeland (as they are really Hayasadan), they aren't able to recruit cataphracts, right?

You should fix that, maybe let them recruit some Asvaran-i Azadan or something.

I hadn't given the Hayasdan half of the Persian Empire any modifications to their recruitment selections because I wanted them to recruit Persian units. You have a good point with cataphracts, though. I hadn't though about them lacking cataphracts. Right now all they have is their super heavy bodyguard cataphracts. They should have some more, especially since I can't now recruit them too.

[gamegeek2]

Right - even if they're supposed to be Persians, they'd be evolved persians, especially as they fought the Parthians, no?

[satalexton]

a bit OT actually....but aren't the persians and parthians/skythians related?

[Ludens]

I too am still following this, Marcus.

Please continue .

[Dutchhoplite]

MAA is much too modest for such a master of the AAR

[Subotan]

a bit OT actually....but aren't the persians and parthians/skythians related?

That's really vague, and not really answerable unless you're clearer.

[Tyrfingr]

Following it and re-reading it every now and then...please continue!

[the man with no name]

I'm glad this exellent AAR is back. I actually liked Down from Africa more than an overview because it focused more on one part. You made an exellent reference.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Again, thank you for the support.
I'll beginning writing the next chapter tomorrow and have it ready some time this weekend.

a bit OT actually....but aren't the persians and parthians/skythians related?

IIRC:
Persians related to the Skythians in modern-day Ukraine? Not really. However they were Indo-European like the Iranians, with a closer relation than say the Persians and the Germans, but not really all that related. The Persians themselves probably migrated into Iran from the steppe. Persians, Parthians, and those who lived on the eastern steppe (Kazakhstan etc) during this time were aryan. Since those on the eastern steppe were often generalized with the name "Skythians" by some Greeks, then yes, those Skythians are related to the Persians.

[gamegeek2]

Genetically, Skythians/Ukranians would be on average more similar to Afghans and Pakistanis than Persians. At least, this is what modern DNA tells us.



Haplogroup R1a distribution by nation.

Linguistically, they're both part of the Iranian language group, though the Skythian tongue would be East Iranian (seriously!) and Persian is a West Iranian language.

It's pretty cool, actually, how the Indo-Iranian tongues are very closely related to the Balto-Slavic tongues, and the Balto-Slavic peoples are also quite genetically similar to the people of Indo-Iranian heartland in Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and northern Pakistan. It's irrefutable evidence of the common ethnolinguistic ancestry of these peoples, and a major confirmation of Indo-European theory. The R1a group also significantly drops when you cross the Oder, which makes perfect sense, as in the EB time frame the Oder was the boundary between Germanic/Celtic groups and Balto-Slavic (mainly Baltic at the time) groups.

Even further evidence is the fact that R1a's sister group, R1b, is found heavily in areas that once had a heavy Celtic presence. It's in over 80% of people living in the British Isles, and over half of all Frenchmen, Belgians, and Spaniards, as well as a large percentage of Swiss, Northern Italians, Danes, and Dutch.

[satalexton]

interesting...how we're all closer related that we would think......(wt bout the sino-tibetian group and their relation with indo-aryan?)

[Subotan]

wt bout the sino-tibetian group and their relation with indo-aryan?
Say whaaa

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Dromeus Krokeaios
Athenai, Hellas
Spring of the Sixth Year of the Reign of Basileus Antigonos III (123BC)

On that day, it had already been more than six years since the death of
Basileus Megas Philippos, our great leader. It is said, since the time of
Antigonos Gonatas, in this Arche, that all great men die quietly. So it was
that our Philippos began his journey into Hades. Six years since Antigonos
became the Basileus. In these quiet years I have heard many stories of the
intrigues of politics. Rumors of poor management. Rumors of corrupt
members of the Assembly. Rumors of a lazy Basileus. Rumors of plotting
and counter plotting. And yes, there were rumors of the Assembly planning
to overthrow the Basileus. Never had I believed these rumors, few did. The
events of that day changed that.

My name is Dromeus, though it matters not. I live in the great city of Athenai,
capital of the Hellenes' Arche, one of the largest and busiest cities in the
world. I am a simple man who works in one of many warehouses that store
goods that have been brought up from the port. Exotic goods, spices, rare
animals, strange people, and stories of foreign lands all come to Athenai from
all across the Pontos Mesogeios and beyond. The work can be difficult but at
least I work for my money. The city has grown so quickly that many simply
live in the streets or hastily built slums begging, thieving, gambling, drinking,
and waiting. On my particular street, it is many of these kinds of people who
are my friends and neighbors. For the evening meal and after, both those who
work and those who do not gather on the ground floor, telling stories and
talking of rumors. A man name Titus, a theiving man from the west, usually
tell the best stories and will exaggerate any rumor he feels like passing on.



My simple life and those of the forgotten inhabitants of this distant, darkened
street of this great city matter not. The events of that day were more
important issues and concerned men who the gods themselves keep their
eyes fixed upon. The night before that particular day, the rumors had begun.
Titus was on the street, over excited and going on about something even as I
returned that night. I could tell he already had plenty wine in him and payed
him no heed. After I had a little wine in me, I decided to listen to what he and
the others had to say.

Titus was arguing with Diokles, another street "personality" who I believe came
from Ionia. I spent the night as I would any other night, talking with friends
and acquaintances. After some time I was able to figure out what Titus,
Diokles, and there others were talking about. I didn't really care at first, that
night. I didn't believe them either. As their story went, the Basileus had been
removed from power by the Council in the meeting at the Assembly that day.
They said that he had arrived and had given an order to the Council, as was
his right. The Council had refused to follow it and forced him to leave.

All of the arguing between Diokles and Titus had been whether they believe the
Basileus would use the military to overthrown the Council or would simply step
down and let the Council rule. Titus believed that rule by a Council was a
better system, whereas most of others gathered that night believed that the
Basileus had the right to rule. For me, Basileus Pyrrhos had been the
military's Basileus and Basileus Philippos had been the people's Basileus.
As a Hellene, born in Korinthos, I had loved Basileus Philippos. To me, any
descendant of Philippos had the right to rule. Basileus Antigonos was son of
Megas Philippos and the true ruler of all of Hellas and beyond. No Council run
by Athenaioi would take away what rightfully belonged to the family of Pyrrhos
and Philippos.

Before the night was over, rumors began to spread that the Basileus would
speak to the people at the Agora the next day. Diokles and Titus both said
that they would be there to see it.

[Hotseat_User]

switching lurk to applause mode. looking foward to the speech

[Horatius Flaccus]

I hope Antigonos will crush those nasty, corrupt senators...

[Vasiliyi]

Nice chapter, I like the point of view. Kinda reminds me of the series "HBO Rome". Keep it up.

[gamegeek2]

Love it.

Now comes a real test for the Basileus.

[Subotan]

I can hear pigeons couping in the background.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

All traitors deserve death!

[Arthur, king of the Britons]

Good god I really like this AAR, keep up the good work!

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Thanks for reading and commenting, both lurkers and old friends.

I had planned to post the three or four parts of this story within a week, but this passed week turned out to be rather busy for me. And this coming Tuesday, three classes at Uni decided to all have their midterms on the same day. I may finished the second part of this story that I'd already started but until I get passed Tuesday, I can't really concentrate on anything else.

[podoh]

I finally managed to catch up with this (from the civil war onwards), so it's a good time to leave lurking mode as well.
I'm with the people stating that the political parts are the most interesting of the story, although "Down from Africa" was very good too.
Since it seems like there's a lot of politics coming, I can't wait untill the next chapter.
(Unlike most people, I'm with the democratic senators: ALL HAIL ATTIKA! )

So, for the whole AAR, have this:
(My first balloon given to anyone on these forums, by the way. )

[gamegeek2]

I, too, support the Senators.